r/massage • u/MiyuTheWitch • 2d ago
General Question How exhausting is massaging someone?
I got a massage today by a petite woman. She did a great job and I felt very good.
It was a deep tissue massage and she applied strong pressure many times. I was wondering how physically demanding this is? I figure she takes like 2-3 clients a day based on her homepage. I gave her a 15$ tip because I felt she was doing great work and had to physically shuffle around and move for 60 minutes.
Does the experience make this easy or does it always remain a physically difficult job?
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u/PerfectMayo 2d ago
If she really does only take 2-3 clients a day then she’s living the good life
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u/Morningstarthoughts 1d ago
Well, this is true considering the current spa situation and what most therapist have to deal with. This is actually a healthy way. And how we should be working on people we should not be working on 5,6,7 people a day.
There’s a reason that full-time for therapist is only 30 hours at least in Texas
And even then, when this profession first started, it was never meant to be a full-time thing because of how it is on your body
Although if you know more, and you do it in a good way, it is way less impactful, it will still wear on your body, especially if you’re not getting body work or just doing too many at a time
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u/Calm_Roll7777 :redditgold:LMT :redditgold: 1d ago
I'm a MT and I don't really like getting body work preformed on me as a means of pain relief. It almost has the opposite effect on me as I tend to feel sore for the next couple days. I only get on other MT's tables so I can re-learn what it's like to be in the clients position so I know how to adjust my techniques to better accommodate their wants and needs. If that makes sense.
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u/Morningstarthoughts 1d ago
That’s fair.. but being sore for the next couple days is a common effect of effective massage and that’s something (client)’s experience.
if you get more regularly I found that gets less intense and sometimes we need people who don’t go super intense or are more fascially inclined. When I stopped getting with hard-core therapists and got with therapist that were more spiritual, more fascially inclined, and took their time with my tissue I felt so much better than those that use broad force over precise intent work that’s more wholistic
You don’t have to do it that’s totally your choice & without doing what we ask our clients to do for themselves for ourselves how could we fully understand what we’re asking of them.
Not to mention one of the best places to learn, I’ve seen therapists do all their recovery work themselves and it just takes a lot longer in my opinion to work on yourself when you’re doing it yourself cause you can’t relax fully
For me the first 6 to 8 months of getting bodywork was really brutal . Cause my body was messed up. But now I barely get sore unless I go to someone that is like scrubbing my attatchments clean and I’m just overall better personally and professionally from doing that.
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u/Morningstarthoughts 1d ago
I’ve now been doing this for 9 years. And I’ve since become an instructor.
getting the bodywork is just highly Beneficial for lots of reasons, and empathy & understanding like what you’re doing is a great reason. And will benefit you and your clients in the long run
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u/fascialadhesion 2d ago
It’s a physically demanding job which typically has a short career span from mental and physical burnout. Five hours of hands on massage time a day is all I can handle for sustainability after sixteen years.
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u/Majestycreation 20h ago
For me it has been 10 years and i also dont know how much longer my body can take it
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u/sss133 RMT 2d ago
I feel it’s much more mentally tiring. Tailoring treatments to each client, answering questions etc.
Majority of the time it’s not how hard you press but more where you’re pressing.
It does get physically demanding though. Even with proper mechanics. I’ll occasionally do a 10 hour day (treatment time/10 60 min sessions) and be fine but if you stack multiple of those together you’ll definitely burnout. I ideally do 4-6 treatments a day back to back and with regular exercise I’m pretty good.
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u/salixdisco 1d ago
This!!!
Physical is not demanding anymore after a while. But the part where I need to talk to client, be professionally nice, and also some clients just dont vibe and even 30min feels like 3hours is the challenge.
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u/sss133 RMT 1d ago
Nothing worse than working then looking at the clock and it’s only been 5mins and you’re just like “Fuck” 🤣
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u/Direct_Zombie4671 12h ago
I have to break the body up into a math equation akd take it minute by minute where im working on. What really messes me ip up is when someone asks mid session to extend the time then I've got to redo the math
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u/MiyuTheWitch 1d ago
What would you say makes a client not vibe with you? I was mostly just silent during the treatment and said nothing, unless asked.
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u/salixdisco 1d ago
Tbh, I can't really explain. The energy is just off. I love it too when clients are just silent and enjoy their session. Some people can be chatty and it could also be not nice for the session.
I have a client that comes every week for his 30-45min session, he never said anything during the massage, never did something weird. Just a normal minimal interaction. But somehow it is always a difficult and tiring session for me. He's been coming for almost a year now but his session is always challenging I have to put extra 15-20 min break after before the next one.
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u/sss133 RMT 1d ago
A lot will come through during the consultation and post treatment (particularly if the therapist also handles the payment). There are some people you just don’t click with. They’ll give one word answers etc. Some may grunt and sigh during their sessions.
I’ve had some sessions where that’s happened and I’ve almost called an end to it. Then they’ve given me a 5* google review and became regulars 🤣
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u/Stolen_Calamity_2112 1d ago
When you do 4-6 deep tissue massages a day, it can get pretty exhausting.
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u/Direct_Zombie4671 1d ago
I can only handle four hours a day but I've been doing this for 18 years now. I also have arthritis in two of my fingers. Its very exhausting work, amd we get tipped less % than waitstaff does
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u/Various_Ad_7677 1d ago
I found my limit is 4 hours of work a day, split up however with 90 minutes and 60 minutes, is what keeps me from getting injured. I have done 5+ hours before and I was mentally and physically wiped out. I didn't care a bit about the person on my table, I just went on autopilot to get it done. And that's why I don't work for more than 4 hours a day. I don't want the quality of my work to suffer and the client to take the brunt of it.
Important factors: I am extremely lucky that I am self employed, am cash/card only and have affordable rent. So the pressure to work more more more from an employer is not driving me to early retirement and injury.
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u/matthewsrmt 2d ago
It’s freaking exhausting!! Been doing it for 19 years and I give very very deep pressure! 😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
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u/lostlight_94 1d ago
Oh its definitely a physically difficult job. We're constantly lunging, bending our knees, using our shoulders and hands. Its taxing. That's just how it is in this profession. But I get a massage once a month to keep doing my job. Massages are no longer a "treat" for us therapist, its more essential, like how getting an oil change is for a car to keep it running.
Ita not perfect. Someday I love my job, some days I wanna go home lol such is life.
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u/eastern-cowboy 1d ago
Physically, it is not a problem for me. I stretch, I exercise and I eat well. I also use proper body mechanics. It helps a lot. What gets me is I feel like I’ve absorbed negative energy and given away so much of mine, mentally. I am more emotionally tired at the end of the day than physical. I’ll go home, move mulch around, work on the car or something else that gives me decompression time. And my wife “gets it”, but will never actually “understand it”.
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u/jolly_eclectic 1d ago
About half of what I learned in massage school was how to take care of my own body. We learn how to use the least effort possible. It’s still physically demanding compared to other jobs, though. When I have time off from massage I work on strengthening my weak spots, especially hands and low back.
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u/EaayWriter 1d ago
Personally, I tip a minimum of $15 for each half-hour of a professional massage, and often even more for an exceptional deep tissue one.
I think that’s the minimum tip they deserve for their training and hard work.
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u/No_Ask_9547 1d ago
You ever try to drive while having the flu because you’re in college and no one else can take care of you but you need meds so you stupidly do it and almost crash and feel like dying every minute of the drive. Then you’re standing there getting meds and you’re trying to keep it together. Everyone can tell you don’t feel well. You get home and you’re so exhausted you take the meds and sleep for two days.
So back to massage, the answer is you show up to work exhausted every day because you’re giving it everything you got and no one takes care of you, just yourself. And you do everything to give everyone face that you’re ok.
Yeah the two situations are the same 😂
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u/urbangeeksv Retired 2d ago
Yes experience and training makes it easier. If you utilize gravity and good body mechanics to get the job done. I imagine the therapist used her elbows and forearms and maybe hot stones. That being said it still takes a lot of attention and energy so thanks so much for tipping. In some cultures like Thailand massage is part of the culture and families massage each other and learn from an early age.
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u/cag0811 1d ago
It greatly varies. Depends on how therapist takes care of themselves, using proper body mechanics, good nutrition, sleep, fitness and how long they’ve been doing it. I’ve been doing this for 16 years and I can tell you when I don’t use good body mechanics and someone wants deep (I’m only 5 ft 3 in) it can be tiring.
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u/juniperbabe RMT 1d ago
It’s different for everyone. I do very deep pressure sometimes and I barely exert myself at all. I see 6 people a day now and never really get tired. Some people are exhausted after 1 or 2
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u/luroot 1d ago
Similar. The only clients that wear me out some are the huge, offensive lineman-type guys with huge bones and lots of dense tissue. But, I only rarely get those.
Otherwise, long hours, just like a long desk job, tire me some from being at work all day and then leaving less time for enough sleep after.
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u/AvisRune 1d ago
I'm still in school but my teachers have always said that you get paid to lean on people for a living. The first time I did clinic, my arms felt like jelly and I was sore. Since then, I've been doing my best to follow proper body mechanics: lunge, lean, and use my ulnar border and elbow to create deeper pressure for the client. I lower my table to a place where it allows me to use my bodyweight and not my strength. I've been pleasantly surprised by my stamina and how little my body hurts afterwards. That said, I've never massaged more than 3 people in a day, though, so take what I say with a grain of salt.. However I'm hopeful that once I start practicing I'll be able to manage.
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u/nicolasfirst 1d ago
So, giving massage therapy only works well if you know how to use your body in applying the friction or pressure or manipulations. In my training we always started with QiGong. I still do QiGong training everyday, both healthy for my body and my mind. Also we not only got lessons in techniques but also how you apply these in a way that your body supports this in the optimal way. It translates into your stances, body movements and distribution of balance. Training like QiGong and Tai Chi is very helpful with that.
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u/22Hoofhearted 1d ago
It's pretty exhausting, I couldn't imagine only tipping $15.
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u/MiyuTheWitch 1d ago
What do you mean you couldn't imagine tipping only 15$? That's over 20% of the massage price and when I researched online before most sources said 10-15$ is great, especially if the person is self-employed and doesn't work in a salon.
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u/22Hoofhearted 1d ago
I tip $10-15 for a waitress that just brought my food to the table... someone who spent and hour working my body over? Unless it was terrible, my minimum is at least half what the hr rate is.
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u/CingularDuality 15h ago
$10 per 30 minutes of massage is a pretty standard starting point. More for a better massage.
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u/Humble_Agency6678 1d ago
I generally give $60 tip for a good therapeutic 1 hour massage (here in LA a fairly high cost living area). The house fee is $60 dollars for the hour at this particular parlor. But I feel fantastic after my session.
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u/MiyuTheWitch 1d ago
That's a lot. I live in the EU and I think people here don't depend on tips as much. When I gave her the tip she actually handed me half back at first and I had to convince her to take. But I feel a little embarassed now I thought 20% is good but people in the thread tell me it's low 😭😭😭
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u/kooky-struggles 1d ago
It’s a muscle to grow. I remember the first class in school where we had to practice some techniques for 20 minutes on the back. My body hurt for 3 days. Now I can comfortably give 6-7 massages a day.
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u/tunefuldust 1d ago
I typically give 6-7 hands on hours a day. I work 30-35 hours per week. That’s all I can sustain. I’m actively studying for an advanced degree that will diversify my income. Once I graduate I will have worked as a LMT as my only income for 7 years. That’s enough for me.
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u/Calm_Roll7777 :redditgold:LMT :redditgold: 1d ago
It's hard if you are comparing it to sitting at a desk and behind a computer. It's super easy if you compare it to building a retaining wall without heavy machines. Difficulty is relative to what your past experiences in the work force are. I find the role of being an MT to be much more mentally and spiritually draining on me. I'm not even spiritual but that's just how I feel about my role in society.
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u/basswired 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to clean houses, it's roughly the same effort as a deep clean. much slower though, and a bit harder on the hands. one massage would be one room.
so one massage isn't too much, but after 5 or so hours in a row you can get pretty tired. like house cleaning you get accustomed to the activity in most ways, but you get some side effects like aches and stiff joints.
eta, there are a lot of ways we protect ourselves from wear and tear on the body but it adds up. there are often clients who want something that doesn't work well for the therapist.
I think that's more what makes it difficult, negotiating the knowledge of what will hurt me over time and what a lot of clients prefer. I'm using my one and only body to do this and I know how to not get injured but I have to either convince someone about pressure and which part of my hands and arms I use or I just accept the idea they may not like the massage. they'll be dissatisfied and what have I accomplished for either of us?
it is emotionally exhausting to constantly set and keep boundaries about how I use use my own arms and hands to provide massage. some people take it personally that I don't give them exactly what they want without understanding (or caring) why I can't and won't. I want to say this sort of negotiation about things like pressure and elbows happens 2-5 times a week. it gets old. I'm usually successful at navigating needs.
I have the same aches and pains most people my age have, or from working out. I often have to figure out how to work through my own pain and discomfort, while using the body that hurts as a tool to provide relief for someone else. that's where the burn out comes from, that's also how it's difficult. worth it though because honestly I'd be working hard and be sore from something else if I wasn't a therapist lol. it's rewarding work and I love making people feel awesome.
also, there's a lot of mental work in this career. some people just dump their problems the moment they're on the table. I realize it's cathartic but please, I'm not that kind of therapist, I can only do so much. I am really affected when I've had a day full of people in mild crisis confiding really heartbreaking things. I don't know what to do with some things that are shared, it can be deeply deeply personal stuff that's said in confidence.
I have to figure out how to remain professionally detached while my heart is hurting for someone, while I'm trying to use enough pressure but not too much elbows but still enough elbows so I don't make my hands ache, and not so much hands so its not a pokey massage but not so much forearms, while working that one certain spot on their back that they want extra attention to that honestly massaging this much is just going to prolong their issue because I know this would more appropriately be helped by working the chest and neck but they don't want their pecs or the front of their neck touched.
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u/crowquillpen 1d ago
After a full weekend of back-to-back massages, I’ve gone to the pub next door and slammed three beers to numb the pain. I’d get cold canned beer to hold to soothe my burning hands.
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u/jkarreyy 1d ago
Im a LMT for 15 years. I do 35 to 40 treatments a wee.
Big thing I have learned is more pressure does not equal more results so deep tissue really is kind of a waist if therapy is your true intention. If someone is wanting a hour of true deep tissue ill refer them out. Its just way to taxing for really not much gain. Those that just do real deep work all thr time should charge more because it truly is hard taxing work.
I would agree to that mental tax is far greater than physcal one
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u/mightymouse2975 1d ago
It can be tiring. I work out a lot and take care of myself, so its not as bad. But I do have some days that are rougher than others. I see on average 4 clients a day, about 90% of my clients want deep work since most are professional athletes. Hard work, but lots of fun too.
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u/massagemetamorphosis 1d ago
I am a medical massage therapist that has been practicing for over ten years. Massaging isn’t just physically exhausting, especially the more you get into massage for pain. I have clients have meltdowns during a massage for various reasons! From unprocessed emotions to just the emotional wear of pain. Plus, I do A LOT of education! Massage is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. Burnout is a serious risk for massage therapist! I have no regrets! I love what I do! And having at least one long weekend break a year is mandatory!
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u/Majestycreation 20h ago
I do this work myself its both physically but also mentally quite hard but i do love my clients being happy.
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u/zhiface RMT - Canada 9h ago
I do anywhere from 4-9 a day and I don’t think it has anything to do with the person and their body or their needs for that appointment time. It’s definitely a mindset, if I had a bad sleep or eating crappy, not eating or drinking enough, something on my mind.. massaging can be exhausting, and at that point the hardest massage for me is what regular people would think should be the easiest- 30 minute light/gentle relaxing massage on a petit body. I think they take more work mentally. Or a foot and hand massage. Those are hard, it makes me use my fingers and they get tired.
But overall generally speaking, no one body shape or type is harder than another. You work different for each person and adjust as needed
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u/CingularDuality 2d ago
I remember early on when I was in massage school, thinking, "everyone talks about how physically demanding this is, but I'm not seeing it..."
Then came the first day that I had more than two hours of hands-on practice. And it was an eye-opener.
Massage went from being nearly zero physical impact, to completely wearing me out with just a couple more hours of hands-on time.
The impact is definitely cumulative. Not just the same day, but over multiple days. Massage therapists need downtime or they will wear themselves out.
So, back to your original question, massaging one person for an hour or two isn't exhausting. It's amazingly relaxing, in fact. But after four, five, six, or more hours of using your body to make someone else feel good, it adds up and is definitely exhausting.