Resistance training comes with more benefits than just improved physical performance and appearance. Resistance training helps improve movement control, walking speed, bone health, and overall functional independence, and helps reduce your risk of injury. As massage therapists, the fear of any injury—especially overuse injuries—is always in the back of our minds. One way to combat injuries is to strengthen our muscles by lifting weights.

The three most important strength moves every massage therapist should do are: clean and press, face pulls, and split squats.

Dumbbell Clean and Press: Total Body Exercise

While performing this exercise, focus on building strength, especially in your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, lower back, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, and arms. This movement provides a full range of motion—encouraging muscle symmetry—and activates stabilizers. 

Face Pulls: Upper Body Exercise

This exercise focuses on muscles around the shoulder joint and rotator cuff while improving both strength and stability in the scapula. Massage therapists’ shoulders tend to be rolled forward most of the time with our chest becoming tight. By working the antagonist muscles—rhomboids and trapezius—we can improve our posture.

Split Squat: Lower Body Exercise 

This exercise primarily focuses on the quadriceps. With proper form, split squats can increase leg strength and enhance flexibility. 

The Power of Protein

Keep in mind the importance of protein intake in your nutrition regimen when strength training. Lifting weights stresses muscles and damages the muscle tissue, so we must replenish our bodies with proper food, including high-quality protein sources. This allows the body to repair and grow muscle. The recommended dietary allowance of protein to meet your basic nutritional requirements is 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. I personally aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight in my everyday regimen.

On-the-go protein food sources include hard-boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, raw nuts, tuna fish, protein bars, and protein powder.

Begin incorporating resistance training into your weekly routine at least 2–3 times per week. Maintaining muscle health helps prevent injury, as the muscles are less likely to weaken and fatigue.