This article will compare the best sports massage courses in the UK, examining factors such as accreditations, reviews and career services, to ensure you get the best value for your money. Specifically, we’ll cover:

Contents:

• The Best Sports Massage Courses in the UK Compared
• What Factors Legitimise The Best Sports Massage Courses?
• Get Value For Your Money When Choosing an SMT Course
• The Best Sports Massage Courses in the UK Provide Practical Experience
• The Best Sports Massage Courses Will Have Quality Virtual Learning Resources
• Tutors Play an Integral Role in the Best Sports Massage Courses
• The Best Sports Massage Course Providers Will Offer Career Support
• Location Can Determine What SMT Course is Best For You
• The Best Sports Massage Courses Will Have Good Reviews

However, if you already have your mind set on a training course provider and are curious about the next steps, read our detailed guide on ‘How to Become a Sports Massage Therapist’.

You can also enquire about our Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy Course today or download our prospectus to find out why we’re one of the highest rated course providers in the UK!

The Best Sports Massage Courses in the UK Compared

The first thing you should do when deciding on the best sports massage courses in the UK is to conduct wider research on a range of training providers. This means you shouldn’t just settle on the cheapest option or one with high reviews.

It’s important to have a well rounded overview of different courses so you can truly find the right qualification for you. Examples of things you should ask when looking at sports massage courses include:

• How much is it?
• Is the course regulated?
• Do you get practical experience?
• Are there packages offered?
• Is there post course support?
• What are the reviews like?

To help with your decision, we’ve conducted research into 6 of the best sports massage courses and their providers. In this article, we’ll examine the factors listed in the table below in greater detail, highlighting why they are important for the overall quality of a sports massage course.

What Factors Legitimise The Best Sports Massage Courses?

When researching the best sports massage courses in the UK, there are various factors which help confirm whether these courses meet industry standards. Let’s break these down!

#1 – Awarded by Focus Awards

In the UK, there are 4 major awarding bodies or governing bodies for the health and fitness industry:

• Focus Awards
• YMCA Awards
• Active IQ
• NCFE

The majority of the fitness industry are certified by these awarding bodies. When your course is completed, the awarding body will appear on your certificate.

The best sports massage course will always be awarded by legitimate governing bodies. While employers don’t prioritise one awarding body over another, they will certainly check the legitimacy of your qualification when hiring you.

#2 – Ofqual Regulation

Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) is similar to the organisation Ofsted. It is responsible for regulating all vocational training qualifications in the UK.

Although individual training providers deliver the qualification, Ofqual sets out:

• The content of the course
• How the course is taught 
• How students are assessed 
• How the curriculum is set out

The reason for this is to ensure consistency across the fitness industry. This is so whichever provider a student chooses, they can be assured the education standard of their course meets the national standard. For example, a Level 3 Sports Massage Course will always be ‘Level 3’.

As all awarding bodies must report to Ofqual, these are then catalogued in their official registry as you can see below:

This registry is crucial for checking whether your chosen qualification is considered among the best sports massage courses in the UK.

#3 – Why Are These Factors Important?

If your qualification isn’t regulated by Ofqual, it’s unlikely employers will consider it legitimate. This is because employers will specifically ask for a Level 3 qualification such as this job advertisement from Willow Chiropractic below:

The qualification being labelled ‘Level 3’ shows it’s a legitimate course and adheres to the highest standards of the health and fitness industry.

Get Value For Your Money When Choosing an SMT Course

When researching the best sports massage courses in the UK, it’s important to take your own financial situation into consideration when settling on a provider such as the ones shown below:

As you can see, OriGym is on the lower end of pricing. However, while FitAsylum has the lowest price, they have the lowest number of reviews.

You should keep in mind, cheaper doesn’t always mean better. If something is too good to be true, it usually is! The factors mentioned in the table earlier are reasons why some courses are more expensive than others.

Quality of the learning materials, study options, and post course support are all factors which influence the price of a sports massage course.

However, more expensive courses don’t always reflect the quality of the course either. More expensive providers will often accept government ‘Advanced Learner Loans’ as funding. While some students feel this makes the price justified, this will come at an additional cost.

Check The SMT Course Providers Payment Plan Options

You should be aware, the best sports massage will offer payment plans to make their courses more affordable. This allows you to spread the cost of the course and repay in manageable chunks rather than pay for it upfront in one go.

As we at OriGym want health and fitness education to be accessible for all, we have the option of payment plans. However, not all providers offer this so you should be aware of having to pay a lump sum.

Quality Sports Massage Courses Will Never Hide Fees

Even some of the best sports massage course providers will have hidden fees. These can be extra costs depending on the provider, but may include:

• Exams
• Resits
• Certification Fees
• Administration Fees

At OriGym, we offer free unlimited resits for our students and no hidden fees, meaning the price of the course is exactly what you’ll pay!

The Best Sports Massage Courses in the UK Provide Practical Experience

During your research of the best sports massage course providers, you should consider ones with practical experience which is very important with a practice like sports massage therapy.

The best course providers will offer workshops to develop these skills as gaining practical experience is necessary to develop your knowledge.

For example, OriGym offers unlimited workshops, to ensure our students are more than equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to succeed in this industry.

The Best Sports Massage Courses Will Have Quality Virtual Learning Resources

You should also examine the quality of learning materials for the course providers you’re interested in. When studying, you’ll want a course which keeps you engaged and this is often done by having a range of materials.

Engaging materials such as videos, online lectures, and interactive eLearning highlight the quality of a course. At OriGym, students learn through our award nominated eLearning platform ‘Student Zone’. 

By providing different materials, we aim to keep our students engaged, making it much more likely they will build and consolidate their knowledge.

Tutors Play an Integral Role in the Best Sports Massage Courses

The best sports massage courses will be taught by fully qualified and experienced professionals who have worked in the industry. Having qualified professionals who have also been through the same journey as their students is crucial.

Tutors will be able to provide more support and understand exactly what students need to succeed as they can draw from their own experiences. For example, all tutors at OriGym have qualifications in the subjects they teach as well as previous industry work experience.

You will also want to have plenty of support from your tutors and be able to reach out to them regarding your studies. 

At OriGym, our students can contact tutors 7 days a week through:

• Email
• Phone
• Chatbox

This is why it’s important to check with the level of support even the best sports massage courses provide as this can make a difference between passing and failing your course!

The Best Sports Massage Course Providers Will Offer Career Support

Not only should you research the quality of the course itself but it’s also important to see what support you receive post qualifying. The best sports massage courses will not only provide quality education but also career services to help graduates succeed in the future.

It’s important to prepare students for their career which is why OriGym offers:

• Mock interviews
• Free marketing & business course
• CV analysis and distribution
• Alumni discounts on industry-leading products
• Guaranteed job interviews with corporate partners

Check out our table below to see what career services you’ll receive from each provider and who will prepare you for success:

As you can see, there’s reasons as to how we’ve helped 92% of OriGym students find employment after graduating.

Location Can Determine What SMT Course Is Best For You

Where a course is located is important to consider when researching the best sports massage courses in the UK. As practical experience is crucial for developing your skills and knowledge, you’ll want a provider with multiple accessible locations.

Some providers may only have one fixed location, making it more difficult for students to attend sessions. For example, if you’re looking for the best sports massage course in London, you’ll want locations which are easy to reach, especially if you’re attending multiple workshops or assessments.

For example, OriGym has multiple UK locations, reducing the distance our students need to travel for their practical sessions.

The Best Sports Massage Courses Will Have Good Reviews

A great way to gain an overall understanding of the quality of a sports massage course provider is to check out company reviews. This allows you to receive first hand accounts of a student’s experience and how they found the course.

To find accurate reviews, you should check impartial sites such as:

• Google Reviews
• Trustpilot

To leave reviews on these sites, you have to be a verified customer, meaning the amount of false information is limited. Comparing the best sports massage courses in the UK through reviews means you can see how popular a provider is.

For example, take a look at our comparison table below:

As you can see, OriGym has nearly 4,000 reviews with a score of 4.9 on Trustpilot, making us the highest-rated training provider in the UK.

Before You Go!

When it comes to comparing the best sports massage courses, you should settle on a provider who equips you with the necessary services to ensure success in the industry.

Get started with our Level 3 Sports Massage Course today if you not only want to qualify with a reputable course provider but join the 92% of our graduates who go on to find work in the industry.

Learn more about our qualifications by downloading our complete course prospectus here.

In this article, we will guide you through the insurance requirements for sports massage professionals by exploring the following topics:

• Do Sports Massage Therapists Need Insurance?
• Minimum Insurance Requirements For A Sports Massage Practice
• What Other Insurance Does A Sports Massage Therapist Need?
• Can You Combine Personal Training and Sports Massage Insurance?
• How Much Does Sports Massage Therapist Insurance Cost?
• Sports Massage Insurance Cover Comparison Sites Can Help You Find The Best Insurance Provider

Before we begin, you can expand your SMT business and boost your income & sports massage therapist career opportunities with our Level 3 Sports Massage Course. Download OriGym’s course prospectus to learn more and see what else we offer.

Do Sports Massage Therapists Need Insurance?

Regardless of the employment you’ve undertaken, be it freelancing, part-time or full-time work, having sports massage therapist insurance (UK) is essential to protect yourself as a professional.

If you decide to apply for a position with a sports massage company, you will notice that most companies will ask for therapists to have a valid form of insurance.

A quick Google search for ‘Sports Massage Therapist jobs’ will inform you what positions are currently available and their insurance requirements.

This Sports Massage Therapist job at Crosby Chiropractic & Sports Injury Clinic, for instance, requires you to have your insurance up to date:

In any profession, things can go wrong. However, they’re taken seriously when it results in:

• Injury or harm to a client
• Damage to a client’s or your property
• Injury to your employees
• Injury to yourself

If any of these scenarios should happen, having insurance coverage can help you deal with the financial and legal repercussions when a claim may be made against you.

It’s important to have SMT insurance when working as a sports therapist since you will be working directly with clients recovering from injuries or preparing for competitions.

In the event an accident does occur, having the correct insurance coverage will prevent you from paying large costs for legal fees and compensation.

Let’s take a deeper look at some of the insurance requirements you need to operate safely as a sports massage therapist.

Minimum Insurance Requirements For A Sports Massage Practice

Operating professionally requires you to have the correct coverage. You should begin by securing two types of insurance for sports massage therapists, these are:

• Public Liability Insurance
• Professional Indemnity Insurance

To help you understand what each of these insurance policies includes and why they’re essential for your business, we’ll now explore them in more detail.

What Does Public Liability Insurance Sports Massage Cover For A Therapist?

Sports massage public liability insurance covers any accidents that your client experiences at your place of business, resulting in injury or damage to their property.

This makes it one of the most essential types of insurance for you to secure for yourself as a sports therapist.

Public liability insurance should cover you in the event your client:

• Trips on the floor, resulting in injury
• Has their property damaged during an appointment with you
• Suffers an injury or property damage during a home appointment

The coverage will help with costs in the event you’re found responsible for your client’s injury or damage, including final costs for payouts.

You may suffer damaging consequences if you don’t have public liability insurance because you will then be responsible for all costs associated with the claim.

If you’re wondering how your payment for liability insurance will manifest into real-term cover, Markel UK provides an insight into what you’re entitled to:

Whilst it may be distressing to think about what accidents your clients could encounter, it’s best to put your mind at ease with liability insurance for your line of work.

What does Professional Indemnity Insurance cover for a Sports Therapist?

You may ask “What insurance does a sports massage therapist need after public liability?”. The next form of insurance you need is professional indemnity coverage.

To help you understand the definition of this insurance, Hiscox defines public indemnity insurance as:

A commercial policy designed to protect business owners, freelancers and the self-employed if clients claim service is inadequate.

Public indemnity can also be known as treatment liability insurance, which provides coverage for medical procedures such as sports massage.

To help further your understanding of indemnity insurance, we’re going to take a look at what these two forms of insurance can cover you for.

You’ll need Public Indemnity Insurance in case you deliver poor service to clients

Public indemnity insurance for sports massage therapists protects you from claims of negligence relating to the services and advice you provide.

Claims of professional negligence can come from several areas, including:

• Poor advice that leads to a client’s injury with SMT aftercare treatment
• Data breaches
• Damage to the client’s property

Protectivity provides a more detailed overview of what public indemnity insurance should cover for you:

Just as accidents can happen at work, poor advice or even infringement of copyrighted material can happen too.

A public indemnity policy will help you cover any legal costs associated with your defence if you are found liable for professional negligence.

Now that you understand public indemnity covers, let’s take a deeper look at the coverage treatment liability insurance can cover.

If you decide to purchase a treatment liability insurance policy, this will help you cover any legal defence costs and any compensation you have to pay out to claimants.

After you get informed consent from your client, they can still claim from you, should:

• They experienced an allergic reaction to the oils you’ve used.
• They develop a painful bruise from the therapy you administered.
• The client suffers an injury from the post-care advice you gave.

So if you want to reduce the financial risk of having a claim of professional negligence made against you, it’s best to get treatment liability insurance.

You may decide to go with Hiscox as an insurance provider and as a result, you would receive the following coverage with their treatment and professional liability insurance:

Obtaining treatment liability insurance will provide you with financial security should a client decide to claim against you following the advice you gave them.

What Other Insurance Does A Sports Massage Therapist Need?

So far, we’ve looked at two forms of insurance that will provide you with substantial cover whilst working as a sports massage therapist.

However, there are other forms of insurance for sports massage therapists you may need coverage for, including:

• Loss Of Earnings Insurance
• Equipment Insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Employer’s Liability Insurance

As we work through this list, you’ll discover that some of these forms of insurance will provide you with additional coverage, relative to the type of work you carry out.

Loss Of Earnings Insurance Can Help Your Finances If You’re Unable To Work

Loss of earnings insurance for sports massage is a form of insurance that can help protect your income.

Insuranceopedia, explains that this type of insurance assists with:

The policyholder’s financial needs when they are unable to work because of a disability. If it is temporary, the insurer will provide insurance money until the insured can resume working. If it is a permanent disability, however, the insurer will provide not only for daily expenses but also for medical needs.

A broken leg, for instance, may prevent you from working and would be classed as a temporary disability.

Due to this injury, you’ll receive a percentage of your normal income back if you’re unable to earn a normal wage.

Insure4sport provides further insight into what an insurer can provide a sports massage therapist, due to a loss of earnings. Within their policy, they’ll be able to:

• Provide you with 52 weeks of cover
• Offer three weekly payment options £250, £500 or £750 (with personal accident coverage).

When you purchase loss of earnings insurance, you may discover it’s secured as an optional cover, sometimes included with your purchase of personal accidental coverage.

Loss of earnings insurance is essential to provide you with financial security, should you be unable to work with clients and earn a normal wage.

It will provide you with financial security to help cover your basic amenities such as food, bills and rent.

However, you may not need this insurance type if you can survive on your benefit payments or if you have coverage with your employee benefits.

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Equipment Insurance Can Cover You From Any Loss, Theft Or Damage To Your Property

Another way to protect yourself from financial loss is through the purchase of sports massage therapist insurance to cover any potential problems with your equipment.

This is known as equipment insurance, which Insure4sport states will protect you in the event:

the equipment you use to train is stolen or damaged. This cover applies whether you’re practising your sport or not at the time of the incident.

This form of insurance can also extend to when you’re travelling to a client’s home and are transporting your equipment to their address and is damaged or lost en route.

Fitness Industry Insurance provides you with insight into what their equipment insurance will cover, including coverage for items valued up to £2,500:

When researching equipment insurance coverage, it’s important to understand the maximum value insurance providers will cover as this can vary between insurers.

It’s also important to make sure that insurance providers can cover the type of equipment you use as a sports massage therapist.

You may not need this form of insurance if you’re employed by a company that already provides you with the equipment that you need.

Personal Accident Insurance Can Provide Financial Stability If You’re Involved In An Accident

It’s equally important to get personal accident insurance to cover yourself, even if you’re mainly concerned with protecting your clients and equipment.

This sports massage therapy insurance will be beneficial to you, particularly if you experience an accident whilst working; resulting in the following:

• Visual impairment
• Hearing damage
• Disablement

You can twist an ankle while moving around the client’s bed, preventing you from applying pressure to that foot. Under this insurance, this would be covered.

If you want to understand how this insurance translates into real-term cover, UK Coaching details the payouts they issue to policyholders.

Depending on the severity of the accident, they can issue payouts of up to £50,000 for permanent disablement if:

You may feel confident carrying out the relevant risk assessments to protect you and your client.

However, with your different roles as an SMT, accidents can occur from events you couldn’t anticipate.

This is why personal accident insurance can provide you with financial security should an accident seriously impact the way you work.

Employer’s Liability Insurance Can Protect You From Claims From Staff

Employment liability insurance applies to any business that employs more than one person, who is not part of their immediate family.

If this applies to you, securing employment liability insurance is a legal requirement. If your business does not have this insurance, you could be fined £2,500.

This form of insurance provides you with coverage, should any of your employees experience an injury or illness whilst in your employment.

A member of staff, for instance, may experience a fall and injure themselves on a wet surface at your business. As a result, have filed a claim against you.

Depending on the insurer you receive your policy from, it should cover a wide range of employment types for your employees.

AXA’s employer’s liability insurance, for instance, covers the following employment types:

Employer’s liability insurance would provide you with coverage, should you be found liable for any payouts to a member of your staff.

AXA provides you with further information on what their employer’s liability insurance covers, should you decide to go with them:

If you forgo your employer’s liability insurance and are found liable for injuries sustained by your employees, you are responsible for all legal fees and damages.

This can become a costly exercise that could affect your business’s finances, which is why having employer’s liability insurance can help you both legally and financially.

Can You Combine Personal Training and Sports Massage Insurance?

Fitness professionals often work in multiple roles at once. The combination of working as a sports massage therapist and a physical therapist is not uncommon.

You might even be considering becoming a personal trainer alongside your sports massage career, which is why it’s worth enrolling on Origym’s level 3 PT course.

If you’re employed in multiple professions, you wonder if it’s possible to combine your insurance payments.

The great news is that you can! However, you need to research how this is offered by insurers and your eligibility to purchase combined insurance.

To be eligible to secure this type of insurance, you’ll need to hold approved qualifications for both SMT and PT.

UK Coaching, for instance, states that their insurance policy for Fitness and Sports Massage Insurance only covers approved qualifications for SMT and PT.

Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility with an insurance provider, you’ll also be able to enjoy a wide range of coverage for both professions.

UK Coaching for example can cover public liability, indemnity and personal accidents for you:

In addition to reducing your insurance payments, a combined policy can maximise your coverage by combining all your insurance commitments into one comprehensive policy.

How Much Does Sports Massage Therapist Insurance Cost?

When it comes to calculating what your monthly or yearly insurance commitments are, it’s important to anticipate what might influence those payments.

There are several factors you should consider when calculating your sports massage insurance (UK) costs, including:

• The number of claims you’ve made in the past– if you’ve made claims in the past, this could result in you being charged more for your insurance coverage.
• The kind of business you run– if you plan to run your own business with a large workforce this will increase the amount you pay monthly or yearly. If you run PT sessions, alongside SMT treatments, this will also increase your insurance payments.
• The amount of coverage you need if you require coverage for several areas including public indemnity, liability and personal accidents, you’ll be subject to higher insurance costs.
• The length of the insurance policy– if you commit to a couple of years on your insurance plan, this will cost less on the whole compared to an insurance policy that only lasts several months.
• The frequency of your payments you pay yearly for your insurance compared to monthly, this will cost less as the fee is more manageable for the insurance providers, who incentivise annual payments with overall cheaper rates.
• Excess cover-if you have higher voluntary excess coverage, and you’ll pay less on your insurance policy.

These factors will determine the rate you pay on a monthly or yearly basis to provide you with coverage whilst working as a sports massage therapist.

Sports Massage Insurance Cover Comparison Sites Can Help You Find The Best Insurance Provider

Before purchasing your insurance, it’s important to make sure you research to find a suitable insurer for you as a sports massage therapist.

One of the ways you can research the insurers you’re considering is by analysing the ratings they’ve received online.

There are different online locations for you to understand how well customers rate insurance providers by visiting the insurers:

• Google Business Profile
• Facebook page
• Trustpilot page

To help you get an understanding of how this could look, we visited the Trustpilot pages of several insurance companies to see how well they’ve been rated by their customers.

This information has now been compiled into a table below, we’ve included the review score, along with the number of reviews they’ve received to indicate how accurate their score is:

As you can see from the data we’ve collected, AXA and Insure4sport have the highest ratings and the number of reviews.

This data can help you feel confident that you’re getting an insurance policy from a reputable insurance firm.

Alongside comparing reviews to get an indication of which insurance provider has the best reputation, you can also use websites to find price comparisons.

For example, we used Compare The Market to get a quote for an independent sports massage therapist, who required the following coverage:

• Public liability: coverage of up to £2,000,000
• Employer’s liability: not required
• Legal Expenses: £100,000
• Personal Accident: Covered
• Excess Protection: £5,000

Once we entered these details, we were recommended several insurance providers to purchase our policy from:

If we were budget-conscious, securing insurance with Chiswell Insurance would make financial sense.

However, if we wanted to go with a more recognised insurance provider to offer a sense of security, then AXA Insurance might be worth our consideration.

Should you decide to use a price comparison website, it’s also important to read any details that are associated with your coverage.

This will help you understand what your monthly or yearly payments will be, along with what each form of coverage offers you.

Before You Go!

After reading this article, we hope you’ve got all the information you require to secure the correct sports massage insurance for your situation.

Don’t forget, you can enrol on our Level 3 Sports Massage Course to further aid clients in their recovery and become the ultimate SMT. Learn about the full range of OriGym courses we have available by downloading our FREE course prospectus.

To give yourself and your clients peace of mind, you should always get informed consent for sports massage therapy before commencing treatment.

If you are wondering why informed consent is so important or how you should go about gaining it, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we will discuss:

• What is Informed Consent in Sports Massage?
• Understanding the Importance of Informed Consent for Sports Massage
• Securing Informed Consent as a Sports Massage Therapist
• What You Need to Include as Part of a Sports Massage Informed Consent Form
• Full Sports Massage Consent Form Template

Before we get started, you can expand your fitness skills by enrolling on a personal trainer course with OriGym.

Enquire today, or download our free course prospectus for more information about the range of courses we offer. 

What is Informed Consent in Sports Massage?

Informed consent is a communication process between a person or business and their client.

The aim of this process is to gain permission from the client to fulfil a specific purpose. It is a way of making sure that the client is fully aware of the possible benefits, risks, and consequences of what they are agreeing to.

You may typically think of informed consent being used in a medical setting to protect patients in case their treatment goes wrong. For instance, it could cause a life-threatening injury.

However, having an informed consent procedure is also an important part of the sports massage therapist job description. 

This is because from the information you provide about the treatment, clients should be able to decide whether they would like to go ahead with the massage.

There are three types of informed consent that a sports massage therapist may use. These are:

1. Implied Consent – This is a loose type of consent which is inferred by actions and can therefore cause misunderstandings. For instance, a client showing up to their SMT appointment means that they consent to what is involved in the massage.
2. Verbal Consent – This type of consent is where you gain consent through conversation, by answering the client’s questions. The client will then consent to the treatment without signing a written form.
3. Written Consent – Also known as formal consent, this is the recommended type of consent for sports massage therapists to use as it requires clients to sign a form acknowledging that they understand the treatment.

To gain informed consent from clients, sports massage therapists should therefore provide them with a consent form to sign before their first session.

Clients must sign the informed consent document of their own accord, meaning that they must not feel forced to sign it under pressure from you.

They must also be signing it with all of the information that they need about the procedure that they are about to undergo.

For instance, when a client undergoes a vigorous style of sports massage such as Tapotement for the first time, it is important that they know beforehand that they are likely to experience soreness.

If they are not expecting this, they may feel that you as the sports massage therapist have performed your role incorrectly and have caused damage to their muscles.

Understanding the Importance of Informed Consent for Sports Massage

Using an informed consent form for sports massage is crucial, as it protects both sports massage therapists and their clients.

The form acts as a contract which holds both parties accountable for the process which is about to happen. This is because the client is aware of exactly what to expect during and after their treatment, which reduces the chance of miscommunication.

Signing a sports massage consent form will also show that you made the client aware of the sports massage contraindications, risks, and side effects of sports massage beforehand.

This ensures that the client leaves happy with their result and will recommend you to friends and family, who may also become paying clients!

Gaining informed consent therefore helps to reassure clients as they know what to expect, know that their treatment will be safe, and ensures that they are protected should the worst happen.

Get Insurance to Cover Yourself as a Sports Massage Therapist 

As well as informed consent, it is also essential that you get sports massage insurance to cover yourself in case a client becomes injured or ill as a result of your massage services.

For example, a client may incur a muscle strain or have an allergic reaction to a massage oil that you used.

Insurance will therefore cover any legal costs that you may incur as a result of negligence claims brought against you. It will also cover any payouts that you may need to make to clients for compensation.

Although an informed consent form cannot replace an insurance policy, it can work in tandem with it to better protect you as a sports massage therapist.

Whilst it isn’t a legal requirement for sports massage therapists to get informed consent, it is hugely important in case a client files a claim of negligence against you.

For instance, you may include a section in your informed consent form on the possible adverse reactions that a client may have.

You may also include a list of contraindications that make it inadvisable for clients to undergo the treatment and state that clients should inform you of these before treatment commences.

If a client then has an adverse reaction to the massage as a result of a contraindication that they didn’t disclose, you have their signature on an informed consent form to show that you made them aware of the risks beforehand.

This makes it easier for your legal representation to argue in your favour when it comes to a negligence case. 

Overall, keeping informed consent forms as proof of your communication with clients. Along with having a good insurance policy, it helps to mitigate your liability in legal cases and give you financial protection. 

Securing Informed Consent as a Sports Massage Therapist

As we have mentioned, informed consent is usually gained from clients through a written form, which the therapist will give to clients as part of their initial consultation.

This will provide step-by-step details of every element of their appointment, from when they first enter the room to the massage process itself and any massage aftercare they need to be aware of.

It is important that informed consent is gained during the initial consultation, as this allows you to fully outline their treatment programme before any treatment has taken place. 

Gaining informed consent at this point also ensures that they know exactly what to expect from the treatment that they are about to receive and can back out before the massage commences.

This gives the client a chance to ask any questions and therefore prevents any confusion which may lead to the client leaving the therapy room dissatisfied with your service.

Using a consent form for sports massage before treatment is also beneficial to you as the sports massage therapist.

It means that you can get an idea of what the client wants from their massage and the areas they would like you to avoid.

For example, some clients may not be comfortable with you touching certain parts of their body or removing clothing from the lower half of their bodies.

If you gather this information during the consultation, you can therefore adapt your treatment to ensure that it factors in the client’s personal needs.

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What You Need to Include as Part of a Sports Massage Informed Consent Form

Now that you know what informed consent is and why you should always gain it before commencing treatment, you may be wondering what to include on your form.

Here are the sections that we would recommend, to ensure that you are able to provide the client with as much detail about the treatment as possible:

#1- A Sports Massage Consent Form Should State What the Purpose of the Massage Is

Firstly, you should always include the purpose of the treatment when gaining informed consent for sports massage.

This is so that the client understands what a sports massage is and the intended outcome of the massage. They can then judge whether this is the right form of treatment for them.

For example, Physio Flex’s informed consent form emphasises the fact that SMT is a process, beginning with an examination.

This demonstrates that after the initial consultation and examination, you will come up with a treatment programme that considers their needs, along with a prognosis for how long the course of treatment will take.

The client will therefore not leave their first session unhappy and will want to book more sessions with you to achieve the intended outcome that you have discussed.

#2- State What the Massage Will Involve on a Sports Massage Informed Consent Form

From Effleurage to Tapotement, it’s likely that you’ll be using a range of massage techniques on each client depending on their individual needs. 

It is therefore important in your informed consent form for sports massage to state what the massage will involve.

For example, GTD Sports Therapy asks clients to recognise that their massage may involve a series of different techniques which may be unfamiliar to them, but will be fully explained before treatment commences.

This ensures that the client knows exactly what to expect before the massage starts and will not be shocked when you begin treatment.

Both the client and the massage therapist will feel comfortable, and the client will know that the treatment you are giving is beneficial to them.

#3- Emphasise Any Inherent Risks When Creating Your Sports Massage Consent Form

Highlighting potential risks is perhaps one of the most important parts of an informed consent form for sports massage therapists.

Clients should know that whilst you will conduct treatments in the proper manner and ensure that they are carried out safely, there are inherent risks to all SMT treatments.

You may choose to include a list of potential holistic side effects that clients are likely to experience, as shown in this template from the Association of Massage Therapists:

However, you may need to personalise this list to the client, depending on any conditions that they may have stated that they have.

For instance, if they have diabetes, you should include the risk of hypoglycaemia, even if you have deemed that it is safe for the client to receive treatment.

This makes the client aware of the potential risks of the treatment so that they can make an informed decision on whether to go ahead.

As previously mentioned, this also protects you if a client brings a compensation claim against you for any negative side effects experienced after their treatment.

#4- Explain What the Client Should Do If They Feel Pain During The Massage

Another element that should always be included in an informed consent form is the steps that a client should take if they begin to experience pain.

Particularly for new clients, sports massage can be painful as the therapist will be manipulating muscles in ways that they are not used to.

However, if a client is experiencing extreme pain this may not be normal and could cause further injury if you continue the massage.

It is therefore crucial that as part of your informed consent procedure for sports massage, clients are aware that they should inform you in this case, as shown in the form below from Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.

This provides the client with boundaries to ensure they are comfortable at all times, as well as giving you the opportunity to alter the technique you are using so that it is more comfortable for the client.

This ability to respond to each individual client is one of the most important roles of a sports massage therapist! 

Along with preventing them from sustaining an injury, it also ensures that they feel safe to return for another session in the knowledge that they can inform you if they experience pain or discomfort.

This shows that you are highly professional and have the client’s needs and comfort in mind at all times.

#5- An Informed Consent Procedure for Sports Massage Should Explain the Client’s Rights

Along with knowing what to expect from the session, the client should also be aware of the rights that they have within the treatment room.

For instance, if a client feels uncomfortable at any point during the session, they should know that they can stop the treatment.

This is shown in the sports massage consent form from Physio Flex, which suggests that clients can refuse any treatment both before or during the massage.

You should also state that the client has a right to understand what their treatment will consist of. If they are unsure at any point, they have the right to a full explanation from the therapist.

This ensures that the client understands how every part of their treatment is beneficial to them and reduces the risk of miscommunication.

#6- End the Consent Form for Sports Massage with the Client’s Agreement and Signature

Finally, you should always end your informed consent document with the client’s signature.

Here is an example from Sask Massage Therapy of what this section could look like:

As shown above, you should ensure that the client writes the date.

You may wish to have a witness present whilst the form is signed, who can verify that both you and the client give your consent.

This part of the document is essential, as it confirms that they have read the form and that they provide their consent to everything that you have discussed within the form.

It also offers legal protection for you as the therapist, as you have evidence that the client was made aware of what to expect during their session.

Full Sports Massage Consent Form Template

If you are unsure of how to integrate all of the sections above into your form, below is a sports massage consent form template below that you can use.

However, this is just an example. You should therefore ensure that yours is specific as possible to the sports massage services you provide. 

The purpose of the sports massage therapy services provided by (Name of business) is to conduct a thorough examination and diagnosis, before creating a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

Depending on the diagnosis, the treatment will involve a range of techniques which will be explained thoroughly before treatment begins. I hereby give my consent to the treatment that will be provided.

Although there are several benefits to sports massage therapy, I understand that these are not guaranteed. I also recognise that I may experience adverse side effects to my treatment, which include but are not limited to:

• Muscle soreness
• Bruising
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Erythema
• Dizziness
• Skin rash

I have disclosed a full medical history to the therapist, including any medical conditions which may affect my treatment.

I agree that if I experience pain or discomfort at any point during the treatment, I will ask the therapist to alter the massage techniques that they are using.

I understand that I can stop the treatment at any point if I have any concerns at all.

I understand that I have the right to a full explanation of the benefits and risks of the treatment that I will undergo. I also have the right to decline any part of the treatment or ask for further explanation before treatment commences.

I declare that I have read and understood the contents of this form. I have been given the opportunity to ask questions regarding my treatment and understand the risks associated with the treatment.

I agree to fully cooperate with the policies and procedures of (Name of business) and am aware that my consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Client Name (Printed) ________________

Client Signature _____________________

Witness Signature ___________________

Date ______________________________

Before You Go!

You should now understand the importance of informed consent in sports massage and should be ready to start creating a form for your SMT business.

Feeling inspired? Take the next step in your career by enrolling on one of OriGym’s Personal Trainer Courses! Enquire today, or check out the full range of courses we offer by downloading our free course prospectus here. 

From referral schemes to email marketing, we’ve put together a list of the best sports massage marketing ideas to help you attract new clients and retain your existing ones.

Did you know there are many opportunities to advance your sports massage therapist career, including becoming a PT by completing one of OriGym’s PT courses?

Download our course prospectus here to find out how to develop your career or enter your details below.

Sports Massage Marketing Ideas: The Ultimate Guide

Similar to personal trainer marketing strategies, there are plenty of sports massage marketing ideas to explore and use as a way to increase your client base and advertise your services to a wider audience.

#1 – Establishing A Referral Scheme Is A Simple Yet Effective SMT Marketing Tactic

If you’ve become a sports massage therapist and already have a few clients, or are looking for sports massage marketing ideas to expand that client base, you’d benefit from implementing a ‘refer a friend scheme’.

This strategy is as simple as asking your existing clients if they have any friends or family members looking to use services similar to the ones you offer.

For example, if one of your clients is a marathon runner who you see every week, it’s likely they have a network of friends with similar hobbies and interests who could be potential clients.

According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust their peers more than they do brands and businesses they’ve never purchased from before – showing just how effective ‘word of mouth’ strategies can be.

If you really want this strategy to work, you should set up an incentive-based referral scheme.

Offer your existing clients an incentive to tell their friends and family about your business. For example, you could offer a discounted or free massage for every new client they bring in.

This has been done successfully by Hands on Sports Therapy and Injury Clinic, whose ‘Refer a Friend’ scheme offers existing clients £10 off their next treatment.

The best part of this strategy is you only pay out for your marketing efforts once you gain a new client.

So, while it may cost you £10 to give your existing client a discount, this cost will be offset by the amount the new client has already paid for their first appointment.

This is something Natural Balance does to ensure they don’t lose money from their referral programme.

As you can see below, the details of their scheme clearly states a client will only receive their free or discounted session once the referred client has already paid for their treatment:

#2 – Run Paid Ads On Social Media As Part Of Your Sports Massage Marketing Strategy

If you really want your sports massage advertising to take off online, then it’s a good idea to use paid ads on social media.

Ads for both Facebook and Instagram are controlled by Meta Ad Manager, a piece of software which allows you to create ads to appear on social media feeds.

All you need to get started is to create a Facebook Business page, which you can easily create for your brand here.

You’ll then need to:

1.  Go to Ads Manager and select ‘Create’ to get started

2.  Next, enter a descriptive name for your ad in the text box

3.  Then select a Facebook Page and Instagram account to represent your business

4.  You can then choose your ad to be a single image or video, carousel, or collection

5.  Finally, select the media you want to upload for your ad

One of the best things about using Meta Ads is you can set up your ad so it reaches potential leads from your specific fitness target market.

For example, you can filter your audience by specific:

• Locations
• Age ranges
• Genders
• Interests

Meta automatically posts your ads in positions the algorithm has deemed most appropriate for your target audience, whether that’s the user’s Facebook News Feed, or Instagram Stories.

An advantage of this form of advertising is you’ll only have to pay if your ad successfully achieves its campaign objective, making this one of the most cost-efficient sports massage marketing ideas.

For example, campaigns that aim to drive traffic operate on a pay per click (PPC) basis. This means you pay a fee each time a user clicks on your ad and is directed to your site.

Although this cost can vary, the average is approximately 78p per click.

You can cap how much you spend on ads per day and the algorithm will then ensure your ads remain within your budget, while continuing to meet your campaign objectives.

How To Use Ads On Social Media To Market Your SMT Business

Now you know the capabilities of Meta Ad Manager, let’s discuss how you can use this software to market your sports massage business and gain new clients.

First things first, you need to choose a campaign objective, which is the business goal you hope to achieve by running your ads.

Available campaign objectives include traffic, awareness, engagement, leads and sales.

The most effective way of using this marketing strategy to get new clients through your door is to select ‘traffic’. This allows you to create an ad that drives users to your website or landing page, where they can enquire.

If you choose this objective, Meta Ad Manager will allow you to create your Ad with either a link to your landing page or a button that takes users to your site.

For instance, this Facebook ad for John Burrell’s SMT services features a link to his website/landing page as well as a ‘learn more’ button which also takes users to his website.

These links and buttons are called a Call to Action (CTA), and their inclusion on adverts is what takes an Ad from simply generating awareness of your business to actually getting you new clients.

So, what is a landing page? A landing page is a single webpage designed to guide users to complete a specific action.

Such an action could include:

• Make an enquiry
• Book a session
• Book a consultation

For example, John Burrell’s landing page features the ‘Book Now’ CTA, to encourage visitors to book a treatment with him.

By directing users to his website or landing page, this ad makes it easy for users to either book a session or hand over their contact information, which John can then use to turn them into a paying client.

You can learn to make your own fitness landing page here.

#3 – Create Google Ads For SMT Marketing

Aside from asking friends and family for recommendations, the majority of people looking for a product or service head straight to Google and search directly for it.

Your target audience are doing the same thing – searching terms such as ‘Sports massage therapy’ or ‘Sports massage therapist near me’.

So, if you’re not using paid Google Ads in your sports massage therapy marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a lot of potential clients.

With Google Ads, you can pay a Cost Per Click (CPC) to appear on Google’s first page for specific searches, as shown below for ‘Sports massage in Milton Keynes’.

Appearing this high up on the results page is hugely beneficial, as a study conducted by Search Engine Land found businesses on this page generate 80% of enquiries for that specific search term!

This is because potential clients are more likely to see the link to your landing page through the ad.

As they’ll be searching with the specific intent of finding an SMT local to them, they’re likely to click on this link and enquire about your services.

Therefore, this will hopefully generate more traffic to your website and bring you more leads, as it has done for OriGym.

As you can see from the image above, our various landing pages have generated over 20,000 leads from Google Ads alone in just one year.

It also means every time someone clicks on your ad and goes to your website, you pay Google a fee for their role. Popular terms are at a higher price point than more specific keywords.

Google allows up to 4 paid ads to come up at the top of the page and up to 3 to appear at the bottom. So, the position your ad will appear at is also dependent on how much you will pay for your ad.

To do this, we’d recommend putting bids on terms that describe your business, followed by your location to target potential clients looking for sports massage in your area.

Some examples of local key search terms you could use if you’re based in Liverpool include:

• Sports Massage Liverpool
• SMT Liverpool
• Liverpool Sports Massage Therapist
• Sports Massage Therapy Liverpool

If other SMTs in your area aren’t taking advantage of Google Ads, then CPC will be relatively low, meaning it will be cheaper for you to bid for these local search terms.

For example, there are currently no businesses ranking in the ad space for the local search term ‘sports massage Liverpool’, meaning this will be a relatively low price for you to bid for.

You’ll also be the go-to SMT users in this area will see when they search on Google!

Creating your Google Ad is a simple process:

1. Tell Google your marketing goal and they’ll tailor your ad based upon the results you want. For instance, your goal may be to drive more traffic to your fitness website.
2. Next, choose whether you’d like to advertise locally or globally. For an SMT business, we’d recommend trying to target potential clients in your local area.
3. You’ll then get 3 short sentences to highlight what’s best about your businesses. Alternatively, you can create banner ads by adding images.
4. Set a financial cap, to ensure you never go over your budgeted costs.
5. Finally, you’re ready to publish your ad and go live.

#4 – Register On GoogleMyBusiness If You’re Looking For Sports Massage Marketing Ideas

As well as using ads, another of the best sports massage marketing ideas on Google is to set up a Google My Business account.

This is a completely free feature that allows you to create a profile for your business, which is Google’s term for your business listing.

The My Business feature is a great way of marketing your services, as it allows potential clients to view information such as:

• Contact information, such as phone number or email
• Location
• Links to website and social media profiles
• Reviews

For example, this is the information displayed when you search ‘OriGym’ into Google:

To set up your account, simply follow the steps on the Google My Business profile creator:

1. Sign in or create a Google Account with your business email domain.
2. Go to ‘create a profile’ and enter the name of your business.
3. Search for your business category, which in this case will be sports massage therapist.
4. Choose whether you have a location that customers can visit. The answer here is likely to be yes, unless you run a mobile SMT business.
5. Enter the service area of your business based upon the cities or postcodes you serve. It’s recommended not to extend the boundaries of this area further than 2 hours driving time from where you’re based.
6. Enter your phone number and website URL to allow potential clients to find and contact you.

Once your profile has been set up, your business will then appear on the maps for local search results.

For instance, if a potential client looking for a sports massage in Liverpool types this search term into Google, they will see the following top three ranking results in their area.

If they clicked on one of these listings, they’d be taken to the page below which has an expanded list of businesses alongside a map detailing all of their locations.

To increase the likelihood of potential clients clicking on your links and hence being redirected to your website or social media pages, it’s important your profile ranks within the top 3 listings.

These listings are known as ‘The Local Top 3’ or the ‘Google 3-Pack’. Research from Brightlocal suggests 93% of consumers use online searches to find a local business.

Backlinko statistics also show 42% of local searches involve clicks on the Google 3-Pack. This highlights just how valuable ranking in the Local Top 3 is to your SMT marketing strategy!

To ensure your GoogleMyBusiness profile ranks in the top 3, you should optimise it so it’s:

• Relevant – Make your business information as detailed as possible, to help the algorithm match your profile to relevant searches for the target user.
• Location-based – Specify an exact location on your profile so those looking for an SMT in a particular area will find your profile.
• Prominent – Factors that can influence how well known you are online include the number of positive reviews you have and how often you are mentioned favourably online. This means you’ll rank higher on Google’s algorithm.

For example, as the top-ranking business for the search term ‘Sports massage Liverpool’, the profile for JM Sports Massage has a specific address, as well as plenty of positive client reviews.

It also has a direct link to their website, so when users follow this link, they’ll be directed to a landing page with the CTA button encouraging them to ‘Book Now’.

Therefore, by creating a fully optimised fitness GoogleMyBusiness profile, you’re likely to rank higher than your competitors, generate more clicks, and gain more traffic to your website or landing page.

This means you’re likely to get more inquiries and gain plenty of new clients!

#5 – Optimising Your Website For SEO Is A Must For Sports Massage Therapy Marketing

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the process of optimising your content to make it more visible for search engine users looking for products or services related to your business.

According to the same Backlinko statistics we referenced in the previous section, only 9% of users searching on Google make it to the bottom of the first page of the search results.

Also, only 17% of users go back to the search results page after clicking on a result.

This shows that the more visible your website is in search engine results, the more likely you are to generate clicks, therefore driving traffic and potential clients to your website.

For instance, these businesses have optimised their website content to allow them to rank on the first page of results for the search term ‘mobile sports massage Birmingham’:

To ensure your sales pages are optimised effectively, you should consider the following SEO factors when designing your fitness website:

Keywords Are A Crucial SEO Factor When It Comes To Sports Massage Advertising

Keywords are one of the most important SEO features to help you rank highly in search results, as it shows Google’s algorithm what your page is about.

When users search for that keyword, your website will then rank highly on Google’s result pages.

To find relevant keywords to incorporate into your website or landing page, you can use Google’s keyword planner tool:

This will give you keyword ideas relevant to your sports massage business and will help drive your target audience towards your site.

For example, if you’re wanting to rank highly as a mobile sports massage therapist, type ‘mobile sports massage’ into the keyword planner.

As shown above, you’ll then be given a list of keyword ideas you could implement.

We’d recommend choosing one with a high traffic and low competition score, as this will be a search term your target audience will be using.

However, it also ensures your website won’t get lost amongst other sites using the same keyword.

Consider Dwell Time When Implementing Sports Massage Marketing Ideas For SEO

Dwell time is the amount of time users spend on your website. The more time they spend, the higher you’ll rank on Google for the relevant search term.

An efficient way of increasing your dwell time is to use short paragraphs to describe your services, rather than big blocks of text, as Fit and Running have done on their homepage.

This is because they’re more visually appealing to users, as well as being easier to read and digest, meaning users are more likely to stay on your page and book an appointment.

– – – –

Aside from providing you with plenty of sports massage marketing ideas, here are some articles to help develop your business and skills:

• Sports Massage Equipment 
• Sports Massage Business Cards
• 5 Exciting Sports Massage Therapist Career Opportunities

#6 – Establish An Effective Email Campaign For Your Sports Massage Therapy Marketing Strategy

If you’re looking for sports massage marketing ideas, creating an email marketing campaign is one of the best and most cost-efficient ways of engaging new and existing clients.

According to Mailchimp, the average email newsletter open rate is 21.33% – 20 times higher than the engagement rate for Facebook posts!

Having an email newsletter gives you a direct line to your potential customers and a much higher success rate when it comes to turning enquiries into clients.

Email campaigns also help with client retention, as sending a newsletter detailing updates and special offers allows you to create a sense of community within your existing client base.

There are 3 key steps you should follow when setting up an email marketing campaign.

Step 1 – Deciding On The Purpose Of Your Email Campaign For SMT Marketing

The first, and perhaps most important, stage of designing an email marketing campaign is to decide what you’re hoping to achieve.

This is because the purpose of your campaign will determine the kind of content you include, as well as the metrics you’ll track to see if your campaign has been a success.

For instance, if you’re hoping to build your pre-event massage clientele base through your campaign, you may want to create content which illustrates the benefits of this.

You could also advertise promotional deals within these emails, to encourage those thinking about booking an appointment to go ahead and enquire.

The purpose and content of your strategy should also be determined by the audience you’re trying to target.

This should be informed by market research, as well as your SMT business plan,  so you’re aware of the best ways of engaging them.

This could be based on factors such as their age, or their occupation and hobbies. For example, your target audience may consist of runners, footballers, or athletes.

Step 2 – Choosing What You’ll Offer The Subscriber Is An Important Part Of Email SMT Marketing

Once you’ve determined the purpose of your campaign, the next thing you need to do is decide how to build up your list of subscribers.

To do this, we’d recommend creating a lead magnet, which is something that encourages potential clients to sign up for emails, be contacted further, and potentially become paying clients.

Your lead magnet should be on your landing page or website, offering something to users in exchange for subscribing to your emails. This could be:

• A free consultation
• Discounts on bookings
• Free eBook on topics such as anatomy

For example, in exchange for providing their contact details, City Rehab offers subscribers a free 30 second diagnosis, as shown below.

This is because people will be much more willing to provide their details in return for something.

Offering a helpful resource also helps demonstrate to potential clients you’re reliable and trustworthy.

This makes them much more likely to pay attention when your email drops into their inbox and will be more inclined to become loyal, paying clients.

Step 3 – Designing Your Email Funnel Is The Final Step When Setting Up Email SMT Marketing

An email funnel is the process through which a subscriber goes from a potential lead to a paying client through the medium of email.

When it comes to sports massage advertising, the funnel you design should guide a potential client to eventually booking a session with you.

For example, your email funnel may consist of a potential client:

1. Visiting your landing page
2. Signing up to receive your newsletter
3. Receiving a welcome email, explaining your services and offering them a free consultation
4. Booking their consultation
5. Continuing to receive emails and becoming a loyal client

This process also makes it easier to retain your existing clients, as you’ll maintain a direct channel with them even after they’ve made their first purchase.

That’s why this is one of the most effective sports massage marketing ideas!

#7 – Offer A Free Consultation To Kickstart An SMT Marketing Campaign

As we’ve mentioned frequently throughout this article, offering free consultations is a great sports massage therapy marketing idea for generating new client leads.

This gives prospective clients a chance to try out your services for free, without having to commit to making a purchase.

Whether a client has been considering booking an appointment or is checking out your services alongside your competitors, this may be the push they need to go with you!

During the free consultation, you can conduct movement and postural assessments on the client to help determine what may be causing any pain or limited mobility they’re experiencing.

After assessing whether it’s safe to proceed and deciding whether you have the right skills to treat them, you can then talk the client through how you can help resolve these issues.

By conducting a thorough postural assessment, this is your chance to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and experience, and convince the client you’re the right therapist for them.

Knowing they’ll have a bespoke treatment plan designed with a solution at the end is likely to lead to clients wanting to book further appointments with you.

Offering a free consultation is also a great way of gathering client details and encouraging them to take the first step into the sales funnel.

This is because in exchange for your time, you’ll ask clients for their details, as Simply Body Sports Massage Therapy does successfully:

A member of their team will then directly contact the client to discuss further details of the consultation.

This will help them feel valued from the start, meaning they’re more likely to book further appointments and become loyal to this particular SMT.

For instance, this testimonial for Simply Body demonstrates the impact a free initial consultation can have on a client’s attitude towards your services.

As discussed in a previous section, these details could be used to sign up for your newsletter, meaning you’ll be able to maintain constant contact with them.

In the long run, this will encourage greater client loyalty, meaning that offering free consultations is a great way of retaining clients as well as attracting them!

#8 – Upskill With Level 4 Specialist Courses To Enhance Your Sports Massage Therapy Marketing Strategy

Having advanced qualifications as a sports massage therapist helps you stand out and attract new clients. Not only is this a great way to expand the services you offer but clients are willing to pay more for a specialist service, meaning you can earn a higher wage too.

The more services you can offer, the greater chance you have of attracting a range of different people and appealing to a wider demographic.

Specialisms you can use to compliment your sports massage therapy services include: 

Level 3 Exercise Referral

By becoming an exercise referral specialist, you can tailor fitness programmes to help those with physical illness or conditions to improve their health. You can take referrals from GPs or private medical professionals, advertising both your sports massage and exercise referral service to help clients physically recover in the quickest way possible.

Level 4 Lower Back Pain Management

As sports massage therapy is about helping your clients recover and improve injuries, having a qualification in lower back pain management is ideal for marketing yourself as the someone who can effectively help clients get back on track. Having a well-rounded understanding of physical aid, you can combine this knowledge to ensure clients get the right help.

Level 4 Advanced Sports Nutrition

Not only is nutrition important for fuelling the body, it’s vital for helping the body recover. Having this advanced qualification means you can market and advertise yourself as both a sports nutrition coach and sports massage therapist. You’ll be able to provide clients with both knowledge on healing physically and using their diet to heal their muscles and effectively recover.

Acquiring different qualifications is important for finding success in the fitness industry as it allows you to appeal to a wider pool of clients instead of being limited when you only offer one kind of service.

#9 – Display Testimonials As Part Of Your Sports Massage Therapy Marketing Strategy

Written by clients to share their experiences with your services, testimonials are great for sports massage advertising as they demonstrate your credibility as an SMT.

Fitness industry testimonials are a great form of social proofing, which is based upon the idea that consumers follow the actions of others to get the same results as them.

Other forms of social proofing for an SMT may include:

• A strong social media presence
• A website advertising your experience
• Business credentials, such as certifications and awards you’ve received

Displaying positive testimonials from previous or existing clients on your website is a great way of validating your services for prospective clients. For example, My Body Therapy displays their testimonials on their website:

In fact, 72% of consumers say positive testimonials increase their trust in a business, according to Big Commerce statistics.

Testimonials are effective as they give clients time to accurately articulate what they want to say. As well as attracting new clients, testimonials also help to increase client loyalty.

Testimonials work particularly well when they’re gathered after you’ve resolved a client’s problem or helped them reach their fitness and mobility goals.

Once you’ve asked a client to write a testimonial after achieving their desired outcome, you can then display it on your website.

You may choose to place your testimonials on your website homepage, as JM Sports Massage does:

This is an effective SMT marketing strategy, as prospective clients visiting your website are likely to scan the homepage for valuable information to see whether you’re the right match for their needs.

The testimonials will be one of the first things they see and so they’ll instantly gain a positive view of you and your services.

You could also dedicate a whole page on your website to testimonials, allowing you to display longer and more in-depth testimonials than you’d be able to fit on your homepage.

For example, as well as displaying testimonials on their homepage, JM Sports Massage has a ‘Testimonials’ section displayed on their navigation bar. Along with your website, you’ll also want to display testimonials on your social media pages.

According to GlobalWebIndex, 54% of consumers use social media to research products and services, and 71% are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals.

One method you may utilise is posting them on your Instagram Story, which can then be saved as a highlight on your profile.

This can be seen in the screenshot from Sports Massage by Lauren below:

Creating a story highlight allows the testimonials to remain present on your profile and will be one of the first things users encounter when they click on your username.

They’ll then be able to look through and re-visit these testimonials at their own leisure.

Along with utilising the Instagram Story feature, you may want to dedicate whole posts to your client testimonials.

As you can see, Lauren has used both methods as part of her sports massage marketing strategy.

This allows her to highlight the detailed testimonial left by a client and also gives her the opportunity to demonstrate her appreciation for this review.

By doing this, she’ll not only attract new clients, but will also encourage more clients to provide testimonials.

Video testimonials make a great alternative for users who don’t wish to read written testimonials.

Some clients may find this type of testimonial more trustworthy, as they’re able to see the client giving their opinion in real time.

You can then either edit several testimonials together and post them as a reel or put them onto your story and save them as a highlight for users to browse through.

#10 – Create Relationships With Local Businesses To Supercharge Your SMT Marketing

As a sports massage therapist, forming relationships with local businesses is a great way of building trust with prospective clients in your area.

This is because you’ll begin to be associated with the success and reliability of these businesses and will become a credible source within the community for helping people improve their health and wellness.

Whether your clients are professionals or everyday gym-goers, as an SMT you’re likely to be working with people who enjoy being active.

If there is no demand for a sports massage therapist to work in your local gym or health club, you could choose to directly connect with independent personal trainers.

Establishing a partnership with a PT means they will have an extra service to offer those clients who may be struggling with injury or are simply wanting to improve their performance.

An example of this marketing method at work is the partnership between Fulham Massage & Wellness and personal trainer Ben Simpkins.

To help both businesses attract clients, Fulham Massage wrote a blog post detailing the benefits to their clients of investing in both personal training and sports massage, as shown below:

At the end of the post, they provide their own and Ben’s details, to encourage readers to investigate both of their services further and perhaps make a purchase.

To ensure the partnership is mutually beneficial, we’d recommend setting up a two-way referral programme. This could consist of the PT offering clients a discount if they choose to use your services and vice versa.

You could also create a joint package system, whereby the client can purchase both sports massage and personal training sessions in one purchase.

For example, Leyton Sports Massage offers a range of PT and sports massage packages, which gives clients the opportunity to try out both personal training and massage.

Another idea you could incorporate into your marketing strategy is to create a joint loyalty scheme with the trainer. When a client reaches a certain number of sessions across both businesses, they’ll then receive a discount or free session as a reward.

This highly encourages client retention for both you and the personal trainer.

Before You Go!

There are plenty of sports massage marketing ideas to help your business thrive. Now you’re caught up, it’s time to implement some of them and begin seeing the results for yourself!

Expand the range of the services you offer with OriGym’s Personal Trainer Courses to increase your client base!

To find out more about how you can do this, download our course prospectus here.

Using sports massage business cards to advertise your services may seem like an outdated strategy in a digital era. But they are actually still a highly effective marketing tool!

That’s why we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to creating sports massage therapist business cards, covering:

• Why You Need Sports Massage Business Cards
• What to Include on a Sports Massage Business Card
• How to Create Your Own Sports Massage Business Cards

Before we get started, the best way to gain clients is by developing your knowledge and you can do this with one of Personal Trainer courses. Enquire today or download our free course prospectus to find out more about our range of industry-leading fitness courses!

Why You Need Sports Massage Business Cards

Put simply, business cards are one of the best sports massage marketing strategies.

But why are they so effective, and why should you create your own sports massage therapy business cards?

Here are 5 reasons why:

#1- Sports Massage Therapist Business Cards Are Cost Effective

One of the main reasons to create a sports massage business card is that it is highly cost effective.

In comparison to other types of marketing such as paid online advertising, they are relatively cheap to produce.

As we will explore later in this article, you can create your own sports massage business cards using completely free software online.

They are also very cheap to distribute, as handing them out costs you nothing at all!

Once you have designed and purchased your business cards, they can be passed around amongst families, friendship groups, and communities.

This means that you’ll continue reaping the benefits of your sports massage business cards long after you’ve first invested in them.

#2- Business Cards for a Sports Massage Therapist Look Professional

A clear and well-designed business card is a brilliant way of attracting and securing new clients.

This is because a professionally printed business card can help to portray a good impression of yourself, your brand, and the services that you offer.

It also shows that you are organised and professional- which are key traits in a sports massage therapist job description!

#3- Sports Massage Business Cards are Convenient

Since they are small and lightweight, business cards are completely portable.

You can therefore carry them around with you wherever you go, meaning that you can advertise your business whenever the opportunity arises!

Some good places to leave your sports massage business cards are:

• Gyms, leisure centres, and sports facilities
• Your existing clients
• Waiting rooms in doctor’s and dentist’s offices, hospitals, and other businesses within your community
• Community bulletin boards, which are often found in supermarkets, community centres, and libraries.

As well as leaving cards in these places, having them with you when you’re out and about is also useful.

Say you meet someone in a gym and you start talking about your sports massage business. It is unlikely that you will have all of the right information to hand, or that that person will have the time to stop and hear everything about your business.

You may therefore lose out on a potential client!

Keeping a stack of business cards on you therefore means that you can give someone information about your services anywhere, at any time.

In this case, you could simply give them a business card and tell them to visit your website/social media or contact you through the information on the card.

This gives the potential client some time to look into your services and decide whether to contact you without any pressure.

This method also helps to save you and your potential clients a lot of time, which again makes them more likely to make an enquiry if they don’t feel like you are hindering them!

#4- Sports Massage Business Cards Help You to Reach a Wider Audience

Although most people use search engines or social media to find services and products, not everyone does!

Having a business card therefore means that you can reach clients who you may not typically be able to reach through other avenues.

For example, in general, older clients are less likely to use the Internet to find a sports massage therapist. However, they may well find your business card on a local community board, or in their doctor’s waiting room.

Without a business card, you may have missed out on this whole demographic of potential clients! This is why sports massage therapy business cards are just as important as other marketing methods.

Plus, using a card that clients can physically hold in their hands also means that you’re likely to get recommendations through word of mouth, when these cards are passed on to friends and family.

#5- Designing a Sports Massage Business Card Can Increase Brand Awareness

A sports massage business card is a great opportunity to strengthen your brand which will bring in more clients and can lead to more sports massage therapist career opportunities.

Having a good logo, with matching colours and a strong font on your business card makes your brand immediately recognisable, and will have a lasting impression on potential clients.

If the card is in someone’s purse or wallet, then they will be reminded of your business each time that they open it- which is unlikely to happen if your only marketing strategies take place online!

What to Include on a Sports Massage Business Card

So, now we’ve discussed the benefits of sports massage business cards, you may now be wondering what exactly you should include in them.

In general, your sports massage business cards should include all of the information necessary to:

• Inform potential clients about your services
• Provide contact information
• Enhance your brand identity

How exactly you design your business card is up to you. We’ve split our list ito essential and optional things to include on a sports massage business card:

Essential Elements to Include on Your Sports Massage Business Cards

Below are 4 things that you should definitely include on your sports massage business card:

#1- Your Business Name and Logo

The most important element to include on your sports massage business card is of course your name.

This can either be incorporated into your logo, or situated separately with the logo clearly visible too.

Whether you choose to use your own name, or you have a different name for your business, it should always be clear, simple, and easy to read.

This can be situated either in the centre, at the top of the card within the header, or at the bottom in the footer.

As the first thing that your potential clients will notice, the name should therefore be the biggest, most easily recognisable component of your card.

#2- Your Business Purpose

It may be obvious to you, but you should make sure to explicitly state what services you are offering on your sports massage therapy business card.

This may already be clear from your business name. In the example below, the business name is ‘Beaconsfield Sports Massage’, so it is obvious that it is a sports massage business!

However, in other cases, the words ‘sports massage’ may not be featured in your business name, such as in the example below.

As you can see, they have included ‘Clinical Sports Massage Therapist’ under their name, making it clear what their business is.

So, if your business name doesn’t make this point clear from the client’s first glance, it’s important to specify that you are a sports massage therapist underneath.

#3- Contact Information

Your contact information is one of the most important elements to include on your sports massage therapy business cards.

After all, one of the main purposes of a business card is to make it easy for people to contact you!

The contact information that you should ensure to incorporate into your sports massage business cards are:

• Phone number
• Email address
• Website address
• Social media links

This should all be displayed in a simple and easy-to-read way, making it as easy as possible for potential clients to contact you.

It’s also vital that all of the information you include is accurate.

If you make a mistake on your card, this will not only hinder potential clients from contacting you, but makes you seem unprofessional.

#4 Location and Opening Hours

Including your location on a sports massage business card ensures that potential clients know exactly where you are, and can help them to decide if it is an accessible location to them.

You should also include your operating hours, so that clients know when they can access your services.

Including this information on a business card will therefore prevent clients from forgetting these details, or risk them being disappointed after trying to book at an inconvenient time.

Optional Elements to Include on Your Sports Massage Business Cards

The following things are not necessarily essential to include on a sports massage business card, but are worth considering to improve their effectiveness.

#1 – Certifications, Associations, and Qualifications

If you have any relevant certifications, associations, or qualifications, you should incorporate them into your sports massage business cards.

This will show that you are professional and experienced, making clients more likely to trust you and want to contact you.

For example, if you have a Level 3 Sports Massage Qualification, make sure to state this on your business card!

#2- Call to Action

In marketing, a Call To Action (CTA) is a phrase that is designed to prompt someone to take a certain action.

In this case, your CTA should be to get people to contact you and enquire about your services.

Your CTA should be relevant, meaningful, and concise.

Some examples of the kinds of CTAs you should include on your sports massage business cards are:

• “Schedule an appointment today”
• “Call today!”
• “Visit our website for more information”

As you can see, these kinds of phrases all encourage a potential client to take a specific action that will ultimately lead them to become a paying client.

#3- Reviews

Reviews are an important marketing tool, and is something that you may want to include on your sports massage therapy business cards.

However, since you will have a limited space on a business card, you cannot include long customer testimonials!

Instead, you may simply want to include something such as a graphic of 5 stars next to Facebook and Google logos, to inculcate your ratings on these platforms.

This shows potential clients that you are a well-regarded and established business, making them more likely to enquire!

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Enjoying this article so far? Here’s 3 more we think you’ll love:

• How To Write A Sports Massage Business Plan
• Personal Trainer Business Cards: Examples & Ideas
• Sports Massage Equipment

How to Create Your Own Sports Massage Business Cards

Now that you know why business cards are so important and what to include on them, you should now be ready to create your own!

We’ve broken the process down into 3 simple steps for you to follow:

Step 1- Find a Software to Create Your Sports Massage Therapy Business Cards

Firstly, we’d recommend finding a piece of software that makes the process of designing professional looking business cards as easy as possible.

Using software means that you don’t have to be proficient in graphic design to create your business cards!

There are lots of different options out there, but one of the best is Canva, since it is free and easy to use.

The software offers several templates to help you design your business cards; all you need to do is tweak the colour scheme to match your branding, and add your own information.

To avoid having to sift through hundreds of unrelated templates, Canva allows you to select your business type from the start, and then recommends the right ones for you.

For instance, the image below illustrates what you’ll see when you use the search term ‘sports massage therapy’.

Alongside the templates, Canva has a huge library of photos, icons, graphics and media elements to add to your business cards, which can be designed on either a desktop or mobile device.

Although the software is free to use, you can choose to upgrade to a premium account, which gives you access to exclusive templates and card designs.

Some other software options for designing your sports massage business cards are:

• Vistaprint
• Zazzle
• Moo

Step 2: Design Your Sports Massage Business Cards

Once you’ve chosen a piece of software, you’re all ready to start designing your business cards!

Although the software does all of the hard work for you, there are several design elements that you should consider after selecting a template:

• Have a design plan

Firstly, you should always have a plan, or a rough sketch of your business card, before beginning to design your sports massage business cards.

This means that you can keep referring back to your original design plan throughout the creation process, making it easier to remember what you want to stick to.

For example, you can use it to make sure that details such as spelling are correct, and that the information provided is accurate (such as your phone number).

Having an idea of what you want before you begin creating your card will ensure that your sports massage business card is as accurate as possible.

• Use a clear and engaging font

You should choose a font that’s easy to read, so that potential clients can see your information as easily as possible.

If you use a font that is difficult to read, you may put clients off as it will require more effort for them to read. Plus, it increases the risk of them reading the wrong contact information.

The font that you choose will become part of your branding, and clients will begin to associate it with your services, so choose one that reflects your business and intentions well.

For example, if you are designing a sports massage business card with the goal of getting clients to enquire about a consultation, then try using a bold font to act as a call to action.

We would recommend using one, or a maximum of two fonts, to keep your cards looking consistent and professional.

• Choose your colours carefully

A study conducted by Canva suggests that colour influences 85% of the final decision customers make when purchasing a product, and increases brand awareness by as much as 80%.

It is therefore important to carefully consider the colours that you use when designing your sports massage business cards.

Did you know that colours can influence how we feel? This means that they can incite us into taking a particular action, such as choosing a business card and contacting a sports massage therapist!

As well as conveying your branding and business identity, the colours that you choose should therefore accurately represent the message and feeling that you are trying to convey.

For example, different colours convey different feelings:

• Red- Boldness
• Yellow- Optimism and warmth
• Orange- Confidence
• Green- Peace and health
• Blue- Strength and dependability
• Grey- Calmness

The colours of your business card should also match with any existing branding, such as your logo or website colour scheme.

• Use a high quality image

Although including an image on your sports massage therapist business cards isn’t necessary, it is a great way of conveying who you are, and the services that you offer.

We’d recommend using just one high quality image rather than multiple of a standard quality, to ensure that your cards portray a sense of professionalism.

Plus, make sure that any images you use are relevant to sports massage therapy!

Some great online resources to find images for your business card are websites such as Adobe Stock and ShutterStock.

What To Put on the Front of Your Sports Massage Business Card

Something else to consider when designing your sports massage therapy business cards is what to put on either side.

It’s important that your design isn’t too cluttered, so we’d suggest choosing just a few of the options below to ensure that you don’t overwhelm prospective clients with too much information.

However, the front of your business card should convey all of the information needed to understand your business at a glance.

There are many different ways of laying out a business card, but here are our recommendations for what should go on the front:

• Your business name and logo

As we have discussed, your business name should be the first thing that a potential client sees.

This means that it should be the biggest piece of information on your sports massage business cards, so that it is clear and easy to read.

In the above example, the business name is at the top and in the centre of the card, and is the most eye-catching piece of information.

Even when the text is vertical rather than horizontal like the example above, it is still the biggest piece of information on the business card, and will hence be the first element a potential client sees.

• You could use a background image

Your business name and logo are arguably all that is needed on the front of a business card.

However, like these examples below, you may choose to include an image to represent your business, and catch the eyes of potential clients:

As you can see, these images are all relevant to sports massage, and do not obstruct the main written information on the card.

• Your business location

Your business location should be one of the first pieces of information that prospective clients see, so that they know that your services are relevant to them, at a location that they can access.

As you can see in the example above, they have included the business address on the front of the business card.

What To Put on the Back of Your Sports Massage Business Card

So, the front of the business card is what initially attracts potential clients and leads them to pick up your business card.

But the back of your sports massage therapy business card should include more detailed information about your business.

The main thing to have here is your contact details, including information such as:

• Your phone number
• Website address
• Social media handles

If you tried to include this on the front of your card, it could appear too crowded alongside the other features such as your business name, logo and location.

It could therefore be useful to have a whole separate side dedicated to conveying this information, such as in the example below.

As you can see, this is a great example of how to lay out your contact information on the back of your sports massage business card.

They have also used icons, for example an icon of a phone, rather than writing the words ‘phone number’. This therefore saves space, yet still conveys the same message!

Check out our guide to personal trainer icons for more tips on this that you can apply when designing your sports massage therapist business cards.

With most of the contact information on the back, the front of this business card looks clean, clear, and simple, and allows the business name and logo to speak for itself.

Alongside your contact information, you could choose to implement some of the other optional elements that we’ve discussed in this article on the back of your business cards.

These could include:

• Ratings
• Calls to Action
• Areas of speciality
• Certifications and qualifications

However, it’s important to remember not to overcrowd your sports massage business cards with too much information, to ensure that it looks attractive and easy to read for prospective clients.

Step 3: Print Your Sports Massage Business Cards

Once you’ve designed a business card using your chosen piece of software, you’re now ready to print them!

If you have your own good quality printer, you can do this yourself.

However, if you want to guarantee that you have good quality business cards, then we would recommend getting your business cards professionally printed.

You can do this through the software you chose in Step 1 to design your cards.

For example, Canva offers 50 standard sports massage business cards for just £14.

Many software have offers and discounts available when you order, making it easy and affordable to purchase your first batch.

When your cards arrive, all that’s left to do is distribute them amongst your target market, and begin attracting your potential clients!

Before You Go!

We hope that this article has given you some ideas for designing, ordering, and distributing your sports massage business cards!

Continue to expand your business by developing your skills & knowledge with our Personal Trainer Courses!

Enquire now, or browse our full range of courses by downloading our free course prospectus here.

Once you’re established in your profession, it’s natural to look at the sports massage therapist career opportunities available to you.

To help with this process, we’ll cover 5 possible routes to progression that could take your career to the next level!

Before we get started, take the next step in your SMT career with our Personal Trainer Courses! Enquire today, or download our free course prospectus here for more infomation about our range of courses.

If you’re currently working as a sports massage therapist and are looking to explore different career opportunities, this list will provide you with a variety of prospects to pursue.

We’ll also provide you with real-world examples, so you can see exactly how other therapists have incorporated these ideas into their own practice.

One thing to keep in mind is that many of these sports massage career opportunities will require you to gain additional training and qualifications.

However, all of these additional certifications can be completed alongside your usual roles as a sports massage therapist.

#1- Become A Level 4 Sports Massage Therapist

As a sports massage therapist, one of the best ways to progress your career is to take a Level 4 course in sports massage therapy.

This course builds on the skills and knowledge from your Level 3 qualification, giving you a deeper understanding of sports massage.

You will learn more advanced sports massage techniques to be able to treat clients with a wider range of injuries and rehabilitation needs.

Being a specialist Level 4 sports massage therapist will increase your employability, as you will be more qualified when applying for SMT jobs, helping you stand out from other applicants.

Or if you are working on a freelance basis, having a Level 4 qualification can help you attract more clients, as it shows that you are a better sports massage therapist!

It also means that you can justify charging more for your treatments, since you are offering a higher level of service to your clients.

#2 – Combining SMT With Personal Training Can Open Up More Sports Massage Therapist Career Opportunities

If you’re a sports massage therapist looking to expand upon your career prospects, one of the most lucrative options is becoming a personal trainer.

Through this new qualification, you can improve the physical performance of your clients, whilst also significantly increasing your earning potential.

A client may come to your SMT clinic looking to receive treatment for a short-term injury they have sustained. This source of income will be temporary, as this client will eventually feel fit enough to no longer require this service.

This potential loss of income can be avoided, by referring the client to your bespoke personal training programme once the SMT treatment has ended.

You can even sell this service by stating that you have taken their previous injury into account, and have crafted the bespoke exercise programme to strengthen the once injured area.

The same can be said for the reverse of this. Should a personal training client suffer from an injury whilst exercising, you can then recommend a course of sports massage therapy.

If you’re looking to pursue these sports massage therapist career opportunities, then you can take inspiration from LMC Physio & Fitness.

From the screenshot below, you can see just how lucrative this venture could be:

If you had a similar pricing structure to LMC, you wouldn’t face a loss of income should an SMT client decide to drop the treatment in favour of personal training, as both elements cost £47.

In fact, you could even double your potential income by selling both practices together, generating a total profit of £94.

The prospect of signing up for two services will become more appealing should you and the client have a strong relationship.

In this instance, they will already trust you from receiving SMT, and will therefore be more inclined to sign up for personal training.

Additional Qualifications Needed To Become A SMT Therapist Who Provides Personal Training

In order to chase these sports massage career opportunities, you will first need to earn a personal training diploma.

Through the completion of this course you will successfully learn transferable skills that can be applied to both the role of a PT and sports massage therapist. For example, the planning and delivery of a workout programme could tie back into how you build a programme for a client’s recovery.

Likewise, increasing your knowledge of anatomy and physiology through a personal training diploma can ensure the quality of your treatments improve.

This course can be completed in as little as 4 weeks, and can significantly improve the quality of the services you offer to your clients.

Those that wish to apply for this course simply need to be over the age of 16 and have a passion for fitness.

How Much Can You Earn By Combining Personal Training and SMT?

The average salary of a personal trainer will naturally vary from one individual to another. On average, Glassdoor reports that personal trainers in the UK earn £29,880 every year:

One thing that’s worth considering as a sports massage therapist offering personal training sessions, is that you’ll likely be working in both roles in a part-time or freelance capacity.

This will allow you to split time between both roles, in order to ensure each gets the appropriate amount of attention.

Therefore, to get a better understanding of how much you can earn in this position, you should look at personal trainer job advertisements that fall under this category, such as this example from Everyone Active:

From this, we can see that it’s entirely possible to earn a lucrative salary from pursuing personal training on a freelance basis alongside your sports massage treatments.

#3 – Career Opportunities For Sports Massage Therapist Extend To Becoming An Exercise Referral Specialist

An exercise referral specialist is someone who creates fitness programmes for patients suffering from chronic conditions or illness, following a prior recommendation from a GP/medical professional.

When it comes to possible sports massage career opportunities, branching out into an exercise referral practice will allow you to play a more significant role in improving the wellbeing of your clients.

When becoming an exercise referral specialist, you will be expected to fulfil the following responsibilities:

• Assess the client’s current physical abilities
• Use the information provided by the GP to better understand the client’s condition
• Construct a workout plan that takes both the client’s condition and their physical abilities into account

There isn’t typically a set timeframe for these referral schemes. Some clients may require in-depth treatment over several weeks, whilst others will only be in your service for a short period of time.

If you’re looking to combine SMT with a GP referral programme, you can use massage therapy as an additional form of treatment to aid in the client’s recovery.

For example, you could provide the massage after the workout to:

• Encourage faster muscle recovery
• Reduce muscle spasms
• Reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
• Remove metabolic build-up of waste products

Career opportunities for sports massage therapists such as these can see your practice grow and gain respect within both the fitness and medical industry.

Andrew Buller for example, combined both practices and successfully carved out a niche for himself, and is now regarded as an expert in both fields:

Andrew uses his knowledge in both areas to provide treatment for clients who are living with, or recovering from, a serious illness.

From this we can say that if you’re going to pursue these advanced SMT career opportunities, the safety and wellbeing of your client must always be at the forefront of your mind.

Additional Qualifications Needed To Become An Exercise Referral Specialist

If you’re interested in exploring these jobs for sports massage therapists, you will need to complete a Level 3 exercise referral course.

Through earning this qualification you can develop transferable skills that can be applied to both roles of a sports massage therapist and exercise referral specialist.

For example, you can hone your knowledge regarding existing medical conditions that force clients onto the referral programme. With this information you can ensure that massage therapy you provide is specifically tailored to help alleviate these ailments.

This experience is invaluable and will inform how you operate in the role of an exercise referral specialist. Through graduating, you will effectively know how to craft a bespoke workout programme that improves the health and wellbeing of a client.

Without earning an exercise referral qualification, you legally will not be able to work with a GP and medical professionals, making the position completely inaccessible.

Keep in mind that in order to enrol on this course at OriGym, applicants must be over the age of 16 and hold a Level 2 Gym Instructor as a prerequisite.

How Much Can You Earn By Pursuing Exercise Referral as Sports Massage Therapist?

Again it must be stressed that the salary of an exercise referral specialist can vary, depending on factors such as the employer and the type of contract you wish to pursue professionally.

For example, take a look at this proposed salary for a part-time position with Everyone Active, where you could earn £9.69 an hour over a total of 10 hours a week.

If you are interested in part-time positions of this nature, you could earn £96.90 a week, with your total monthly wage coming in at £387.60.

This source of additional income can be earned alongside your full-time salary as a sports massage therapist, with the earnings helping to increase your overall profit.

Alternatively, you may wish to pursue full-time employment as an exercise referral specialist, and instead use sports massage therapy as an additional source of income.

These career opportunities for sports massage therapists have the potential to be highly lucrative, as evident from the following example from GLL, where applicants can earn nearly £23k every year:

From the examples given within this section, you will now have insight into just how drastically salaries can range in the world of exercise referral.

This is why we recommend conducting research into the job market in your local area, before deciding what type of contract you wish to pursue.

#4 – Jobs For Sports Massage Therapists With an Interest in Yoga

As a sports massage therapist, the career opportunities available to you when looking to expand your professional horizons are truly unlimited.

For example, some therapists may decide to combine their passion for SMT with a physically engaging practice, and become a yoga instructor.

When working in this role, you will lead classes of dedicated yogis through the ancient practice, offering both verbal and physical demonstrations of different poses.

Those who are interested in combining both practices could offer sports massage therapy sessions to their yoga students either before or after class.

This can be a beneficial treatment in a few ways:

• Massages before class can help to prepare muscles for the class ahead, by promoting electricity throughout the body and reducing the risk of injury
• After class massages can relax any tension that was built up during the class, and remove waste products such as lactic acid from the muscles

London’s Deva Yoga promotes their sports massage service by highlighting to how it can benefit their students yoga practice:

Should you decide to pursue these career opportunities for a sports massage therapist we’d recommend marketing your services as being complementary to each other.

For example, Deva states that yoga can help decrease muscle soreness, which will help your joints full range of motion. Through directly highlighting how one practice can benefit the other, you can essentially market both services together.

This will increase the likelihood of customers signing up, as they will view both yoga and SMT as complementary practices.

What Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Yoga Instructor?

Naturally, you won’t be able to jump into this role without first gaining additional qualifications and experience. If you wish to become a yoga instructor, you’ll first need to earn a Level 3 yoga teaching qualification.

Through the completion of this course, you will gain transferable skills and knowledge that can be applied to both roles.

For example, with an in-depth understanding of various asanas, you will know what parts of the customers body to treat should they come for sports massage therapy due to a yoga-related strain.

The qualification will also provide you with 50 hours of in-class time. This will ensure that your practical abilities are up to standard, ensuring that you can confidently lead your classes.

One of the benefits of studying with OriGym is that you will receive 400 hours of guided learning. This is double the national average expected by employers, as evident from this ad from Virgin Active:

Therefore, when earning a qualification with OriGym you will actually gain more experience than the average instructor.

You may also choose to advance this experience further by earning a Level 4 yoga teacher qualification. This will allow you to build upon your existing skills and knowledge, whilst also developing a speciality in one of the following areas:

• Ashtanga
• Hatha
• Hot
• Iyengar

In addition to this, the advanced Level 4 qualification will equip you with business-related knowledge and marketing experience.

Once this understanding has been developed, you will know how to advertise your yoga services in a manner that will attract a dedicated customer base.

Through developing your existing knowledge on business and marketing, these career opportunities for a sports massage therapist have the potential to be more financially lucrative.

This is due to the fact that you will know exactly what current yogis want from your service, which can then be tailored to match these demands.

How Much Can You Earn As A Yoga Teacher?

The full earning potential of a yoga teacher can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as the hours you work and whether you teach a speciality.

For example, if you’re looking for part-time employment as a yoga teacher you could apply for roles such as this example from Mitie:

The successful applicant will teach 3 classes per week, meaning an additional income of up to £75 per week, or £300 per month.

Career opportunities for sports massage therapists like these can make great side hustles, and becoming a yoga instructor can see you generate a lucrative additional income that works alongside your full-time SMT salary.

Those who are interested in using yoga as their main source of income can expect to earn more. For example, Payscale estimates that those in this role earn anywhere between £19k – £68k every year:

In this instance, you may choose to include SMT as an additional service, and charge yoga students a fixed rate to receive treatment either before or after their class.

The potential salary of a yoga instructor can also be influenced by the type of yoga they teach. For example those that teach speciality variations, such as Ashtanga, can expect to earn more than holistic practitioners.

To gain an understanding of these pricing differences, first check out the cost for holistic classes at Planet Yoga:

Now compare this with the cost of specialist sessions at Ashtanga Leeds:

When comparing the 10 class passes that both studios offer, we can see that the specialist teachings from Ashtanga Leeds cost £10 more.

This is because these sessions are deemed to be more valuable, due to the fact that they are taught by an expert within the field.

We can therefore say that these career opportunities for a sports massage therapist will be more lucrative if you develop a speciality in yoga.

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If you’re looking to learn more about sports massage therapist career opportunities check out these OriGym articles for further information:

• 7 Advantages of Being a Sports Massage Therapist
• Essential Sports Massage Equipment Checklist
• Sports Massage Facts

#5 – Career Opportunities For a Sports Massage Therapist: Fitness Tutor

For those who are unfamiliar with this position, a fitness tutor is an individual who trains others to become fitness professionals.

If you decide to become a fitness tutor, you’ll be working with students in a classroom environment, delivering vocational fitness courses.

In some instances, you may also be required to fulfil the role of an ‘assessor’ who delivers and marks the students’ assessments.

When applying for a position, an employer will typically make it clear whether you will be required to fulfil the role of an assessor.

One thing to be aware of is that Fitness Tutors may be required to teach a variety of qualifications. This means that whilst some may only specialise in qualifying future sports massage therapists, others will teach any of the following courses:

• Level 2 Fitness Instructor
• Level 3 Personal Training
• Level 4 Personal Trainer Courses, such as Advanced Sports Nutrition
• CPD courses

For example, Daniel Holmes initially worked as a sports massage therapist, but currently works as a fitness tutor teaching Fitness Instructor and Personal Training courses:

When applying for Fitness Tutor jobs, the employer will always make it clear what course you will be teaching, so you will be immediately aware of what is expected of you in the role.

Qualifications Needed to Become a Fitness Tutor

In order to lead these occupational-based courses, you will need to hold a Fitness Teaching and Assessing qualification. One of the benefits of studying with OriGym is that upon completion you will be recognised as both a tutor and assessor.

This means that you will be certified to lead classes and conduct assessments, rather than being specifically limited to the classroom.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, in order to teach a class, you will need to hold the corresponding qualification. For example, if you wish to teach a personal training course, you will need to personally hold a Level 3 personal training qualification.

For instance, check out this ad for a Fitness Tutor job at OriGym:

This is the case for every possible class you can teach and assess, as without the appropriate qualification you will not have enough knowledge or experience in an area to qualify others.

These career opportunities for sports massage therapists will therefore require you to hold many prior qualifications in order to be considered for the opportunity.

How Much Can You Earn as a Fitness Tutor?

As with the other examples on this list, there is no set answer to the question posed above. Instead, this SMT career opportunity can mean a varying salary.

For example, Talent estimates the average salary of a Fitness Tutor to be £27k per year. But note that this is given as a median, with more experienced individuals earning in the region of £41k per year:

Another thing to be aware of is that the site’s statistics only factor in Tutors who pursue this career on a full-time basis. Those that work on a part-time or freelance basis won’t be expected to earn this high of a salary.

Instead, those that wish to remain in their SMT role full time and use fitness tutoring and assessing as a side hustle can apply for similar roles as these:

Here, if you applied for roles such as these you can earn £250 every weekend, which would equate to £1,000 per month.

Regardless of what kind of contract you wish to pursue as a Fitness Tutor, we can state with confidence that these career opportunities for sports massage have the potential to be a highly lucrative venture.

#6 – Sports Massage Therapist Career Opportunities Increase When You Open Your Own Practice

When discussing sports massage career opportunities, starting your own business is a logical step that many qualified therapists choose to explore.

This is due to the fact that you don’t need any additional training or qualifications, and can instead pull from your existing experience of working in the field of SMT.

By starting your own SMT business, you can experience many benefits, including:

• Becoming your own boss – Having control of your own brand
• Deciding on a target market – You can choose what demographic of clients you wish to target and treat
• Potential for increased earnings – You decide how much your services cost
• Hire staff of your choosing – You will be able to select other therapists who reflect your brand of sports massage therapy

Whilst this may seem like a large undertaking, it is possible through work and dedication.

This is evident from the words of qualified sports massage therapist Joanna Blair, who stated that her experience working for others became invaluable when launching her own clinic:

In order to learn how to make this career venture possible we’re going to breakdown everything you need to know:

How To Open Your Own SMT Practice

If you’re interested in pursuing these sports massage therapist career opportunities for yourself, this section will offer a definitive breakdown into how you can go about this.

Registering Your SMT Business With The Government

Before you own an SMT business, you must first register your trade with the Government.

This is a process that cannot be skipped, and should therefore be a top priority should you decide to pursue these SMT career opportunities.

There are many different rules and regulations regarding what category your business will fall under. To gain a better understanding of where your business fits, head over to the UK.Gov website.

Financing Your Own SMT Business

Before you can think about this career progression route, you’ll need to ensure that it’s a financially viable option. Whilst some business owners choose to save for several years in order to make this a reality, others will attempt to secure loans.

Loan officers and investors are more likely to provide you with financial support if you can prove to be an expert within your field.

Therefore, completing a Sports Massage Therapy course and gaining several years worth of experience working in the industry can increase the chances of securing this backing.

In order to secure a loan for your own business, you will need to create a sports massage business plan. This document will allow you to:

• Forecast your professional intentions
• Discuss your experience within the industry
• Analyse potential profits

Once financial backing has been secured for your business, you can begin to budget this money on business expenses such as:

• The location of your practice
• SMT equipment
• Marketing material to promote your services

In order to be financially secure, we’d recommend budgeting for 6 months in advance. This will ensure that you’re adequately prepared for the potential financial strain these SMT career opportunities come with.

In order to understand what you should be spending said budget on, let’s break down each factor listed above in greater detail.

Choosing The Right Location For Your Sports Massage Business

As most business owners will agree, location is everything, and can be a determining factor in the success or failure of your clinic.

When choosing a location you should take the following factors into consideration:

• The size of the location – Is it big enough to perform your services?
• The facilities on offer – Will you be able to provide your planned services?
• The location of the site – Is the location accessible for your chosen demographic? – e.g. wheelchair accessible, no stairs, etc.
• Are you Buying or Renting – This could affect your overall budget and how much you pay each month

It’s so important that you choose an appropriate location for your service, as the wrong choice could potentially isolate your target demographic and cause massive financial losses as a result.

When viewing locations for your practice, we’d recommend taking a checklist with you, in order to analyse whether the site meets the right criteria for your clients.

Sourcing Your SMT Equipment

In order to pursue these exciting sports massage therapist career opportunities you’re going to need to purchase some equipment of your own. This can include:

• Massage Beds
• Massage Mediums
• Props and Tools – e.g. Foam Roller
• Towels

You need to factor this into your budget, as overspending could lead to financial instability.

This doesn’t mean that you should simply opt for the cheaper alternative out of instinct, as you could be unknowingly purchasing lower quality equipment that will break and need replacing.

Instead, we’d always recommend conducting research into various products and providers in order to see what will be best for you. For example, you could prioritise cheaper alternatives with the best reviews, in order to ensure you’re receiving a quality product.

Marketing Your Own SMT Business

In order to spread the word about your services, you’re going to need to spend a fraction of your budget in order to market your business across various platforms such as:

• Google My Business
• Social Media – e.g. Meta Ads
• Google Ads
• Email Marketing

For example, when using Google Ads users will bid on specific terms in order to rank highly on the first page. The cost of these bids can vary depending on the popularity and demand for said term.

If your bid is successful your business can appear at the top of Google for that specific term. This can be seen below, where we have searched the term ‘Sports Massage Therapy Clinic in Liverpool’

Marketing your business in this manner can significantly increase the visibility of your practice and drive sales higher.

This is backed up by Search Engine Land, who found that first page results generated 80% of enquiries for that specific term.

From this you should understand the importance of creating a marketing budget for your business. But if you’re looking to delve further into this topic, check out our in-depth exploration of sports massage marketing.

This is only really scratching the surface of the various roles and responsibilities associated with starting your own SMT practice.You’ll also need to complete:

• Administrative duties – e.g. organising appointments, calling clients, etc.
• Maintaining equipment – e.g. cleanliness, fixing damages
• Hiring and managing staff members

In short, if you wish to pursue these further career opportunities for sports massage therapists, you will need to put in the time and dedication.

Experience Needed To Become A SMT Clinic Owner

If you’re looking to own your own clinic, you will likely already hold a sports massage therapy qualification.

Whilst you won’t need any additional qualifications to open a practice of your own, you will need prior experience working in the industry.

This will help to strengthen your overall performance in the role and increase the likelihood of your business becoming a success.

For example, from working in the industry you will have:

• A great understanding of how the SMT industry works
• Theoretical knowledge relating to treatments for clients
• Honed practical skills that can improve the health of your clients
• Experience working with a large number of clients

With this practical experience under your belt, you’ll have practical skills and theoretical knowledge to pull from when running your own business.

How Much Can You Earn Owning Your Own SMT Practice?

Your final salary is ultimately determined by the success of your practice, as there is no fixed rate for business owners.

Unlike other examples on this list, you won’t have to split your time between two occupations when pursuing these career opportunities for a sports massage therapist, as owning an SMT clinic will be your full time profession.

For this reason, we have chosen to specifically investigate the salary of a full-time sports massage therapist. According to Payscale, this can range between £19k-£75k a year:

Therefore, if your business is successful you could potentially earn a lucrative salary that can then be distributed between your personal and professional expenses.

It may take several years to earn a salary as large as £75k per year, as you will be able to charge more as you gain further experience.

Before You Go!

As you can see from this list, there are many sports massage therapist career opportunities available to explore, and you’re sure to find a progression route that interests you.

Feeling inspired? Take the next step in your fitness career today by completing a Level 3 Personal Trainer course with OriGym.

Or check out the range of fitness courses by downloading our free course prospectus here.

With sports massage facts ranging from its history to modern scientific knowledge, we’ve got something for everyone on our list!

But before we share these facts about sports massage, it’s vital you’re as well informed as possible to provide for your clients and what better way to do this than with our Level 3 Sports Massage Course?

Download our complete course prospectus to find your ideal course or enter your details below.

13 Sports Massage Facts

Now, let’s jump into our list of facts about sports massage!

#1 – Sports Massage Is Not Just For Athletes

If you’re an athlete, you may find sports massages are an important part of your training and recovery routine, as well as a way to incorporate more variety into your training.

However, one of the best facts about sports massage is how it’s suitable for just about everyone – no matter your lifestyle or fitness level.

For example, if you work at a desk you may find sports massage helps with lingering back pain from sitting in the same position all day, especially in conjunction with a posture corrector.

Sports massages can also soothe sore legs if you’re on your feet all day, such as when working in retail or in a hospital.

Sports massage is aimed at soothing and stretching your muscles to make them more flexible and relaxed, meaning those from any walk of life may benefit.

#2 – Sports Massage Is A Type Of Clinical Massage

When it comes to massage, most of us probably think of a relaxing time in a spa where we can go and get a massage along with a whole host of other treatments. With sports massage, the facts and realities can be quite different!

Now, this isn’t to say a sports massage can’t have its moments of relaxation. However, this isn’t the focus of the therapy – sports massage is rehabilitative and restorative.

You’re most likely to have one after an injury, or to help manage some type of chronic or onset of pain.

One of our facts about sports massage is it’s actually a type of clinical massage – a contrast to relaxation massages where the goal is to soothe anxiety and reduce stress.

Clinical massages focus on treating the soft tissue to help maintain or develop physical function of the joints and muscles.

As we’ll see below, sports massage uses different techniques to manipulate the muscles at a deeper or more concentrated level in order to aid recovery or release muscle tension, making it more medical in nature.

#3 – Sports Massage Therapists Need Specific Qualifications

One important fact about sports massage therapists is that they require specific qualifications to legally operate in the UK – just like any other massage therapist.

This is essential knowledge whether you’re looking for a therapist or even looking to pursue a sports massage therapist career.

At a minimum, a sports massage therapist in the UK should have a Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy qualification, which is an entry-level course they can build on in the future.

This is because sports massage often involves addressing contraindications or treating some form of injury or painful area, meaning your therapist needs to know how to approach any treatment with a plan in place

With sports massage, the fact is a therapist could make it worse if they’re underqualified, so they need the course to prove they’re suitable for the job.

#4 – Sports Massage Requires Extra Knowledge and Skills

Another fact about sports massage therapy is how it requires a whole host of extra knowledge and skills compared to other types of massage.

Sports massage uses a combination of the techniques found in regular massages and some of their own, including:

• Effleurage: These are the longer, extended strokes to start stretching the muscles and increasing circulation.
• Petrissage: Kneading movements that are deeper than effleurage and require more pressure.
• Myofascial Release: MFR is a sports massage technique that works to stretch the fascia (connective tissues in the body) to relieve pain.

You can read our article, if you would like to learn more about becoming a Self-Myofascial Release Therapist.

Sports massage therapists also require more in depth knowledge of anatomy in order to properly assess injuries and safely decide on a treatment plan for an individual.

This is also one of the benefits of sports massage therapy as customers receive this tailored plan to help treat their injuries in the most effective way.

 

#5 – Sports Massage Dates Back To The Ancient World

We may think of it as a modern phenomena but sports massage dates back to thousands of years ago.

For example, in Ancient India c. 3000 BCE, massage therapy was used to:

• Treat pain
• Cure injuries
• Even prevent the onset of illness

Meanwhile, Ancient China used different sports massage techniques to rebalance energies in the body and treat illnesses as early as 2700 BCE.

In the West, the benefits and facts about sports massage were popularised by Ancient Greek and Roman medical scholars in various medical treatises.

Both the Greek Hippocrates and the Roman Galen were firm supporters of sports massage as treatment for athletes from Greek sportsmen to Roman gladiators.

They believed massage was an important part of the training regime for athletes before and after competition to:

• Reduce fatigue
• Treat any signs of overtraining
• Improve their performance

#6 – The First Modern Educational School For ‘Sports Massage’ Was In Sweden

One of the most interesting sports massage facts is how the first educational school to teach massage as part of the curriculum was in Sweden.

Pehr Henrik Ling is considered one of the fathers of modern gymnastics. He also rediscovered and repopularised the benefits of sports massage as pain management and treatment for injury.

A sufferer of chronic pain himself, Ling used several different massage techniques such as pressing and kneading on his arm to relieve the pain of gout and rheumatism in his programme (combined with an exercise regime involving calisthenics training).

It’s these techniques that were evolved into the mainstays of Swedish and sports massage we know today. This was by Dutch Dr Johann Mezger, who is credited with codifying the techniques into a formal massage programme.

In response to his ‘discovery’, Ling founded the Royal Central Gymnastic Institute in 1813 in his native Sweden. This institute taught a course on ‘medical gymnastics’ and included massage as part of the treatment plan of the affected areas to manage pain.

It was these accepted facts about sports massage that led to the public re-engaging with this form of medical treatment in the 19th and 20th Century.

#7 – Modern Sports Massage Became Most Popular During 20th Century

With the rediscovery of sports massage in the 19th Century, it went on to become even more popular throughout the 20th Century.

This was especially true in the professional athletic world, with the medical benefits and facts about sports massage being demonstrated over and over by different sporting stars.

For example, in the 1924 Olympics Paavo ‘The Flying Finn’ Nurmi was famous for winning 5 gold medals in one day, with only 30 minute breaks between events!

Nurmi brought his own personal sports massage therapist to the games and credited part of his success to these regular treatments helping his recovery.

Similarly, in the 1972 Olympic Games, Lasse Viren, another ‘Flying Finn’, ran the 5k and 10k in record breaking times. This caused a resurgence of interest in sports massage (especially in the US) after it was revealed he received daily massages as part of his training regime.

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After reading our facts about sports massages, are you thinking of becoming one yourself? If so, check out these articles:

• Become A Sports Massage Therapist
• Intensive Sports Massage Courses Explained
• 7 Advantages Of Being A Sports Massage Therapist

#8 – Sports Massage Helps With Recovery And Injury Prevention

We’ve touched on this topic throughout the article but one of the best sports massage facts is that it can actively help with post exercise recovery and overall injury prevention.

A review from 2005 discusses a study by Rodenburg et al, examining the effects of sports massage on DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

In the study, 50 participants were split into 2 groups:

• The first was a control group
• The second received a 15 minute sports massage 15 minutes after exercise

Results showed muscle soreness was lower with the massaged group and further found they returned to normal strength quicker as well!

This shows sports massage is in fact much more beneficial for athletes than it was first thought.

One of the facts about sports massage is that it increases your range of motion and overall muscular flexibility. It’s this trait that is thought to help prevent injury as the muscles are already primed for movement and less likely to strain easily.

Of course, this is no replacement for a traditional warm up but a sports massage can definitely help motion and flexibility in the long run, resulting in less injuries in future.

#9 – Traditional Sports Massages Come In 3 Forms

When it comes to sports massage facts, one that’s worth knowing is traditional sports massages come in 3 formats. These can vary depending on when and why you’re having the massage, so it’s definitely important information.

Each type of sports massage has its own benefits and should be undertaken appropriately.

The 3 forms are:

• Pre-Event: This is a sports massage you have up to 48 hours before a sporting event and is focused around helping you warm up and get your muscles ready. This type uses a lighter pressure as you don’t want to overwork your body before competing. Instead, you want to increase circulation and muscle flexibility.
• Post-Event: You’ll want a post-event massage fairly soon after the end of the event. This type is designed to help relax and soothe the muscles, increasing your recovery rate. Post-event massages can be part of a cool down routine and help clear toxins and reduce swelling in the muscles.
• Maintenance Massage: Maintenance sports massages are for in between competitions, usually incorporated into a training regime.

These focus on helping treat any pain or injuries, as well as working to:

• Improve flexibility
• Posture
• Muscle strength

#10 – Timing Matters In Sports Massage

As sports massage facts go, it might surprise you to know timing is actually very important – both for how long and when you should have a treatment.

One of the facts about sports massage we’ve already touched on is how it’s a clinical form of massage. For the treatment to work effectively, a sports massage needs to last for at least 15 minutes, otherwise you won’t get the full benefits.

Unlike relaxation massages that last around 60-90 minutes on average, sports massages tend to fall in the range of 30-60 minutes (although they could reach up to 75 minutes with an assessment included).

This gives the therapist plenty of time to concentrate on any problem areas and avoid overworking your muscles.

The timing of massages before and after events is also crucial so you can get the full benefit of the therapy.

Pre-events can be up to 48 hours beforehand or as close as 30-90 minutes before you compete, depending on your personal training plan. Post-events should be as soon as you can allow it for the best results.

#11 – Sports Massage Is Highly Personalised

When it comes to sports massage, the fact is that the reasons for treatment are highly individualised, so it would make sense the therapy is too.

Everyone is different and will have their own reasons for attending a sports massage clinic. When someone chooses to become a sports massage therapist, they will have been taught how to treat each case on an individual basis.

A sports massage therapist will use a personalised treatment plan to meet the needs of the situation.

This plan could include a variety of techniques to treat your injury or help manage pain such as:

• Swedish massage
• Deep tissue massage
• Myofascial release

As part of your sports massage, the therapist will also be able to offer you personalised advice for how to continue to improve outside of the clinic.

This could include information about posture and movement or certain stretches you can do at home to help with your sports massage aftercare.

Your injury or recovery is personal and sports massage is versatile enough to meet your needs.

#12 – Sports Massage Is Goal Oriented

As well as being personalised, another fact about sports massage is how it’s typically goal oriented.

Clients can attend a sports massage clinic for loads of different reasons such as:

• Requiring treatment post-injury
• It being part of their overall training programme
• Needing help managing chronic pain from daily life

Whatever the reasons someone has going in, sports massages factor these in and build a plan around an end result – usually for full recovery or symptom management.

To this end, sports massage is often part of a longer and more detailed treatment plan instead of a one off session.

At the first session, you should expect to have an assessment with the therapist in order to work out your long term SMART goals and what you want to achieve by the end of your treatment plan.

Overall, one of the key sports massage facts that sets it apart from other types of massage is that it’s much more focused on long term goals.

#13 – It’s Normal To Feel Sore After A Sports Massage

Another of the important sports massage facts to know about is that it’s completely normal to feel sore after a sports massage.

This is because the active manipulation of your muscles can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re not used to certain movements.

Massages stimulate your muscles similarly to a workout – they’re warmed up and manipulated to improve flexibility and release any tension. It’s perfectly normal to feel some discomfort both during and after the therapy.

If you’re having a sports massage to help with injury recovery you can also expect to feel a little sore around the site of your injury both before and afterwards.

This is because your body is noticing where you carry tension, so you’re more aware of tight spots after a massage that’s worked to get rid of them.

On the whole, any soreness you do feel should resolve itself over the next few days, much like post-workout fatigue. This is why it’s important to value the importance of rest days!

Before You Go!

As we’ve piqued your interest with our list of sports massage facts, why not continue developing your interest with our Level 3 Sports Massage Course?

Find the ideal course for you by downloading our full prospectus or simply leave your details below.

References

• Moraska, A., 2005, ‘Sports Massage: A Comprehensive Review’ in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 45:370-80.

If you’re a sports massage therapist, it’s important that you know how to handle sports massage contraindications.

In this article, we will describe some common cautions and contraindications to sports massage, covering:

• What are Contraindications in Sports Massage?
• Examples of Sports Massage Contraindications
• What to Do if a Client Has Sports Massage Contraindications

Before we start, if you’re ready to deepen your existing knowledge and expand your sports massage therapist career opportunities, you can do this with our Level 3 Personal Trainer courses!

Want to know more about OriGym? You can download our course prospectus here.

What are Contraindications in Sports Massage?

Contraindications in sports massage are pre-existing injuries or medical conditions that make it inadvisable for clients to undergo a massage treatment.

This is because the massage could be harmful or dangerous to the client, or could exacerbate the symptoms of their existing condition or injury.

Alternatively, the client may have an illness that is contagious, which could have a detrimental impact on you and your place of work.

There are two types of systematic contraindications to sports massage, which are:

• Total Sports Massage Contraindications– These are conditions or illnesses that prevent the client from receiving sports massage therapy.
• Local Sports Massage Contraindications– A condition or illness restricts the areas of the body where massages can be received. You may need to refer your client to another professional to get confirmation that the treatment will be safe.

 

Examples of Sports Massage Contraindications

Now that you know what they are, we are going to describe the cautions and contraindications to sports massage, giving you some of the most common examples to look out for.

Sports Massage Contraindications: Infections

Whether viral, bacterial, or fungal, some of the most common sports massage therapy contraindications are infections.

Infections are likely to be transmitted from client to practitioner in two different ways:

• Touch
• Air

Infections Can Be Transferred Through Touch

Sports massage is a hands-on treatment, and so you will come into close contact with clients. This means that if a client has any type of infection, they can pose a high risk to you.

Infections could then also be passed on to other clients who you may treat after you’ve come into contact with the bacteria, virus, or fungi.

In particular, fungal infections are contraindications for sports massage as fungi particles can easily attach themselves to your hands whilst you’re carrying out the treatment.

They can then be transmitted onto other surfaces and equipment within the room. To avoid this, you should:

• Ensure that all equipment and surfaces are sterilised at all times
• Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after and in between treatments
• Wear gloves and masks where necessary.

Infections Can be Transmitted Via Air

Another reason that infections are sports massage contraindications is because you can contract an infection simply by being in close proximity to a client, if the virus or bacterial infection is airborne.

You are then likely to pass this on to other clients who are being treated in the same room.

To minimise the risk of spreading infection, you should refuse to carry out massage treatments to clients suffering from any form of viral, fungal, or bacterial infection.

Sports Massage Therapy Contraindications: A High Temperature or Fever

Fever becomes a contraindication for sports massage when it reaches 38 degrees Celsius or above. This temperature could signify that the client is fighting off an infection.

Having a sports massage with a high temperature can also disrupt the body’s natural defences, which may cause the illness to remain in the client’s system for longer, requiring more aggressive treatment in the long run.

As a total sports massage contraindication, any client suffering from a high fever should therefore be refused treatment completely.

Sports Massage Contraindications: Skin Conditions

There are a variety of skin conditions which could be considered contraindications of a sports massage, including:

• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Severe acne
• Open sores
• Cold sores

Whether a skin condition is a total or local sports massage contraindication depends on the type of condition that it is.

For instance, if it is caused by any of the previously mentioned infections, you should refuse treatment to prevent transmission, or opening skin up to further infection.

Examples include boils, ringworm, and athlete’s foot.

If you feel that the skin condition is a local sports massage contraindication, it’s important to research what treatments, if any, are safe to be carried out on certain areas of the client’s body.

You should also obtain a medical note, confirming that it is safe for your client to receive massage therapy.

Sports Massage Contraindications: Recent Strokes and Heart Attacks

As one of the systematic contraindications to sports massage, you should refuse treatment to a client who’s recently had a stroke or heart attack, until they are through the acute phase of their condition.

This is because they are at a higher risk of suffering from another episode within the first few months after suffering from either condition.

You should not conduct treatment and part of your role as a sports massage therapist is to receive confirmation from a medical professional, and a signed disclaimer from the client, to declare they are aware of the risks of such sports massage therapy contraindications.

Contraindications for Sports Massage: Myositis Ossificans

Myositis Ossificans is a condition where bone tissue forms within the muscle. This could be as a result of a bad contusion or muscle rupture.

This is another of the key cautions and contraindications to sports massage, as massage may cause more damage to the surrounding soft tissue.

Overstretching can make the injury worse, making things more painful, as well as stimulating further bone formation and preventing recovery.

If you would like to expand your knowledge on Sports Massage Therapy, you can read our article on Sports Massage Therapy Aftercare.

Contraindications to Sports Massage: Pregnancy

There are a number of important sports massage therapy contraindications to consider when it comes to pregnant women. These include:

• Eclampsia or preeclampsia
• Varicosities, due to organs pressing on arteries and veins
• Hyperkyphosis or hyperlordosis due to poor posture
• Edema
• Compression syndromes
• Gestational diabetes

In general, women who are pregnant should not have massage treatment unless performed by a certified prenatal massage expert.

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If you’re finding this article helpful, and want to know how you can boost your sports massage career, check out our other articles below:

• 5 Exciting Sports Massage Therapist Career Opportunities
• Sports Massage Marketing Ideas: Ultimate Guide
• How to Write a Sports Massage Business Plan

Sports Massage Therapy Contraindications: Diabetes

In general, there are still benefits to sports massage for people with diabetes. However, there are a few sports massage contraindications for diabetes clients to consider.

For instance, the time of the client’s last insulin injection and the site of the injection should be checked, to ensure that their insulin levels are controlled.

If insulin levels are uncontrolled, or there are unhealthy tissues present (such as ulcers or unhealed skin lesions), these are considered to be contraindications for sports massage, and treatment should be refused.

If insulin levels are controlled, massage treatment should avoid the injection site. This is because massage moves fluids around the body, which could increase the rate of insulin absorption.

Learn more about Sports Massage Therapy by discovering its Psychological and Physiological effects.

Contraindications of a Sports Massage: Blood Clots

As well as sports massage contraindications such as diabetes, blood clots are another risk to look out for.

This is because massage can loosen blood clots, which could cause them to migrate to the brain, lungs, or heart.

If the client is aware of any clots present, a doctor should be consulted beforehand to ensure that they won’t be impacted by the massage.

Contraindications in Sports Massage: Cancer

Cancer is considered one of the key contraindications of a sports massage because cancer can spread through the lymphnodes. Sports massage is aimed at draining the lymph nodes and directing toxins to these parts of the body so that they’re easier to flush out.

Those with cancer are at a huge risk if this happens as you’re potentially contributing to the spread of the cancer as well as pushing toxins into already weakened areas of the body.

Clients with cancer are advised to avoid public spaces, such as massage studios, to ensure that their body is not put through the unnecessary stress that a massage could create.

This is why this is one of the most important and dangerous sports massage contraindications.

Contraindications for Sports Massage Therapy: Recent Scarring

Scarring is one of the sports massage therapy contraindications when it is less than 6 months old.

If scars are not given enough time to heal, massage could reignite the root cause of the scarring or worsen the condition.

With large areas of scarring, massage should be avoided until wounds are completely healed. Old scars should be inspected pre-massage, to ensure that they won’t cause any issues.

Sports Massage Contraindications: Soft Tissue Inflammation

When massaged, inflamed tissue can become even more irritated and damaged, which is why they are one of the key contraindications of sports massage to be aware of.

The same rules apply for inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

Sports Massage Therapy Contraindications: Open Wounds

When a client presents the following, sports massage should not be performed on that area until the scar has properly formed:

• Cuts
• Grazes
• Lacerations

This usually takes 1 to 2 weeks. Wounds any fresher than this should be considered as systematic contraindications to sports massage.

Contraindications to Sports Massage: If Clients Have Recently Consumed Drugs or Alcohol

If a client has recently consumed drugs or alcohol, you should refuse all treatment until the substances wear off.

This is one of the key contraindications in sports massage, as drugs and alcohol can significantly affect blood pressure and heart rate, which increases risk of complications from massage.

What to Do If a Client Has Sports Massage Contraindications

Whether a client comes to you with sports massage contraindications such as diabetes, inflammation, or pregnancy, you should always follow these steps to protect both the client and yourself.

#1 Identify any Cautions and Contraindications to Sports Massage

Firstly, it’s important to assess each client individually, on a case-by-case basis, to allow you to identify and address any contraindications that they may have.

Your job description as an SMT will include these initial assessments including testing mobility and performing a postural assessment.

To help you carry out a full investigation, and to comply with common insurance policy conditions, we would advise using a client questionnaire as part of the consultation process.

This should cover most widespread illnesses and disorders, and should have space to list any known conditions that may not be listed on the form.

You should also ask for the patient’s medical history, and record any information on their consultation record.

#2 Assess the Severity of the Sports Massage Contraindications

The next step to take is to decide whether these contraindications for sports massage are local or total.

These should be considered under the full list of contraindications, to help you make an informed decision on whether or not to undergo treatment.

This will also help you to decide whether you need to get some confirmation from a medical professional first, to ensure that the client is safe to have a sports massage.

#3 Treating a Client with Contraindications to Sports Massage

If you find any local sports massage therapy contraindications from the consultation process, the patient should be made aware of any risks that could occur as a result of treatment going ahead.

You should also consider how to adapt the practice to make it comfortable for the client, and to avoid causing any further damage to the affected area.

Another crucial step is to keep a record of the contraindication, so that you have evidence before the massage that you have identified and considered it as part of your client’s treatment plan, in case anything does go wrong.

You may also need to consult a medical practitioner, and obtain a doctor’s note of approval before giving any treatment.

If the contraindications of a sports massage treatment are found to be total, you should always advise your client that the treatment cannot be carried out.

FAQs

Why Is It Important to Identify Sports Massage Contraindications Before Treatment?

It is important to always identify and describe cautions and contraindications to sports massage before providing treatment to clients, in order to:

• Protect Clients– Taking contraindications into account may help to prevent further infection, pain, or damage to your client, as well as to other clients that you may treat.
• Protect Yourself– It’s important that you don’t expose yourself to infection, which you could spread throughout your place of practice.
• Protect Your Practice– If you cause any illness or pain due to an undisclosed sports massage contraindication, you could put yourself at risk of legal action being brought against you.

What Can Happen if a Client Does Not Disclose Sports Massage Contraindications?

There are several reasons that a client may not disclose a medical condition, which may be one of the contraindications of a sports massage that we have discussed.

For instance:

• Not everyone is willing to share their medical history
• Some clients may not be aware of the impact that their condition could have on treatment
• They may not yet have been diagnosed with the condition

If you do go ahead with treatment and one of the systemic contraindications to sports massage causes your client harm, pain, or injury, then they are liable to make a claim against you.

Insurance claims can be time consuming to resolve, will cause stress, and are likely to impact your reputation as a sports massage therapist.

This will also cost you in the long term, as it may increase your insurance premiums in future.

Therefore, it’s important to always invest in an insurance plan that will protect you if a compensation claim is brought against you at any point.

To avoid this from happening, ensure to keep your medical records up to date, including evidence that you have attempted to identify any possible contraindications for sports massage before treatment.

Before You Go!

Don’t forget, you can continue developing your knowledge to expand your client base with our Level 3 Personal Trainer courses which has plenty of information about some of the key contraindications and how to deal with them.

You can also find out more about this and other courses by downloading our free course prospectus!

If you’re looking for a massage chair for therapists, look no further! Our list of the best massage chairs for massage therapists covers a range of budgets, styles, and colours, so you can choose one that’s perfect for you.

We’ll cover:

• The Best Massage Therapist Chairs
• What To Look For In A Massage Therapy Chair
• How To Clean Your Massage Therapy Chair

Before we get started, you can deepen your knowledge and expand your sports massage therapist career opportunities with one of our Personal Trainer Courses! Enquire today or browse the rest of our fitness courses by downloading our free course prospectus here.

The Best Massage Therapist Chairs

#1 – Physique Massage Therapy Chair 

Price: £216.00

If you’re after the best quality massage chair for a massage therapist, you ought to check out this range by Physique.

This massage therapy chair is crafted from premium range aluminium to promote ultimate durability and strength for all of your clients.

But despite being made from aluminium, the chair weighs just 8.2kg, making it a great portable massage therapy chair. It is therefore a good option if you are a mobile therapist who needs to get their equipment from A to B easily.

Physique also provides a complimentary shoulder carry bag to make portability that extra bit more straightforward.

The chair also features 3 simple assembly folding points in the following areas:

• Knee rest
• Armrest
• Face cradle

Once assembled, therapists can easily adjust the heights of these points for ultimate comfort for each client.

The chair is also covered in a unique 2”/5cm double-layer foam system to keep your massage space easy to clean.

When shopping around, massage therapy chair reviews can be extremely useful. So, if Physique’s range has caught your eye, you’ll be pleased to know that it has a 100% 5-star track record, with many reviewers loving the chair’s durability and high-quality feel.

It’s for these reasons that we think this is one of the best massage chair for therapists and one we think will truly enhance your workspace.

#2 – Master Apollo XXL Portable Massage Therapy Chair 

Price: £249.99

If a portable massage therapy chair is what you’re after, the Master Apollo XXL is definitely worth considering.

It boasts a top-quality folding mechanism to make transporting the chair an effortless experience, making it perfect for mobile therapists.

This feature also benefits those who want to store their chairs away whenever not in use to optimise space.

The Master Apollo is the first chair to use revolutionary artificial Rhino-Hide upholstery, which is an incredible heavy-duty material designed to withstand marks and abrasions.

With that, the black material ensures that any signs of wear are less obvious compared with lighter colours, helping you to maintain a professional workspace for longer.

This material also makes cleaning the chair super easy. If you spill any massage oil on your chair, simply wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe or soapy cloth in between clients and you’re good to go.

Other benefits of this chair for massage therapy include being crafted with a memory foam layer on the chest pad and face pillow to give your clients maximum comfort.

It’s also constructed with an XXL aluminium frame to support larger clients. But at the same time, with a total weight of just 8kg, it is one of the lightest on the market.

So, if you’re searching for the best chair for a massage therapist, the Master Apollo is a worthy contender as it’s larger in size without being too heavy.

#3 – Master Massage Chair Therapy

Price: £249.99

Master Massage Equipment is a brand that has been supplying therapists with high quality sports massage equipment since 2015 – and their massage therapy chair is no exception.

This chair is made from an aircraft-grade aluminium frame that is both incredibly lightweight and tremendously strong, and so can accommodate all sized clients.

The frame is covered with an innovative no-mark powdered coat to prevent rust, nicks, and scratches.

The 2” thick cushion is crafted from an exclusive multi-layer and small-cell foam that is denser than standard foams. This helps to keep your clients comfortable during all of their sessions.

In addition to getting the best chair for massage therapists, you will also get a collection of accessories with your purchase, including:

• A six-way adjustable face cradle
• Session pouch for storing clients’ personal items such as jewellery, glasses, etc.
• Luggage-style wheeled carry case

Such features benefit your clients and ensure they receive the best quality care as well as promote convenience for you as a therapist.

It’s for these reasons that we think this is one of the best massage chairs for therapists that are after a one-stop-shop for all of their massage chair needs!

#4 – Quirumed’s Aluminium Chair Massage Therapy 

Price: £184.42

If you’re after a colourful sports therapy massage chair, this could be the one for you!

Quirumed’s range comes in a variety of beautifully bright colours to truly vamp up your massage space, including:

• Purple
• Green
• Blue
• Black
• White

They’re made from leather-like upholstery which boasts water and oil-resistance properties to keep your massage space clean and tidy.

Plus, the chair can adjust at the armrest and headrest to support different clients heights.

Quirumed has used super soft yet durable foam in the headrest to promote ultimate comfort, which is important for clients who may be sat in the chair for prolonged periods.

The chair also conveniently includes a complimentary luggage travel bag to make transporting your massage chair incredibly easy.

This shows that Quirumed has crafted the best massage chair for massage therapists to make your life that extra bit easier when travelling to different locations.

As part of your search, massage therapy chair reviews are great to refer to.

Here’s an example of a recent massage therapy chair review that may push you into getting your own:

“The chair is so comfortable. It was worth paying the extra as it makes such a difference to the client’s experience. Perfect.”

So, if you’re serious about getting your hands on the best massage chair for therapists, Quirumed is definitely one to check out!

#5 – Sissel Desktop Chair for Massage Therapy

Price: £149.95

Sissel’s chair for massage therapy offers something a little different from the other options discussed so far.

This range is a piece of upper body equipment that can be attached to a desktop or regular table. It is therefore ideal for patients who are wheelchair users and/or cannot lie down.

After all, part of the sports massage therapist job description is making sure that your clients are comfortable at all times.

The headrest is fully adjustable in terms of height and angle, and features an open face hole to prevent pressure from building on the face.

The headrest can also fold down to be slotted into a carry case for easy transportation.

Since this just works clients’ upper bodies, Sissel’s range is super lightweight, coming in at a mere 4kg, which is a lot lighter than other massage therapy chairs on offer.

The chair also comes in a nice blue shade to promote a professional look to your massage studio.

Plus, priced at £149.95, this is one of the cheaper options on this list. So if you’re after the best chair for massage therapists for an affordable price, this could be ideal for you.
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Enjoying this article so far? Here’s 3 more that we think you’ll love:

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• 11 Tips For Sports Massage Aftercare
• What Is A Sports Massage?  

#6 – Tectake Chair Massage Therapy Equipment 

Price: £95.99

Next up, we have the best quality massage chair for any massage therapist looking to enhance their client’s experience.

Comfort is critical when getting a massage, since clients can be staying still for prolonged periods.

This is why Tectake has designed its range with clients in mind; it’s made from extra thick foam that’s super soft and supportive.

The foam is covered with a non-slip plastic cover to keep your chair hygienic too. A quick wipe with antibacterial products is enough to keep your space clean and tidy.

In terms of other benefits, the chair can be folded down which is perfect for therapists searching for compact massage chairs to take with them on the move.

Plus, the chair boasts a range of adjustable points to accommodate clients of all different heights and sizes. It also has a load capacity of approximately 200kg, which will also help with this.

As ever, when scouting out the best massage therapy chair, massage therapy chair reviews are good to refer to.

Tectake’s range has an average rating of 4.9/5 stars, with many reviewers mentioning that the chair is excellent value for money, extremely comfortable, and perfect for storing away or into a car boot.

Regardless of whether you’re a mobile therapist or conduct sessions from your studio, this is definitely one of the best portable massage therapy chairs on the market.

#7 – Physa’s Montpellier Blue Massage Chair Therapy 

Price: £149.00

Physa is a massage equipment brand that supplies everything a therapist could need to make their clients’ experience as comfortable as possible.

This massage chair for therapists is crafted from a robust steel frame that has a capacity of up to 130kg.

The frame is coated with upholstered surfaces to ensure optimal comfort as well as helping to prevent any unpleasant pressure on the body.

Physa’s range is primarily designed for treating the back and neck. Clients can sit with their stomach up against the backrest without causing any unnecessary strain.

Moreover, the range features 3 folding mechanisms at the seat, headrest, and foot panels.

This is beneficial for mobile therapists who need to slot the chair into a car boot, as well as therapists working in clinics who perhaps want to store the chair away when not in use.

The chair comes in an ocean blue which offers a super professional look to your massage space.

It’s priced at £149.00 which is a very reasonably priced massage chair for therapists considering the plethora of high-tech features.

#8 – Aluminium Massage Therapy Chair 

Price: £95.60

If you’re on the hunt for the best sports therapy massage chairs, this next option is worth checking out.

This is an ultra-lightweight portable massage chair that weighs just 17lb and so one of the lightest on offer. Yet despite being lightweight, the chair is crafted from durable aluminium to promote ultimate durability.

With that, the chair has 4 adjustable sections to offer clients more support. These include:

• Faceholder height
• Thoracic spine section
• Arms
• Legs

There are very few massage therapy chairs that offer as many adjustable sections and so it is worth considering if you want to make sure your clients are as comfortable as possible during your sessions.

There is also a spectrum of colour options available with this option, allowing you to inject some personality into your massage space.

Examples of colours include:

• Green
• Orange
• Purple
• Blue
• Black

So, if you’re looking for the best massage chair for massage therapists that come in a plethora of colours, this could be the one for you.

#9 – Affinity Puma Massage Chair For Therapists 

Price: £297.85

The Affinity Puma is yet another massage chair for therapists that you should consider if you’re looking for a high quality product.

The chair has a luxurious feel to it thanks to the high-quality foam material which has a faux-leather exterior.

The frame is also crafted with top-grade aluminium and has a range of rest points for clients, such as:

• Seat
• Chest pad
• Armrest
• Face cradle

Each of these can then be adjusted to a height that best suits your clients, making it a versatile piece of massage equipment.

As well as being incredibly comfortable, Affinity’s products are made with the therapist’s convenience in mind.

The folding device makes setting up the chair effortless, which also benefits those who transport their equipment to their clients. This feature is also useful for storage, as you can fold it away easily.

Another fantastic feature is that each of Affinity’s products comes with a complimentary carry case to make portability that little bit easier.

Affinity’s massage chair for therapists is most certainly one to consider, especially if you want high-quality and stylish products for your massage space.

#10 – Master Rio On-Site Massage Chair

Price: £399.95

The Master Rio is the newest and most innovative massage chair by Natural Living, a UK-based online health store.

It is a lightweight yet incredibly strong chair for massage therapy that will make a great addition to your sports massage therapy business.

The frame is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminium that is accompanied by an exclusive small cell foam cushioning system to provide the highest level of comfort.

The Rio chair has a straightforward design due to the sleek folding mechanisms throughout, making portability and convenient storage achievable.

The bottom of the chair features 2 solid bases with highly durable rubber caps to keep your chair and clients stable during all treatments.

The chair can then be packed away and put into your Rio wheel bag, allowing you to roll the chair to wherever you need it.

Plus, Rio has a 5-year warranty on their chair, giving you peace of mind if you choose to take the plunge and invest in this high-quality massage therapy chair.

#11 – Natural Living’s Master Bedford Sports Therapy Massage Chair 

Price: £159.99

Last but certainly not least, we have this massage chair for therapists by Natural Living.

The Master Bedford sports therapy massage chair is one of the best out there and is most certainly worth checking out.

Thanks to the lightweight and sturdy design, this chair is perfect for massage therapists with their own studio, as well as mobile masseuses.

It features Natural Living’s six-way adjustable face cradle with a top-quality memory foam layered pillow and cushioning system, giving your clients the ultimate comfortable experience.

This is coated with a faux-leather cover that offers a luxurious feel, while also being very easy for you to clean in between treatments.

In addition, the chair is supported with an aluminium, no-mark finished frame that promises to keep your chair looking professional at all times.

The chair boasts a weight-bearing capacity of 227kg, which is the greatest capacity out of all other chairs on this list!

So, if you’re on the lookout for the best massage chair for therapists, why not consider Natural Living’s range?

What To Look For In A Massage Therapy Chair

Now that we’ve covered some of the best massage therapy chairs, here are some important things that you should look for to ensure that you find the best product for you:

• Massage therapy chair reviews. You should always check out the customer reviews before purchasing your massage chair, as this is the best way to see what real-life paying customers think of the product!

• Company reputation. Just like when buying any product, the reputation of the massage therapy chair company is important, as it reflects the quality of the product itself! With this in mind, we’ve selected high-quality brands on our list that are transparent about their company practices and values, and that are well-known names in the industry.

• A balance of sturdy and portable. You’re going to want to make sure that your massage therapy chair is sturdy and robust. But at the same time, it should also be easy for you to transport from A to B!

• Size. Deciding whether you want a full-size chair or a desktop chair is super important. This will depend on whether your chair will be largely remaining in the one place, or whether you are looking to transport it around.

• Price. The price of your chair is arguably the most important factor that will influence your decision. We recommend setting yourself a budget before you start looking, to help you refine your search.

How To Clean Your Massage Therapy Chair

One of the things that your clients will expect from a sports massage treatment is that it takes place in a clean and hygienic environment. So knowing how to properly clean it is super important!

Most massage therapy chairs are crafted with leathery exteriors, making them easy to clean.

Here is a simple step-by-step guide to teach you how to clean your massage therapy chair:

Step 1: Begin by using a microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust from the surface.

Step 2: Pour some warm water into a large bowl, add a few drops of mild dish soap, and stir.

Step 3: Dip a rag into the solution and ring out excess water before wiping down the chair.

Step 4: Repeat however many times you think is needed. Usually, 1 full wipe is enough in between clients.

Step 5: Use a dry tea towel or blue roll to dry any residue from the chair.

Before You Go!

So, we hope that our list of the best chairs for massage therapists has helped you find the right product for you and your clients- no matter your needs or budget.

Feeling inspired? Continue advancing your career by enrolling on one of our Personal Trainer Courses.

If you’re not already, start a lucrative career in sports massage therapy with OriGym’s sports massage therapy course today!

You can also download our free course prospectus to browse the full range of industry-leading fitness courses we offer here at OriGym.

Whether you’re scheduled for your first sports massage, or are a therapist yourself looking for advice to give your clients, knowing about sports massage aftercare is just as important as the massage itself. 

That’s why we’ve compiled this expert guide to sports massage aftercare, covering: 

• Common Symptoms Experienced After A Sports Massage
• 11 Tips For Sports Massage Aftercare
• How To Create A Sports Massage Aftercare Leaflet

Continue developing your knowledge with our Level 3 Personal Trainer Courses to provide the best care for your clients to aid in their recovery and increase your sports massage therapist career opportunities in different areas of the fitness industry.

Enquire today, or browse the full range of fitness courses we offer by downloading our free course prospectus. 

Common Symptoms Experienced After A Sports Massage

Before we delve into our aftercare advice for sports massages, let’s first quickly establish some common post-massage symptoms.

One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different and so may experience these symptoms differently. 

Some of the main symptoms include:

• Muscle soreness
• Fatigue
• Cold-like symptoms (i.e. stuffy, runny nose)
• Increased thirst
• Headaches

These symptoms tend to develop within 48 hours of your sports massage appointment.

In the unlikely event you feel concerned about your symptoms, call your sports massage therapist or your GP for further advice. 

Alternatively, refer back to this list of sports massage aftercare tips to support your recovery. 

If you would like to learn more about this subject please read our article on the Physiological and Psychological Effects of Sports Massage.

11 Tips For Sports Massage Aftercare

So, now that you know what to expect after a sports massage treatment, here are our top sports massage aftercare tips to help you deal with them! 

#1 – Drink Plenty of Fluids 

Arguably the most important piece of aftercare advice for sports massage is to stay hydrated. 

You might not have thought it, but massages are dehydrating! Kneading the muscle works out fluid from soft tissue and into the circulatory system, which heads towards the kidneys. 

Because of this, many people experience needing to use the bathroom straight after a sports massage. 

This is why re-hydrating your body post-massage is crucial! 

Drinking plenty of fluids helps to promote elasticity back into the muscles, thus reducing soreness while recovering. 

Tight and sore muscles may have been a reason for you getting a sports massage in the first place, so it’s important to keep hydrated to promote this muscle elasticity. 

Plus, drinking plenty of fluids helps to detoxify the body by flushing away free radicals that are released during a massage.

Plenty of water will also help to oxygenate cells which keep your metabolic functions operating effectively. 

Most sports massage therapists encourage their clients to drink a large glass of water after their session to reduce muscle soreness and to promote detoxification. It is a good idea to drink plenty of fluids for the remainder of the day too. 

If you don’t want to drink plain water all day, alternatives such as coconut water will also help to rehydrate you! 

#2 – Use Ice/Heat Packs 

Another piece of useful sports massage aftercare advice is to use ice/heat packs. 

As we have said, you should expect to experience some muscle soreness after your massage. But fortunately, ice and heat packs can help alleviate this soreness so that you can still perform everyday activities.

Benefits of heat and ice packs include:

• Reduced swelling/inflammation
• Decreased muscle spasms
• Reduced pain

When placed on the skin, heat and ice packs encourage the blood vessels to open up and allow more blood into the area. This boosts oxygen flow to the muscles thus reducing muscle soreness from developing. 

However, be aware that neither an ice or heat pack can completely stop muscle soreness- they simply help to reduce soreness from developing. 

Consider using packs for 2-3 days after the appointment or up until the aches have subsided. 

Taking hot baths for a few days is also a viable alternative to a heat pack! 

 

#3 – Stretch 

Light stretches can help to release muscle tension after a sports massage, making it a beneficial part of sports massage aftercare.

Doing gentle static and dynamic stretches will help ease some of the aches and pains in your muscles, helping them to fully recover.

• Static stretches are when you stand, sit or lie in a single position and hold it for a period of time. 

For example, a static hamstring stretch would involve standing hip-width apart and bending the body forwards at the hip, reaching the arms towards the toes while keeping the legs straight. This is then held for 15-30 seconds. 

• Dynamic stretches involve moving the muscles while stretching, rather than holding them still for a period of time. 

For example, a dynamic full-body stretch would involve stepping the right foot forwards, lunging forward. You then extend both arms straight out at shoulder height and twist the body and arms at a 90-degree angle to the right.

Since it involves movement, this is therefore a dynamic stretch.

Doing both static and dynamic stretches is a great piece of sports massage aftercare advice that you could do to alleviate muscle aches and pains.  

#4 – Keep Moving

After a sports massage, you may be tempted to just sit back and relax. But one of the most important pieces of aftercare advice for sports massage we can give you is to keep moving!

Now, we don’t mean going on long runs or hikes. We simply mean that you should try not to sit or stand in the same position for prolonged periods. 

If you’re someone who enjoys sitting cross-legged or is typically hunched over a desk for most of the day, try to get up and move frequently. 

On regular days, the body doesn’t cope well with being in fixed positions for prolonged periods of time as muscles are likely to tense up. But this is especially important on days when you have had a sports massage! 

Try to keep your body active with light movements and stretches to help alleviate aches and pains. 

You don’t have to set aside a particular time to do this either. For example, consider going for a light walk on your lunch break or do some dynamic stretches while you wait for the kettle to boil. 

Doing this will help to promote elasticity back into the muscles after your massage and prevent them from getting too tense. 

#5 – Drink Herbal Teas

You may not have thought that what you eat or drink can affect how you recover from a sports massage. But another good tip for sports massage aftercare is to drink herbal tea!

Many fitness enthusiasts claim that drinking herbal teas helps their muscles to recover faster after an intense training session or sports massage. 

This is because many herbal teas contain anti-inflammatory properties which help the muscles to relax and alleviate any soreness. 

Here are some herbal teas that we would recommend consuming after a sports massage and why they’re beneficial.

• Ginger tea is avidly drunk by arthritis patients as it’s known to help alleviate muscle and joint soreness.
• Chamomile tea is another great go-to as it has calming properties that help to soothe the body while supporting the immune system. 
• Turmeric teas have been used in herbal and Ayurveda medicine for centuries. This brew is known to reduce inflammation and promote health and wellness. 

Other herbal teas such as lemongrass or peppermint tea are also beneficial!

Consider getting your hands on some of these herbal remedies before your sports massage so you can kick-start the recovery process straight away. 

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#6 – Avoid Drinking Caffeine and Alcohol 

With the previous point in mind, try to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks and alcohol until your body has had time to recover from your sports massage. 

As you now know, replacing the fluid lost from a sports massage is critical, and most massage therapists encourage their patients to have a large glass of water at the end of a session.

Whilst water is beneficial, you should avoid alcohol and caffeine post-massage. This is because they are diuretics, which means they promote water loss through urine. 

A hormone called vasopressin is produced which plays a large role in the regulation of water excretion. 

In other words, consuming caffeinated drinks or alcohol too soon after a sports massage could cause further dehydration.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Irritableness 
• Sunken eyes

To avoid experiencing these symptoms, make sure you follow this piece of sports massage aftercare advice!

#7 – Use Essential Oils 

Did you know that using essential oils can help to relieve muscle soreness after a sports massage? 

There are various ways that you could use these, such as:

• Add essential oil drops into a bath
• Mix into a body moisturiser
• Use in a diffuser

The more exposure your body has to essential oils, the more that your muscles will be able to relax and unwind after your sports massage session. 

There are a plethora of essential oils on the market that can help with sports massage aftercare, each with its own set of benefits. 

Let’s run through our 3 favourite essential oils for you to consider implementing into your sports massage aftercare routine:

• Peppermint oil contains menthol which is a naturally occurring chemical found in most mint plants. It has been known to have cooling effects on sore and achy muscles thus making the recovery of a sports massage easier. 
• Marjoram oil is known to reduce muscle spasms and tension. Many also report that it can reduce inflammation. 
• Helichrysum oil is another great essential oil that also helps to reduce muscle spasms, inflammation, and pain. 

So, we recommend stocking up on some of these oils, so that you can start the recovery process straight away after your sports massage! 

#8 – Avoid Intense Exercise 

Although we have said that you should keep your body moving, you should avoid engaging in strenuous exercise for at least 24 hours after a sports massage. 

This includes any kind of physical activity that raises your heart rate or uses your muscles intensely, such as:

• Running
• Weight lifting
• High-intensity aerobics
• Power yoga

The goal of a sports massage is to reduce tension and muscle soreness, so it’s worth letting the full effects of a sports massage develop before hitting the gym. 

Plus, rest days are a critical part of any fitness regime!

If you’re conscious about not achieving your fitness goals by not exercising after a massage, consider doing a workout before your sports massage appointment. That way, you may not feel as guilty about missing a day or two to allow your body to recover. 

#9 – Eat Healthily 

If you’re an athlete or gym fanatic, chances are you eat a healthy diet anyway. 

There are lots of benefits of healthy eating for the body and mind in general, but it is especially important as part of your sports massage aftercare routine. 

Any food that is rich in nutrients and minerals is ideal, such as:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Wholemeal carbohydrates
• Foods high in protein such as meat, fish, grains and pulses to promote muscle recovery

Additionally, try to avoid eating a heavy meal straight after your appointment, as this can result in feeling nauseous. 

To avoid this, consider having a light snack before and after your massage and save any larger meals until a couple of hours after your session. 

#10 – Be Patient

While this point may be easier said than done, a crucial part of any sports massage aftercare process is to be patient!

Should you be getting a sports massage to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, it is likely that you may experience worsened symptoms for a few days after your massage. 

This is because the role of a sports massage therapist is to use various techniques and massage tools to target deep muscle tissue.

Due to this, many report that a sports massage is not a relaxing experience as with a Swedish massage, for example.  

As mentioned earlier, your muscles will undergo trauma during a session and so will take a couple of days to recover and feel the true benefits. 

Being patient is therefore super important during this time. While feeling stiff and sore is not a pleasurable experience, the long-term effects of the massage will be worth the wait!

#11 – Don’t Be Afraid to Contact Your Sports Massage Therapist 

The final- but equally important piece of sports massage aftercare advice we can give you is to be willing to contact your therapist after your appointment. 

If at any point you have questions about your recovery process or something doesn’t feel quite right, don’t be afraid to contact them. 

After all, part of their job is to be there to help you physically and to provide you with sports massage aftercare advice. 

Your therapist should offer a range of contact methods at the point that you booked the massage. 

Make sure that you communicate any queries during regular business hours and if they don’t get back to you right away, recognise they may be busy with other clients. 

That said, if your concern is urgent, refer to your GP instead. 

How To Create A Sports Massage Aftercare Leaflet

If you’re a massage therapist wanting to help your clients with the sports massage aftercare process, a great way to do this is by creating a sports massage aftercare leaflet.

This is essentially a document detailing tips and guidance on what to do after their massage- including many of the tips that we have outlined above.

Creating a sports massage aftercare leaflet for your clients is beneficial for many reasons, such as:

• It better informs those new to sports massage therapy 
• It reduces the number of queries you receive from clients after their massage
• It creates a professional and caring tone for your business, which is an important part of sports massage therapy marketing. 

Your sports massage aftercare sheet doesn’t have to be too complicated, or go into as much detail as we have in this article. Remember that it is aimed at clients who will not necessarily know the scientific detail of sports massage therapy.  

With this in mind, consider incorporating the following things into your sports massage aftercare sheet:

• Benefits of sports massage
• Common symptoms of sports massage
• Tips on sports massage aftercare 
• Contact information
• List of additional services

You should also keep the design minimalistic and sleek. This will help to enhance the professional tone you’re conveying to your clients. 

Here are some online tools that you could use to create your own sports massage aftercare leaflet:

• Vistaprint – 50 x A6 leaflets start at £12.24 
• Instant Print – 50 x A6 leaflets start at £16.44
• Banana Print – 100 x A6 leaflets start at £9.95 

Here are two examples of good sports massage aftercare sheets: 

                

As you can see, these sports massage aftercare sheets are divided into easy-to-read subheadings, featuring bullet points and graphics, rather than big chunks of text. This makes it a lot more accessible and easy to understand for your clients. 

It also helps enforce this business’ marketing, by featuring their branding and colour scheme. 

Furthermore, it is all included on just one page. Again, this makes it more accessible for your clients. 

So, creating an effective sports massage aftercare leaflet is an easy, cost-effective and useful way to go the extra mile for your clients! 

Before You Go! 

So, there we have it – a range of aftercare advice for sports massage therapy! 

Whether you’ve got a massage appointment of your own coming up, or you’re a therapist wanting to give advice to your clients, this article has covered it all!

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