NHI Instructor, Mark Nielsen, Leads Sports Massage Workshop at the Ritz-Carlton
National Holistic Institute Massage Therapy instructor, Mark Nielsen, conducted an in-depth workshop on Sports Massage for Therapists at the Ritz Carlton Spa at Half Moon Bay. Rianon Cepriano, the Spa Therapy Supervisor at the Ritz, was extremely grateful to Mark for expanding her staff’s professional skill set.
“The workshop attendees were not only impressed with the knowledge Mark shared with us, but the feedback we’ve been receiving from our guests has been positively glowing! We truly enjoyed Mark’s method of teaching and the knowledge he shared gave us a new perspective on what Sports Massage is and how to apply it in our spa setting,” Cepriano said.
Sports Massage is not just for Olympic athletes; it can be beneficial for anyone who actively uses their muscles. It can be applied before activity, to loosen and warm up muscles; during and just after physical exertion, to relieve pain and stress; or anytime to boost performance by reducing stiffness and muscle fatigue.
Mark said of the experience, “It was great coming up with a workshop on Sports Massage. I used the years of my experience doing competitive sports and thinking about the needs I had as an Athlete in regards to my body & training; then turned that into sharing what those needs are, to therapists who are called upon every day to work on other Athletes.
Graduates of NHI are fully prepared to work with athletes from pre- and post-event massage to muscle maintenance and injury prevention. In addition, Mark organizes continuing education classes and externships for students, from giving massages at marathons, triathlons and other events, to classroom style sports-based bodywork sessions. Mark will continue to define and push the limits of the field by thinking about what an athlete needs or wants and applying effective massage techniques to fulfill those needs.