We cannot deny the fact that massage can bring so many benefits to our physical and mental health. But, the main concern is, how often should you get a massage to maximize all of its benefits?
You probably wonder how often should you have a massage to soothe or get the benefits you want for your particular physical or mental status. In general, the more massage sessions we get, the better we feel. However, massage frequency is also crucial for our health. In addition, massage frequency may vary depending on our physical and mental condition. Therefore, there is a specific recommended massage frequency in every situation.
So, in this post, we will talk about how often to get a massage based on specific conditions. Let’s start!
Table of Contents
How Often Should You Get A Massage?
The following sections will explain how often to get a massage based on particular situations.
Normal Healthy Person Massage for General Health and Relaxation
If you are a person whose health with minimal to no physical and mental condition, once to twice a month is ideal. Massage can assist you in coping up with the stresses and strains you may experience in your daily life. Once you deal with a rough patch or stress, you can temporarily raise the massage frequency. Massage helps you cope up and soothe, as well as relax your mind and body.
Person Who Has Injury
If you have an injury, this might be a different case. First, of course, we tend to get a massage to soothe and heal the injury. You are probably wondering how often should you have a massage to aid the healing process of your injury.
In this case, having a weekly session of massage is the standard recommendation. Also, it would help if you asked for a massage therapist’s guidance for a better healing process. You may also extend the time between your treatments.
Massage For Stress Relief
If you are working in high-stress environments or living conditions, massage is very helpful to relax your mind and body. For this matter, you might need a massage weekly or once every two weeks. Based on studies, massage therapy is an excellent way to manage stress. It helps ease your tired mind and body. Massage is a good stress reliever, and many people can prove that.
With a weekly massage session, you can easily cope and manage the tension build-up that comes from stressful circumstances, either at work, home, or school (for adults). In fact, just knowing that you will be getting a massage once every week or two weeks feels like heaven.
Massage For Insomnia
For sure, many of you probably have insomnia. Having this condition may be very impactful to your physical and mental health. You might not want to risk your health, of course, so having a massage is an excellent way to improve your sleep and induce relaxation in your body. It is one of the good benefits of massage – to manage insomnia.
For people with insomnia, how often should you get a massage? Having a message every day indeed feels good, but it is recommended to get a massage once a week for people concerned about their insomnia. It is the ideal massage frequency for that particular condition. Though we have all the right to decide the way we want, it is still advisable to follow the professional’s advice, right?
Massage For Those Looking For Pain Reduction And Management
Pain management and pain reduction may also be different cases. If you are dealing with severe pain in your body, it is advisable to get a massage once to thrice within the first week. In some cases, massage sessions may last two to three weeks in order to aid/soothe the healing process or pain in your body.
Once the pain is reduced, you may also lessen the massage frequency. In most cases, it may be reduced to once a week massage session or once every two weeks.
Massage For Pregnant Ladies Or Dealing With Postpartum
There might be some misconceptions about pregnant ladies getting a massage. It is best to avoid a massage until the 13th week of pregnancy for the safety of the pregnant ladies and their babies. But, if you are pregnant, once you pass your 13th week, having a massage bi-weekly is an excellent way to ease stress and tension on your hips and waist, as well as in your knees.
Massage For Athletes
If you are an athlete, massage frequency may vary depending on your sport, athletic goals, as well as your training schedule. A massage therapist can help you assess the massage frequency that your body and goals need. But, for a standard recommendation, you may get a massage once or twice per week.
This way, you can maintain your flexibility, and it helps to prevent injuries. However, when your intensive activities reduce, you may also need to lessen your massage session. Getting a body massage once or twice a month is enough.
Benefits For Regular Massage Routine
We all know that massage can bring benefits to our bodies. But, we must also know the fact that having a regular massage routine is much better for our physical and mental health.
As much as possible, you must maintain the massage routine to get all the potential benefits. Just remember that once your start a massage routine then stops suddenly, you might need to start all over again to achieve your fitness goal. Therefore, it is recommended to have a monthly massage rather than having a number of treatments in just a couple of weeks.
So, what benefits can regular massages bring? Well, there’s a lot, but the main advantages of massage are:
Relaxation
When you are in a massage session, you are just sitting down or lying down. That alone is already relaxing, isn’t it? At this very moment, your heart rate can be calm, and your blood circulation is good. Relaxation occurs because massage can release endorphins, which produce feelings of wellbeing.
When we are getting a massage, it reduces the levels of stress hormones in our body, such as norepinephrine, cortisol, and adrenaline. In fact, when we have higher levels of stress hormones, it breaks our immune system. In other words, maintaining a regular massage routine induces relaxation, improving the immune system.
Reduction of Stress
Massage can alleviate stress. The stress level is sometimes determined by how much we relax or how much we are able to get a rest. If we get enough relaxation and rest, it helps boost our immune system and our mind, which lessens our stress.
Relieves Pain
When you have a massage to ease pain, then it might be more effective with regular massage routines. As you get a massage, your condition improves until you get to the recovery phase. In the recovery stage, you may still need the massage but not as often as before. Once your condition becomes good, not only do you achieve your goal, but you get to maximize massage benefits.
Improve Blood Circulation
Since our body and mind are relaxed during massage sessions, our blood circulation also improves. So, maintaining a regular massage routine can maintain good blood circulation. As a result, blood can flow freely and properly throughout your body, improving your heart rate, muscles, as well as immune system.
Muscle Tension Release
Massage is very powerful for muscle tension. If you are prone to intensive activities or work, your muscles might always be exhausted, leading to tension or bruises. So, this is when a regular massage routine is beneficial. Just like we mentioned earlier, massage can maintain our body’s flexibility and prevent injuries. In addition, keeping a massage routine helps our muscles be in good condition, prepared for any intensive workouts or activities.
Stimulates Lymphatic System
Massage can assist in facilitating the lymphatic system in the body. Getting a massage is a treatment, relaxing our nervous system.
Beyond the massage benefits for certain conditions, many people are so fond of massage because it can produce the feeling of comfort, caring, and connection. But, we should not forget that massage is not a replacement for medical care or treatment despite its benefits. Yes, it is a good alternative but for severe or serious conditions, seeking medical care with a professional is still advisable.
Final Thoughts
Now that we are about to end our discussion, you may know how often you should get a massage based on your specific need and condition. However, for most people, having a massage once a month will be enough for our body and mind to cope up and manage what we are going through.
Before you start your massage routine, you must be clear with your needs and goals. Then, remember, massage frequency may depend on your condition. Of course, massage sessions cannot be as fulfilling without the aid of massage therapists. They are the ones who can definitely guide you all along with the proper process.
You may also want to browse through all different types of home use massage equipment for your personal use.