Health and Fitness through Shiatsu Massage
If you're an aspiring massage therapist who wants to work at a spa or health and fitness center, knowing how to provide patients with Shiatsu massage will prove invaluable to your overall practice. For whereas styles such as Thai massage or Lomi Lomi are excellent for full body relaxation, Shiatsu massage is extremely targeted and quite effective for treating individual muscle groups. Given that most health and fitness centers attract athletes who frequently suffer from sore or aching muscles, your skills as a Shiatsu massage therapist will not go unnoticed.

What Is Shiatsu Massage Exactly?
Sometimes called "finger pressure" massage, Shiatsu massage is a style borrowed from ancient Japan in which the practitioner applies deliberate pressure to various muscle groups with his or her fingers. That pressure really gets under the muscles and helps realign the connective tissue and deeper muscle tissue as well. It is especially effective for getting knots and kinks out of a sore back or shoulder. If you have never received a Shiatsu massage yourself, it is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment at your local health and fitness center as soon as possible.

Are There Other Styles You Should Master for Health and Fitness?
While Shiatsu massage therapy is extremely popular, make sure you don't limit yourself to this one particular style. By attending massage therapy school (a must if you want to practice as a licensed massage therapist) you will have an opportunity to study many different massage techniques. Swedish massage, Thai massage, acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, yoga, reflexology, and Reiki will all prove invaluable once you decide to launch your own massage therapy career.