Burning calories while giving a massage

TaraAdams
TaraAdams Posts: 18 Member
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey, I am a massage therapist and was just curious if there is anyone that know how many calories that you brun during a 1 hour session. Especially if you have 4-5 clients a day and are doing deep work. I have looked online nd have gotten a few quotes but they just don't seem right. I know it will not go for improving my cardio. but, I know I'm burning something.
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Replies

  • Schuyler
    Schuyler Posts: 78 Member
    I don't know this for sure, but I wouldn't think that something like that would count as exercise. You might want to change your settings to say that you live a more active lifestyle. MFP will adjust your calorie goals accordingly. To find out how many calories you're burning, buy a HRM. Good luck! :)
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
    I would just change activity level to lightly active for the days of working instead of trying to figure out how many calories are burned per massage.
  • sweetbri07
    sweetbri07 Posts: 150 Member
    Hi there! I'm also an LMP, and I had found a site that had listed massage as a choice for exercise, so for ME (5'1, 150 lbs), a 60 minute massage burns around 285 calories.

    Obviously everyone is different, but considering how hard we work sometimes, I know I break a sweat when I'm giving a massage, especially involving treatment work, so I consider it to be accurate enough.
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
    A good HRM can help calculate those calories. But since you are not doing something that elevates your Heart Rate by a significant amount, most likely you won't be burning too many calories. Though you will be building more muscle which may indirectly help.
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
    I would just change activity level to lightly active for the days of working instead of trying to figure out how many calories are burned per massage.

    That would mean eating more calories. I don't think that's what they want.
  • jubjubbird
    jubjubbird Posts: 2 Member
    I'm also a MT and I've looked all over for this information. So far the best luck I've had experimenting around with it, is to set my activity level for whatever I think my activity level is if I don't work, in my case lightly active because even if I'm not working I spend most of my day running errands and doing housework. Then on workdays I add exercise for however many clients I do. I find this approach works better for me than raising my overall activity level, because I can have anywhere from one to five clients a day, which is a big difference. So far this is working for me slowly but surely.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
    I'm an MT, too, but never thought about that. I just counted the job into my lifestyle. I don't do the same number of massages each day, but it balances out with being home with my six-year-old the rest of the day and on days I don't work.
  • cuerpito
    cuerpito Posts: 65 Member
    I would count this as a higher activity level, too. When I met with a nutritionist, she told me that the toughest part for her is working with farmers. Even though they burn tons of calories, she still needs to tell them to keep a strict diet and exercise. Supposedly they laugh in her face when she tells them to work out after a whole day on the farm. She said that if you're doing something on a daily basis your body doesn't view it as exercise anymore and gets used to it. Same with repeating the same workout routine every day - eventually it stops working because your body is so used to it that it's not considered exercise.

    I tend to believe this. My mom runs a janitorial business. She cleans ALL DAY LONG. Even though she's not a big eater, she gains easily if she doesn't watch her diet, just because her body is used to the routine.

    I would increase the activity level rather than counting it as exercise. Anyway, whether you count it one way or the other, you'll be allowed a few more calories.
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
    Do a search for calories for common activities. I know I've seen massage on a few lists, and I think the calorie counts have been over 500 per hour, but I suspect if you've done it for long, that number would come down because you acclimatize. Anyway, Google it.
  • TaraAdams
    TaraAdams Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks! for the advice. I ws just curious...:smile:
  • leovic77
    leovic77 Posts: 2
    -post was deleted-
  • leovic77
    leovic77 Posts: 2
    Sorry accidentally pushed enter. I was saying.. massage therapists level of activity change cause of constant change in number of massages done I put light activity. Sometimes I do two. Others I have done eight. So I put my activity on light and I just add how much massage time I have I did for the day. From there I know more or less how much calories I need for the day or dinner. I think by putting it on high would throw it off.. I may have a light work day and may not need that many calories for the day. That's just me.
  • STARG1RL
    STARG1RL Posts: 44 Member
    Also a LMT... I know this was posted early last year, but I once googled an article that talked about 'Easy Ways to Burn 100 Calories.' One of the ways was by giving an "intimate" massage to your partner for 19 minutes; that didn't include what came after :wink: Anyway, according to this story, 19 minutes burned appx 100 calories.

    This is just my two cents...

    Instead of upping my calories for the days that I actually massage people, I made up my own Exercise & called it Massage Therapy. I go off of what I feel is appropriate per client & of course the amount of time.
  • Jodi_Hiking4Fitness
    Jodi_Hiking4Fitness Posts: 16 Member
    MFP actually has "Massage" as an exercise now. I do 5 hours of deep tissue/Sports massage a day and most certainly count it against my totals. Lifting bodies, to me, is no different then lifting weights.
  • dawnapril948
    dawnapril948 Posts: 2 Member
    I am a massage therapist also and found a site that will calculate for you based on your weight and duration of massage :
    http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/giving_massage
    It says I burn 297 per hour of massage based on my current weight of 156- I count this as exercise- yes, your body builds up a tolerance level, but you are still burning calories, regardless, and it should be counted; just my thoughts. I do 5 hours of deep tissue massage daily so I put my activity level to light since it is mostly standing and added the massages as exercise. Hope this helps!
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    half that 300 cal will be bmr. hope you don't eat them all back.

    regardless, it's not exercise. it's daily activity have your log set properly and just count real exercise
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    Do a search for calories for common activities. I know I've seen massage on a few lists, and I think the calorie counts have been over 500 per hour, but I suspect if you've done it for long, that number would come down because you acclimatize. Anyway, Google it.

    No that is not accurate, that figure is just 100 under on what I burn if I go for a 60 minutes RUN and that is with an elevated HR above 160bpm for the whole time.
  • edresjones
    edresjones Posts: 2 Member
    I am also a LMT, and i do primarily deep tissue and Sports Massage. The following web site will calculate Calories burned for a massage. http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/giving_massage. At 5'10" 280 lbs i burn 800 in a 90 minute massage. I have been using the low impact aerobics option, for a 3rd or 4th of the time i actually massage. Seems to be working approximately the same
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    seriously you people are in denial. 800 calories giving massage? youre some kind of special if you believe this.

    actual number after you remove bmr would be under 100 for darn near everyone. its not a calorie burner.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    seriously you people are in denial. 800 calories giving massage? youre some kind of special if you believe this.

    actual number after you remove bmr would be under 100 for darn near everyone. its not a calorie burner.

    This ^

    I am interested in where people are getting the numbers for the calorie burns for massaging now.
  • CurvyMama87
    CurvyMama87 Posts: 4
    I am currently a massage therapy student and when I calculate each 1 hour Swedish massage I use the tai chi exercise.
  • khianakiwi
    khianakiwi Posts: 1
    Hello! What site did you see that on? I do 3.5 to 6 hours a day of deep tissue massage and its def a work out. My quads and gluttes are huge and full of muscle.
  • Happyhealthymassagetherapist
    Happyhealthymassagetherapist Posts: 7 Member
    I have been practicing massage for 8 years and i average 4-6 clients daily, 5.5 days a week. (2 on saturdays) i do deep and very firm flowing work. I wore a heart rate monitor a few days and it said i averaged 2000-3000+ burned... it was insane. at that moment i realized why i am hungry all the time. i increased my calories from 1200 to 1400-1600...sometimes a bit more. I have lost weight, and every one notices how thin I'm getting. I increased protein but don't add in any calories for doing massage. Someone on another post said, your body gets used to this daily activity, so unless your heart is pumping, don't count it. just add more protein since its a type of strength training, and eat when your hungry but choose smart options. don't carb load and weight loss may start. think more protein, drink a ton of water, and eat 1200-1500 on slower days and increase on busier days at work.
  • 1Missy2
    1Missy2 Posts: 1
    Very interesting totals for calories burned. I have been a massage therapist for over 17yrs. and ALWAYS gain 6-10 lbs. on average when I take a 10 day break! Doing the math - it caculates to approx 2,000 calories per day on average. This has been the case time and time again. Thank goodness it comes back off when I get back to work and catch up with my clients who have been waiting for my return!
  • pyronymph1
    pyronymph1 Posts: 18 Member
    I love how all these people are commenting that GIVING a professional, deep tissue massage isn't work! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! They are obviously NOT massage therapists and have no idea what they're talking about. If you're doing it properly (ie using your whole body, like you should) you should be burning ridiculous calories.
  • larlab
    larlab Posts: 22 Member
    Agreed :) I am a massage therapist in training and also a distance runner (1/2 marathon, although I'm not currently training)...I wore my heart rate monitor to a 5 client session at my internship (back to back, moderate to deep tissue work, including changing over tables, walking around clinic etc) over 6 hours, my heart rate averaged 121 beats per minute, and that was a 2000+ calorie burn. Heat rate peaked at 148bpm during a particularly deep session. I've worn my HRM 2x and the results are the same....roughly 300-450 calories per hour- that's all in. Walking, changing tables, and doing deep work.

    Feels about right. :) If you're doing the work right (using full body, working deep tissue) it can be pretty intense. Period.

    I think people interpret massage as pretty easy work because, well, they are laying there receiving and snoring, or they equate at home work with deep tissue, Russian/sports or otherwise. I'm glad we make it look easy. :) It's not always that way.... there's a reason I come home from some shifts and put my hands into a tub of ice water- LOL
  • heartworth9
    heartworth9 Posts: 51 Member
    I just did 6 hours of chair massage at a marketing gig. I am exhausted and wondering how many calories I burned. I want to err on the side of caution. Any ideas?
    :smile:
  • furiousjellybean
    furiousjellybean Posts: 1 Member
    I agree, whoever is saying that giving a massage isn't exercise has never worked as an LMP!

    I think between 200-450 per hour sounds about right, depending on the type of massage given. I mostly do therapy work, deep tissue, and sports massage and I am always sweaty, so I know I'm doing something. Same with chair massage. I actually think chair massage burns /more/, but that could just be in the way I do it.

    I think the idea someone posted about eating more protein sounds sensible. I'm going to incorporate that and see how I do.
  • natescurich
    natescurich Posts: 1
    I checked this site and compared an hour of massage work to an hour of Tai Chi and they were about 4 calories apart. I'd say it's pretty accurate!
    :)
    http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned_list.asp

    How much water to drink per day:
    Multiply by 2/3
    You want to multiple your weight by 2/3 (or 67%) to determine how much water to drink daily. For example, if you weighed 175 pounds you would multiple that by 2/3 and learn you should be drinking about 117 ounces of water every day.

    Also:
    128oz = 1 gallon
    64oz = 1/2 gallon
    Happyhealthymassagetherapist wrote: »
    I have been practicing massage for 8 years and i average 4-6 clients daily, 5.5 days a week. (2 on saturdays) i do deep and very firm flowing work. I wore a heart rate monitor a few days and it said i averaged 2000-3000+ burned... it was insane. at that moment i realized why i am hungry all the time. i increased my calories from 1200 to 1400-1600...sometimes a bit more. I have lost weight, and every one notices how thin I'm getting. I increased protein but don't add in any calories for doing massage. Someone on another post said, your body gets used to this daily activity, so unless your heart is pumping, don't count it. just add more protein since its a type of strength training, and eat when your hungry but choose smart options. don't carb load and weight loss may start. think more protein, drink a ton of water, and eat 1200-1500 on slower days and increase on busier days at work.
  • wychattin
    wychattin Posts: 1 Member
    Anyone who thinks massage isn't work has never given one! I too always sweat a fair bit, especially when working on a larger person who has issues. Since no two people are the same, no two massage routines are the same, and my 64 yo body definitely considers it a workout!
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