How Often Should I Get a Massage?

Bob Hope got a massage every day for 63 years and credited his longevity to massage. In a perfect world, I think everyone would get a massage once a week. But I know that’s aspirational and not practical for everyone. 

So how do I really answer that question? It depends. 

For pain and rehab

If you are seeking massage for pain relief from an injury or long-term issue, or as part of a rehab plan after surgery, a shorter session a few times a week may be appropriate for a few weeks, then we can move into twice monthly or monthly maintenance visits.

As part of a training regimen

Training for a marathon? Weekly or twice monthly massage can keep you feeling good as you increase your miles and speed, and can help you recover after longer runs. Regular massage is useful in preventing injuries as you train and helping you to notice changes or issues as they crop up. 

For stress relief

Again, weekly massage is awesome for helping to regulate sleep patterns, reduce the physical manifestations of stress in your body and help you maintain a more relaxed and calm demeanor. For anxiety and stress relief, I suggest you get a massage as often as your schedule and budget allow. For some of my clients that means weekly, twice a month, or monthly massage. I have a few clients who come in once per quarter or just twice a year. 

Make a plan

Regardless of how often you decide to get a massage, it’s worthwhile to think through how massage helps you and what frequency works for your life. 

Massage is fantastic as preventive care for you and your body. It can keep you from slowing down due to aches and pains that creep up on you. 

A stressful day or repetitive motions can cause some muscles to start to tighten and rebel. It’s just a little annoyance, but more stress and repetitive motions cause more muscle tightening. It can happen so gradually you don’t become aware of the problem until you sleep wrong, or stress your body in a way that makes everything spasm, or just realize you can’t put your sweatshirt on without tweaking the pain. 

This is why massage therapists suggest regular massage. It keeps you better in tune with your body and helps to keep small problems from developing into bigger ones.

If you don’t remember what it’s like to feel good, or you haven’t been getting massages regularly, make an appointment and get started. Your body and brain will be glad you did.