In my one office I had spent 10 years without having a massage stool (or anything) to sit on when doing a massage.

Yeah, I’m cheap, but that wasn’t the only reason I didn’t have a stool in my massage room.

I thought that not sitting would make me stronger, tougher and a more durable massage therapist.

Now, after 25+ years of doing massage, the massage stool is my bestie—and it’s one of the things that has helped me become more productive and durable now, at 57, than I was at 30.

Just to be clear: On par with my male contemporaries, my testosterone is plummeting like the 2008 stock market. I don’t do Performance Enhancing Drugs. And I haven’t found the fountain of youth.

I’m more productive now because I’m strategic when doing massage. And my massage stool plays into my scheming.

How?

A massage tool allows me to…

1. Rest my legs.
2. Rest my back.
3. Rest my shoulders and arms.
4. Rest my head. (Don’t tell anybody.)

That’s a lot of resting, huh?

Well, you may have guessed by now that my massage hardening philosophy has taken a 180 over time.

Now it’s: Toughen your body in the gym, on a trail or in the water; preserve your body in the massage room.

Resting is a way to give overworked muscles a break. And using a massage stool when massaging the head, neck, tops of shoulders and feet is a great way to rest.

Resting your legs is a no-brainer. You sit down on the stool and your legs say aah.

But what about resting your back?

Use a Massage Stool to Rest Your Back

It’s easy.

Pull up a massage stool and put your butt down.

And if you really want to rest your back, use your armrests.

Your thighs.

Here my forearms are on my thighs and my back is happy to be in a different position and to have the extra support of my arms.

To apply pressure effortlessly just lean in from the waist.

Couldn’t be any easier.

How about shoulders and arms?

Use a Massage Stool to Rest Your Shoulders and Arms

Same formula as back.

Sit. Rest forearm(s). Lean.

That really takes the upper trap and levator scapulae out of the contraction zone.

What if your armrest is too low?

Just raise your armrest by pushing up to tiptoes while staying seated.

I’ve also found it easy to sit and lean when working the IT band, peroneus longus/brevis, and tibialis anterior.

Here’s a quick video I put together about sitting and leaning.

By the way, the massage stool is the perfect moveable platform to put massage tools on.

Okay, well that about does it….

Aw hell naw, I wasn’t going to sneak out on you without showing you how (on rare occasions) I rest my head.

Seriously, the massage stool (like the massage table) can save your body by giving you a chance to rest your overworked muscles.

Find the times when sitting can work for you.

Mine are: Head, neck, top of shoulder, IT band, tibialis anterior, peroneus longis/brevis, feet.

Then…

1. Sit.
2. Forearm(s) on lap.
3. Lean.

Massage Body Mechanic Online Class

If you want to stay out of pain when doing massage and increase your massage max (the number of massages you can do in a day pain-free), then I have an online class for you: How to Deliver Deep Pressure Without Hurting Yourself.

It’s 3 CEUs and NCBTMB approved.

It includes the strategies and techniques that saved my body and extended my massage career. Let me know what you think:-)