Age, Weight, and Career Path

[Semper Fi]

I am seriously considering attending massage school, and I have some questions.

1. I am 37. Will I be out of place in school with younger kids?

2. I am a large man. I currently weigh 350 pounds. I am on the way down (weighed over 400 a year ago), but I still feel self-conscious about my body. How does this play out in massage school?

3. What is the career outlook for LMTs? I am currently in an industry that is being hit hard by the current economy, so I feel it's a good time to do something different, but I have a family to support.

My wife thinks I'm crazy for even thinking about this new career path (I've only had two jobs in the last 20 years), but this is something I have always wanted to do.

I do feel a bit insecure because I visited a school a few years ago and felt like I was discouraged to enroll. From the time I walked in the staff showed absolutely no interest in trying to recruit me. Even though I went there ready to write a check for the tuition, I remember phrases like "this is not for everyone" and "take some time to really think about it".

I have since grown as a person and feel ready for the challenge, but I want to do my homework before I jump into it.

I truly appreciate your time and answers.

 

[asitisnow]

They are correct massage school isnt for everyone but you on the hand know if it is or isn't.
When i attended school the age group was from 19-56....no one was out of place, we are all there for the same purpose.
As far as weight a girl in my class was your size and she didnt have any negative affects. certain postures we learned she had to do differently but otherwise she was awesome.

 

[Mackenziee Rose.]

When I first applied to the program, the counselor I spoke with said to me, "Massage therapy is a tough field. Someone your age should be looking at a cushy job."

After talking for about 20 minutes, he said, "Do you still want to be a massage therapist?" When I said yes, he said, "Good! I wanted you to be sure that's what you really wanted."

I was 43 when I applied; because of the waiting list and the way the curriculmn was set up, it took 3 years for me to get my license.

I've been overweight all of my life, but fortunately I was long-past being self-conscience about it by the time I started the program. In our class we were in some state of undress nearly every day, though granted, usually under drapes. I donned a swimsuit for some of the labs (muscle identification, bony landmarks, endangerment sites), and had no problem being completely undressed while draped when necessary.

Our program included Tai Chi and Yoga (not all do). It was beginner level, but some of the poses can still be challenging for a person of size.

A legitimate reason to be concerned about weight: table and chair weight capacity. Static weight loads average about 600lbs for the typical school's portable tables. While you are receiving during lab practice, this could be maxed out depending on the technique used.

In regard to age, check out this poll and you will find that 72% of the respondents were 31 years or older when they started school. More than likely, you will not be in a class full of young people. I was not the oldest in my class. Last year I took notes and tutored a blind man of 52, and there was a 60 year old woman in the class as well.

If you were put-off by the attitude of the staff, look into different schools. Do not discount an accredited community college Therapeutic Massage programs; I found my training to be high-quality and thorough, not to mention very challenging at times!

Which leaves me a bit concerned that your wife thinks you're crazy to do this; the program can be stressful and family support is crucial, imo. There is a lot of studying to do - school will not be over when you get out of class.

Massage isn't what I always wanted to do; however, I have always touched someone who was in pain. The first time I saw my instructor demonstrate a massage, I was in awe and almost in tears. I knew this is what I was meant to do.

If that's the way you feel, then it might be time to follow your dreams. Godspeed on your endeavors!

 

[Pompal 09.]

Age, Weight, and Career Path

3. What is the career outlook for LMTs? I am currently in an industry that is being hit hard by the current economy, so I feel it's a good time to do something different, but I have a family to support.

I'd like to address this question specifically for you, because rather people like it or not, it is important to establish how you will finance your practice once you graduate and how it will affect your family.

Depending on your personal debt load and if you have a wife who works (second income) can greatly affect how your earn your living.

It takes time to build up a private practice. Most times --- years.

If you want to work for someone, your weight may factor in. People won't necessarily say it and it may not be right, but you are already at a disadvaneforum.xxxe for getting a job at a spa or a retail massage center, just based on the fact that you are male. If the place of business is into "looks" and spa-type concepts, the weight could play against you. But, maybe you're just a big guy - not sloppy, but strong and big all over. A 350 lb. football player is going to garnish a different kind of reaction than a 350 lb. milktoast. All the same though, being male in the spa industry has been hard on a number of the men on this forum.

So, I'd say those are two items to look at thoroughly. Can you find a job if you don't want to go out on you own... and if you do want to go out on your own, can you float your practice and feed your family in the process?

I tell people, as a rule of thumb, if you don't accept insurance, expect to take 7-10 years to establish a practice. Some people do it in 2-3, but that is not necessarily the norm (as many times that is also dependent on debt load). Less money going out, means many people stop at 8-10 massages a week and can live fine.

In my case, I should be seeing approximately 17-20 people a week to pay the debt I owe, rent for where I live and also where I work, plus pay the bills for living and work expenses. That amount of clients gives me just a little on the side (but I don't have any sort of savings and I don't have health insurance)... so not much. If I ever get the debt paid off... which will be in about another 18 years at the rate I am going, then what was extra would be gravy... or for a retirment plan. So, obviously I expect things to be changing for the better in the near future.

Right now... I'm 41. Hmmmm.....

Things to think about.

Do I love what I do? Yes!

Is it for everyone... No.

But, that gives you a few real money issues to think about.

 

[GreenKitteh: Being Green]

Pueppi,
I'm glad you gave the low-down on the financial side of things, because it's really important that Joe understands that it will take SEVERAL YEARS (with alot of hard work along the way) to get to where he MIGHT be able to support his family. This is NOT a field to go into if you must be able to support a family from the get-go!
:?

 

[watchmeshineee]

...This is NOT a field to go into if you must be able to support a family from the get-go! :?

So very true! people think "Oh, I'll work for myself and make $75 an hour," but once you figure in down time while building that client base + overhead (and there is ALWAYS overhead, even if you work out of your house), many days you'll be doing good to make little better than minimum wage, and no where near the $25hr + tips the spa is paying.

(Very good "real life" advise there, pueppi!)

 

[Pompal 09.]

Thank you!

Thank you all for your wonderful responses. I truly do appreciate your willingness to help.

Age: I'm glad to see I am not that old to start after all.

Weight: I realize this could be a problem. I have learned a lot about eating healthy and exercising in the past year, so I feel I am headed in the right direction. In fact, my decision to finally do this was greatly influenced by my new found healthier habits. I don't plan to be obese much longer, and when I finally enroll in school, I will make sure I am ready for the physical challenges.

Job outlook: I guess my main concern is finding use for my services as a MT after I finish my training and get certified / licensed. I don't want to go through that long training process and then not be able to use my knowledge or grow even further (which is basically where I stand in my current job).

I understand making a decent living from this might take years, so at first (and for however long it takes) I will try not to rely on this income. Even though my wife questions my sanity at times, she is incredibly supportive and we will go through this together.

For me this is part of finding a greater purpose to help people and do my best to make this world a better place. I know since I started getting regular massages my entire outlook on life changed, and I hope someday I can do the same for someone else.

Once again, thank you. I will become a regular poster (and asker), and hopefully have something positive to contribute down the road.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Joe!

Welcome to the forum.

1st off, I think massage is an awesome career! Sometimes I am amazed that I have such a wonderful job.

I would recommed talking to some of the local massage therapists in your area and getting their perspecitve on what the market is like. Some areas are saturated with MT's and others are not. Talk to both private practitioners and those who are employed for others.


I have only been a MT for two years and was in school for almost two years. I went part time while working full time in my former career. Originally my mindset was to pursue massage as a hobby that I would do part time on the side. Little did I know that my passion for massage was much stronger and I ended up quitting my former job after I graduated and then hubby supported me while I entered the world of massage therapy as my career. This is NOT a hobby! My point in sharing all that is you could juggle for a while and do massage on the side at first. There are many MT's who do something else part time or even full time.


Good luck to you!!!

Sherri aka Rocky Mountains

 

[Alice D]

Joe, One other thing. I don't know what type of training you will require in the state where you live, BUT, may I suggest if you are going to have to go to school for massage for three years, like some people on this forum ave had to...

if you already have a BS degree of sometype ...

Consider looking into what it would take for you to go to acupuncture school instead of massage school.

I suggest this if you already ahve a four year degree and you are aloready older for 2 reasons:

1. If you've got some brains in your noggin, it is hard, but worth the challenge (it's not for those who don't have much rolling around up there).
2. You can stick people well into your 80's, with little punishment on the body. (Not that you can't practice massage as you get older, but it still could become difficult depending on the modalities of massage that you end up choosing.)

Hope that helps.

Oh, and, I wanted to say, CONGRATULATIONS on the 50 lbs. loss. That is phenominal! Basically a dog-food sack of weight you'd been toting to and from home each day! I'm way impressed!

 

[F u c k Y o u.]

I'd be curious as to which states require anything near 3 years of massage schooling. Even the most rigorous states like NY that require 1000 hours, are still somewhere around the 1-2 year mark. Many 700 hour programs are done in 6 months. So twice that much could easily be done in one year, as long as you are going full time. A full time Acupuncture program generally takes longer, because more hours are required. Even with a specialized BS, you are still going to require at least 1.5 years of schooling to do acupuncture. Usually much more unless your degree was in something extremely similar. A friend who has a BA is doing 3-4 years of full time acupuncture school. I'm pretty sure her program does not have a separate track for BS people. You may be able to skip an Anatomy + Physiology course or something, but most of the classes are based on TCM, not western pre-med.

Just really curious what states this would be applicable in, pueppi. Is texas one of them? Hope I'm not sounding like a complete idiot here. I'm sure you are speaking from experience! Just from what I've learned it doesn't make sense.

Of course, I totally agree that acupuncture is easier to practice as you get into the older years.

Now that I'm thinking, the programs that take up to 3 years are usually the community college programs that are linked with getting your Associates Degree, which is not required by any (?) massage state board, it's just a more extensive educational track you can choose, which is a fine choice for many. These programs usually include some regular college courses as well like math and english composition, etc, thus they take longer.

 

[Kaherine:)]

Not sure where longer massage training would be applicable, but it seems like someone on the forum was talking about it in the past. I also wasn't sure about the Canadians... for more massage school. That's why I thought I'd also throw that in.


Regarding Acupuncture School: To my knowledge you have to have a BS to get into acupuncture school and there is no fast track to take less classes once in.

And yes, that would mean going to class full time, 3 to 4 years once there.

But, I figured it may also be an avenue that Joe may want to explore, since he'd be embarking upon something different for himself anyway.


Oh, and I think Texas just went up to 500 hour massage program. I honestly have to say I haven't kept up on that over the past few years, so I am not positive about that.



Thanks shivashiva for the extra info!

 

[yyyyyy]

Thanks for the clarification, pueppi! I was just scratching my head, because I actually thought of going to acupuncture school before starting MT, and I had figured it to be a lot of extra work. It certainly may be worth it for the ease of treatments...but not for ease of education!

I do think acupuncture is really cool and if I could stomach that much education, I might have gone for it. Sorry for any hijack, hope this has helped!

 

[Tada!(sparklesparkle)]

I was just laying here at 1am, mentally and physically exhausted, but aching too much to sleep. My hands and wrists are pounding and sweating in the compression bandages that I have to wear all night. I was just thinking how I should save at least one person from this miserable existence, to give purpose to all my pain.

The career outlook is fantastic for medical massage therapists who file insurance. Too much so. It took me 8 months to be completely overwhelmed after becoming certified and proficient in my medical modality. A good medical massage program or equivalent CE training is lengthy and expensive. The traditional program that teaches basic Swedish massage and intro to therapy is worthless.

This is my third career, and it's by far the worst thing I've ever done. I knew there would be no health insurance, no matching 401K, or paid vacation. I wish I'd heard another perspective than "I love my new healing profession!" before tearing up my body and crushing my spirit with this soul-sucking job. Here are my experiences:

1. If you're self-employed, there's too much overhead to be profitable or rewarding. For every hour of massage, I have another hour of administrative work, cleaning, etc. I spend most of my time copying paperwork and fighting for every dime from insurance companies. One company reimburses me $23 per massage. I've worked 2 hours for that $23...then I have to deduct rent and other expenses...

2. Employment isn't any better. Spas are all about the drama. I've bailed coworkers out of jail, hidden battered wives, you name it. Chiropractors pay $10 an hour and treat you like worthless garbage.

3. Your earning ability is further limited because you can only do so many massages a week.

4. Massage hurts. You, not the client. I think the number is 80% get carpal tunnel.

5. In some markets, the "happy ending" is EXPECTED and ASSUMED. Even from male therapists.

6. Clients don't care anything about you, despite the pleasantries that come out of their mouths. Just try to say, "I can't feel my feet today, and my hands are tingling. I need to take a week off" and wait for the screams of, "But what about ME, ME, ME?" They're perfectly satisfied using, abusing, then tossing you to the side after you're spent.

I think I've begun to describe the horrors of this profession for many of us. I'll see if I can cry myself to sleep now.

 

[Mackenziee Rose.]

Wow.

Ouch, I'm sorry that you've had such bad experiences. Obviously massage isn't for you and I hope you find the correct pathway soon.

I've been doing massage for almost 17 yrs now so your experiences have been very different from mine.

Best of luck to you,
Angie

 

[Lux Marmont]

Ouch, I'm really sorry you're in so much pain! Doesn't sound like you've had good experiences at all. Thanks for giving your perspective, though.

 

[Frank T]

Joe, I'm a massage therapy student attending part-time (8 month course of 750 hours takes me 16 months! : ).

I'll be 50 in Dec., but there are a couple of other people in 50's. I like being around the young students and all ages, but that's just me.

I'm currently 235 lbs. and there are several students my size or larger. It's good experience because the general public is not all size 2 either! Great practice for side lying massage and bolstering for support, too.

I do plan to continue my full time job after I get licensed and work on outcalls (not zoned to work from my home) and try to build my clientele. I also plan to get more education in CranioSacral Therapy, geriatric massage and these areas don't require as much physical pressure from the therapist.

I'm a dreamer and this is the first time I've ever acted on a dream. If your wife is supportive and if you BOTH are willing to work hard, this can work for you.

 

[Zahra]

After 3 hours of broken sleep, I thought of two more things I wish I had known BEFORE going to school:

1. I was 36 when I left my corporate career as a database developer/mid-level manager, and I'm 41 now. With 12% unemployment in the IT field in my area, I cannot return to my high paying, interesting, un-painful career. I am considered flaky and out of date with the current technology.

So consider the implications of re-entry in your current career if you need an exit strategy.

2. It sounds like you are the kind of person who needs a variety of interesting activities to be happy - me, too. After you establish your practice, massage becomes very boring, despite how much continuing education you do. The field is just too narrow, and clients like routine. I'm being driven nuckin' futs scheduling the same bodies on the same day at the same time every week, walking around the same table in the same room...

In summary: Massage as a career is boring on the good days, draining as a norm, painful and soul-sucking at worst, with no way out. I'm wracking my brain to come up with a single thing I like about massage, but can't think of it.

Please excuse the bitter tone of my posts - it's out of character for me. I haven't had 3 highly successful careers (and a happy 15-year marriage!) with an attitude like this. You're seeing the toll a massage career can take on a person!!!!

 

[Not I]

Ouch- You are right, this was obviously not a good choice for you career wise. I have to admit I have not had anything close to your experience, in fact I have the complete opposite.

But I am glad you shared this. The realities for some are not so great. It's not for everybody and I think people should really think about the realities before entering the profession.

I remember in massage school years ago the instructor said that a very small perceneforum.xxxe of people who graduated will actually still be doing the work 5 years from now. I took a class recently and this instructor said pretty much the same thing.

 

[TheRyno]

]I remember in massage school years ago the instructor said that a very small perceneforum.xxxe of people who graduated will actually still be doing the work 5 years from now. I took a class recently and this instructor said pretty much the same thing.

I think the number is 20% are still doing the same work in 5 years.

I have something else to add to my Female Dog list. I used to play the piano, design and sew my own clothing. I studied classical piano 15 years and used to compete. Now I can't hold a pair of scissors or play piano more than 15 minutes because my hands are torn up. Massage has robbed me of my hobbies!

Yes, I AM working on another career - opening a Bed & Breakfast!

With very few appointments available for massage!

 

[vance1167]

I do plan to continue my full time job after I get licensed and work on outcalls (not zoned to work from my home) and try to build my clientele. I also plan to get more education in CranioSacral Therapy, geriatric massage and these areas don't require as much physical pressure from the therapist.

Be prepared: Everyone wants to do the light work. Even with 20% of MTs actually making it, the market is still glutted with therapists who only do light work, and most clients want deep. It's tough.

I am the only deep tissue therapist in a building with 4 other MTs who only do the lighter work. I have more requests for massage than all 4 combined. They sit around bored, and I'm overwhelmed. They resent me.

Oh, yes, add that to the Female Dog list. Professional jealousy.