Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/465652
F r e e m u s i c d o w n l o a d s f o r C e r t i f i e d m e m b e r s : w w w. a b m p . c o m / g o / c e r t i f i e d c e n t r a l 65 Take Recovery Time Marty Hoffman, MD, is an ultra- marathoner. Several years ago, I interviewed him for an article about whether a runner should run through pain—for example, a sore hamstring. 2 "If your goal is to finish the race," he said, "why not go for it—as long as you allow time for recovery after the race." You may be thinking, "I'm not planning on running 50-plus miles in the near future," but you may have other races to run, like deciding you need to take an extra massage job in order to afford a vacation this year. And like a runner pushing through those extra miles, you'll have to seriously tax your body to get the job done. You'll need recovery time. Here's a suggestion: consider two or three lighter weeks of massage after you wrap up the extra massage job. You can make up the lost income from the lighter weeks by spreading it out over the rest of the year. Plan for active recovery time while working the extra massage job by taking advantage of the things you can control in your work schedule— namely, scheduling your personal clients. For example, if you know you get slammed at your extra massage job on Wednesdays, schedule fewer private clients (and/or schedule clients who are less physically taxing) on Thursday to give your body a break. Or schedule them for Friday or Saturday instead. You're still working, meeting their needs, and paying your bills. Experiment with recovery time. Does your body respond better after doing a long day of massage followed by a day of no massages? Or does your body prefer consecutive days of shorter hours, followed by a rest day? Lower Your Max Over Time There was a time in Major League Baseball when sluggers in their golden years hit more home runs in a season than they did in their prime. Unfortunately, they were using performance-enhancing drugs. Barring that option, we are left to strategize. Ask yourself these questions: in five, 10, 15, or 20 years, how many massages do I want to do per week? If your per-week goal at the 20-year mark is higher than your per-week goal at five years, you may want to consider this: 20 years from now, you'll be more susceptible to injury due to injury compensation, reaggravation of old injuries, and slower recovery times. That's not to say that massage is only a five-year career. It can be a lifetime endeavor. However, it's unrealistic to think that the same workload can be maintained as one ages. Plan your financial future so that MINIMIZING INJURIES if you want to lower your max someday with less hands-on work, you can. Here are some massage-related jobs to consider: personal trainer, wellness coach, massage business manager/ front desk staff, massage business owner, massage instructor, massage association professional, massage retail sales—and, of course, massage writer. Keep it Going Just like a professional athlete, you're going to get aches and pains while playing the game. But an ache doesn't have to turn into a career-ending injury if you follow the points outlined here. Lastly, consider short-term disability insurance for those times injuries occur despite our best planning. Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals members can get discounts with I-surance (www. isurancellc.com). Then, you'll have all bases covered so you can enjoy a long and rewarding career. Notes 1. John Tierney, "Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?" The New York Times Magazine, August 17, 2011. 2. Mark Liskey, "Running with Pain—Breaking the Rules," accessed January 2015, www.ezinearticles.com/?Running-With- Pain---Breaking-the-Rules&id=2153936. Mark Liskey is a massage therapist specializing in neuromuscular massage. He is a CE provider and co-owner of PressurePerfect (www.pressureperfectmassage.com), a massage company that practices the tenets of conscious capitalism. He can be reached at mark@markliskey.com.