Massage in the Media

This exhibit has been traveling the country (and the world), and I have been wanting to see it for months! I’ve developed an interest in anatomy and physiology (A&P to you students) not only through my work at MASSAGE Magazine, but also through my husband, who teaches A&P and biology at a local university.

So far, I’ve only seen the videos on the official site, http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/.

How does seeing the interior of the body in 3-D affect the way you perform massage? When you study A&P, what surprises you most — the muscles, the skeleton, the organs, or the functions? Do you feel your skills and abilities are improved with this visual knowledge?

In the current (October 2007) issue of MASSAGE, we have an article about the importance of sleep. It describes the health concerns associated with lack of sleep and gives pointers on getting a good, quality night’s sleep. Naturally, this would be important for a busy massage therapist. (See “Sweet Slumber: How High-quality Sleep Enables You to Lead a High-Quality Life.”)

But what about massage therapy students?

Well, USA Today recently ran a story entitled “College students’ performance suffers from lack of sleep.” Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But did you know that those all-nighters can actually lower your GPA? How is that possible when you get an A on your anatomy test after cramming into the wee hours the night before?

I think the key is in the sentence about basketball players whose performance improved “over a period in which they slept at least 10 hours a night.” Over a period.

Your grades may benefit from all-nighters in the short term, but this is not a sustainable lifestyle.

What is your opinion? What have your experiences been like? How many hours of sleep do you need to perform well? Post a comment!