Regular Massage? How Often is Beneficial for Me?

Happy New Year! As we reflect on what we accomplished in 2011, it’s a great time of year to plan for where we want to go in 2012. What are your goals? Your dreams? Are you going to reach for the stars this year? Do you want more time with the family, to gain more productivity or success at work, or are you selecting the ever popular “lose weight” resolution?

Whatever your resolution is (or isn’t for those who don’t make them or stick to them!), one of the most important things in life is your health. When you’re sick or in pain, everything in your life suffers…your relationships with family/friends may suffer because you feel awful (you can’t keep up with them on the tennis court with a sore hip), or you may have to stay home from work when your back decides to go out which may cause your success to be less than productive.

If you want to take care of yourself and your health in 2012, consider regular massage. What exactly does “regular massage” mean? People often ask me how often they should get massage. There is no one-size fits all when it comes to massage frequency. “Regular” massage can be a different frequency for everyone, and it can vary over time for a person. The frequency of how often you should get in for massage or bodywork depends on your body, how you respond to bodywork and how active you are.

Rehab an Injury
If you are trying to recover from an injury, the frequency may be more often for shorter amounts of time (e.g. 30 minute massage sessions 2 or 3 times per week). Once you have fully recovered from an injury, it’s a good idea to get on a preventative maintenance schedule to avoid future injuries.

Athletic Feats of Accomplishment
If you enjoy pushing your body to the edge with strenuous athletic activities, do repetitive activities (golf, weight lifting, even knitting!) or are training for an athletic event (marathon, century bike ride, etc.), you will find that weekly 60 or 90 minute massage sessions keep you performing at your peak. The therapist will work through tight muscles that have not had a chance to become problematic yet and you will be able to continue to train at a level that will help you attain your goal.

Preventative Maintenance
For the person who doesn’t want unforeseen musculoskeletal problems to arise in their lives (remember when your back when out after you stood up from that long car ride to visit relatives this past holiday season?), massage every 4 – 5 weeks is ideal. This frequency helps alleviate physical tightness, but it can also relieve stress of a hectic work schedule, holiday stress (good thing that is gone!), and improve the quality of your sleep. By moving the body into the parasympathetic state, our body shifts out of “fight-or-flight” mode and into “rest-and-digest” mode. Circulation improves, endorphins are released into the blood stream, and cortisol levels are decreased with regular massage. The benefits are numerous.

Many who work out and perform repetitive motion activities think that massage is only needed once you start feeling pain or there is an injury. In the long run, if you receive massage “regularly” (whatever that is for you), the benefits compound. You are less stressed out physically and mentally, you are able to continue working out/training athletically (which again reduces stress and keeps those excess pounds off), and may even cost you less than if you wait until you have an injury and have to come in for multiple sessions, take time off to go to see a Doctor/chiropractor, etc.. Plus, many therapists offer a reduced rate if you purchase more than one session. I offer package specials of 3, 5 and 10 sessions that have a price reduction the more sessions you purchase together.

Don’t you deserve to take care of yourself this year? Give yourself what your body ordered for 2012…relaxation for your mind, body and spirit. May 2012 be the year you hit that PR!