As a professional massage therapist or bodyworker, you most likely see a range of clients in your practice each day. The reasons your clients come to you can be just as diverse as the clients themselves. Certain people may book appointments for reasons that center around mental health and relaxation, whereas others may look to address specific physical issues. Often, clients come to massage therapists and bodyworkers for a combination of reasons, including both mental and physical issues.
However, many touch therapists may begin to notice trends among client types, and one such trend is the fitness enthusiast. This is a person who holds fitness in high regard in his or her life and takes part in fitness-based activities on a regular basis. For example, most massage therapists and bodyworkers may have seen a client who runs marathons quite consistently, and who trains for those marathons in between each event.
Another prime example of the fitness-enthusiast client may be the woman who is committed to lifting weights several times per week and who also engages in cardiovascular training. The examples of the fitness client span the spectrum, from those who bicycle on a regular basis to those who swim, practice martial arts, dance competitively or play in sports leagues that can range from soccer and softball to football and tennis.
Having a better understanding of these clients who are so passionate about fitness can be of great benefit, both for the massage therapist or bodyworker and for clients themselves. For starters, some professional touch therapists may notice they are more likely to get clients who are interested in or very active in their fitness pursuits. The higher number of fitness-oriented clients that may come into your practice might be linked to the possibility they have high respect for their health and know massage therapy is one more step toward increasing and maintaining fitness.
One great way for massage therapists and bodyworkers to begin working to better serve these clients is to ask each new client what kinds of fitness activities he or she participates in on a regular basis. Then, continue to check in with these clients about their fitness activities to be sure you know when and if anything changes. Equipped with knowledge about whether a client is an avid tennis player or a professional bodybuilder, the massage therapist or bodyworker can gain a deeper understanding of what techniques may best serve that specific fitness enthusiast.
For example, if you ask a new client whether she is involved in any fitness activities, and she lets you know she plays tennis several times a week and even competes in a local league, you may be on the lookout for areas of tightness and tension related to the muscles and joints used repeatedly in the game of tennis. Being able to explain the connections between repeated movements and muscle pain or even injury can add a great sense of value to the session for most clients who are passionate about fitness.