PJBL Massage Therapy Optimizing Mountain Climbers' Fitness: Massage Therapy Education with Physiotherapy Students of FIKES UPNVJ

FIKES UPNVJ - Jakarta, December 03, 2024 – In an effort to support the health and fitness of climbers at UKM Mapala Halmahera, students of the Physiotherapy Study Program, Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jakarta held an educational activity with the theme “Education on the Application of Massage Techniques to Improve Physical Health Before and After Climbing in the Nature Lover Community”.

The activity, which took place on November 29, 2024, was held at the UKM Mapala Halmahera Basecamp, Cimanggis, Depok, West Java, and was attended by 15 members of Mapala Halmahera. This event aims to equip participants with basic knowledge and skills in massage therapy, which can be used to maximize physical fitness before climbing and accelerate the recovery of minor injuries that often occur during climbing activities.

The activity began with singing the song Indonesia Raya and the National Defense March, hosted by MCs, Keisya Vani Cellin Hutajulu and Renaya Alya Dwintasari. Next, remarks were given by Kefi Noviantri Taneo as the chief executive, and Fahmi Nurfadillah as the head of UKM Mapala Halmahera, STT Terpadu Nurul Fikri Depok. After that, participants filled out a pre-test as an initial step to measure their knowledge before participating in the education.

The event continued with the delivery of material by Malistia Yuan Dwi Rahma and Nadia Syifa Salsabila, in the form of massage techniques for the preparation and physical recovery of climbers. The material was accompanied by a demonstration of massage techniques that participants could practice directly. This session ended with an interactive question and answer session between participants and the presenters to clarify the information that had been given.

In the closing session, participants filled out a post-test to evaluate their understanding after the education. Participants were also given the opportunity to convey their impressions and messages about this activity. The event ended with the presentation of certificates to Mapala Halmahera as an appreciation, as well as a joint documentation session guided by Ningrum Padila.

This activity is one of the fulfillments of the final assignment for the Massage Therapy Course as well as a real form of Physiotherapy services in the form of promotive and preventive in supporting the improvement of public health, especially communities that are active in physical activities such as mountain climbing. Based on the average value, there was a significant increase in participant knowledge, from 64% in the pre-test to 78% in the post-test. This shows that education on the application of massage techniques in the Halmahera Mapala Community is effective in increasing participants' understanding of maintaining physical health before and recovering after climbing.

We would like to thank Andy Sirada, SST.FT, M.Fis, AIFO as the supervising lecturer who has provided direction and guidance during the preparation and implementation of this activity. We also express our gratitude to UKM Mapala Halmahera, STT Terpadu Nurul Fikri Depok, who has given permission and fully supported so that this activity can be carried out very well.