Strengthening the Hands without Losing Sensitivity in Massage

It is great to have strong hands when giving a massage, but it is not the hands that make the pressure. Often, beginning massage therapists believe they need to dig deeper, so the fingers and thumbs tend to be the muscles behind the pressure. After a few minutes, their hands ache, and their strokes become awkward. True strength comes when you take the weight of the hands out of them and into the body. Learning this as soon as possible will save you from a lot of wear and tear and keep your pressure even. To do this, try a simple exercise.

Place your palm on your partner’s back and shift your weight slightly forward from your hips with a relaxed arm. The hand does not press down; it simply supports the weight of your body. If you are doing this exercise correctly, the pressure should feel firm, but it shouldn’t feel like you are exerting any pressure. Do this a few times, moving your body forward and backward slowly. Your hands will begin to get the idea that pressure comes from balance and weight rather than muscle strength.

Another common mistake of new massage therapists is that they apply too much pressure with their thumbs. Thumbs are very sensitive and can give great pressure, but they are also very small and will tire easily and ache if used too much. When this happens, the pressure you give is inconsistent and sloppy. To correct this error, use your thumbs for only small areas and use the palm, forearm, or palmar surface of the fingers for larger areas. These body parts spread the weight more evenly and won’t make your joints ache as much.

You don’t have to practice for hours a day to improve your massage technique. Take about 15 minutes a day to practice slow palm pressure on the back or thighs. In the beginning of the exercise, concentrate on just shifting your body weight with relaxed arms. After a few minutes of practice, add some gentle kneading motions using the whole of the hand, not just the fingers. The last few minutes of the exercise can be spent on leaning pressure with slow long strokes so your hands can learn to support themselves as they move.

Sometimes your hands will begin to grab at the muscles rather than lying on them. This is usually a sign that your fingers and wrists are holding tension. Take a moment to break this habit. Shake your hands out, relax your shoulders, and begin again with lighter pressure before building back up. With practice, balance and the shifting of weight will develop the strength you need to have in your hands, without losing the sensitivity you want to maintain.