Seeking real-time table massage tutorials
April 21, 2020 10:10 AM Subscribe
My DH bought a massage table for us to use during shelter-in-place, but while we both love getting massages, we don't really know how to give them. We really need online video tutorials which take the viewer through a 30-60 minute table massage lesson/session, which one of us can watch while giving the other a massage without having to press "pause." Thank you for any and all help!
Best answer: Former LMT here: One important thing to consider is biomechanics. Try to avoid leaning over at the waist. Position the table so that you can work on your partner and bend with your knees. Sit in a chair if you need to work lower for a longer period of time.
Avoid excess use of the thumbs. Grab with the full hand. Use the knuckles in a "soft fist" if you're working a broad area. Keep your arm in a neutral position, meaning the wrist is palm down and aligned straight with the forearm, thumb not sticking out. If you need to apply force, use the weight of your body, not with your shoulder.
Think about grabbing the full body of a muscle, whether it's the quads, bicep, tricep, calf, etc. Don't massage bony areas, such as the kneecap, elbow, ankle. Think about how you knead bread dough. Roll through the tissue, applying force and slowly releasing it. Check in on how the pressure it.
If you've worked on an arm or leg or any other body part, cover it with a sheet or blanket so that it stays warm. It's very easy to get chilled when lying on a table.
Have fun!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:32 AM on April 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
Avoid excess use of the thumbs. Grab with the full hand. Use the knuckles in a "soft fist" if you're working a broad area. Keep your arm in a neutral position, meaning the wrist is palm down and aligned straight with the forearm, thumb not sticking out. If you need to apply force, use the weight of your body, not with your shoulder.
Think about grabbing the full body of a muscle, whether it's the quads, bicep, tricep, calf, etc. Don't massage bony areas, such as the kneecap, elbow, ankle. Think about how you knead bread dough. Roll through the tissue, applying force and slowly releasing it. Check in on how the pressure it.
If you've worked on an arm or leg or any other body part, cover it with a sheet or blanket so that it stays warm. It's very easy to get chilled when lying on a table.
Have fun!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:32 AM on April 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Massage Sloth is great. He's a massage therapist & teacher who shows you how to do massage without hurting yourself (including some of the techniques mentioned above). I found this video on thumb-free techniques particularly useful, since my thumbs are always the first thing to get tired and/or painful when I'm giving a massage. Most of his videos are closer to 15 minutes, but there are some 20-30 minutes ones in there (like this back massage routine). You could also put them into a playlist for autoplay. I'd note that, if you're not used to giving massages, you might find it challenging (or even impossible) to go for 30-60 minutes at a time -- you might need to build up your strength with shorter sessions at first.
posted by ourobouros at 12:09 PM on April 21, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by ourobouros at 12:09 PM on April 21, 2020 [7 favorites]
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posted by egeanin at 10:11 AM on April 21, 2020