How Often Should You Get a Massage?
One of the most common questions I get asked is:
"How often should I get a massage?"
The honest and probably boring answer is...
It depends.
Just hear me out. Everyone has different goals, jobs, hobbies, and frankly, different lives. The amount of massage that's right for one person may be completely different for someone else.
Think of massage like servicing your car
Most people don't wait until their car completely breaks down before getting it serviced (And if you do, please stop doing that)
Our bodies aren't much different.
If you wait until you're so sore you turn into Batman and can barely turn your head, it will often take longer to get you moving freely and moving more comfortably.
Your lifestyle matters
How often you might benefit from massage depends on things like:
How physically demanding your job is.
How often you train or play sport.
Your stress levels.
Previous injuries.
How your body feels from day to day.
Generally speaking, the more physical demands you place on your body, the more regularly you may benefit from some form of bodywork.
That doesn't necessarily mean every week. It just means your recovery needs may be greater than someone with fewer physical demands.
Massage is just one layer of the hierarchy
Massage doesn't work in isolation.
One of the ways we think massage helps is by providing your nervous system with positive input through touch, movement and pressure. This may help reduce your body's protective response, making movement feel easier and muscle tension less noticeable. I've explained this in more detail in my article on How massage may help with pain.
Massage is just one part of the recovery puzzle. Sleep, movement, strength training and managing stress all influence how your body recovers too. If you're interested, have a read through my Recovery Hierarchy to see how they all fit together.
Finding your "minimum effective dose"
This is the way I like to think about massage or bodywork.
Rather than thinking,
"How often should I come?"
Think more along the lines of,
"What's the least amount of bodywork I need to keep doing the things I want to do?"
For some people, that might be every few weeks during a busy training block.
For others, it might be once every couple of months.
The goal isn't to become dependent on massage, it’s to find the amount that helps you continue working, training, and enjoying life without feeling completely run down.
Don't wait until you're broken
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people waiting until the pain is stopping them from doing the things they enjoy.
Massage doesn't have to be something you only book when you're desperate.
Perhaps it's simply one part of looking after your body before small things become a bigger problem.
The takeaway
There isn't a perfect number.
The right frequency depends largely on your lifestyle and the demands you place on your body.
My advice is simple:
Don't wait until you're too sore to move.
Find the minimum amount of massage that helps you keep doing the things that matter to you.