How often should you get a massage? The ultimate guide

We all love indulging in a knot-busting or stress-fighting treatment. But the million dollar question is: how often should you get a massage? It's a common query from our Urban customers, so we've put together this guide to help you figure out the perfect massage frequency for you.

We’ll chat about the key factors to consider when deciding how often to book a massage, looking into the different types of massages out there.

How frequently should you get a massage?

Figuring out how often to treat yourself to a massage depends on a few things:

• How stressed are you?

• What’s your current activity level?

• Do you have any medical conditions?

• What type of massage do you prefer?

These factors mean the ideal time between massage sessions varies for everyone. It could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Things to consider

When planning your next massage, think about these three main factors: stress levels, physical activity levels and medical conditions.

Current stress levels

If your job or home life is super stressful, you might need more frequent massages to keep that stress in check. Massage therapy is great for melting away stress, so if you’re constantly feeling frazzled, more regular treatments can help ease the burden.

Listen to your body. If you’ve just had a massage but feel like you need another one a few days later, go for it. This is common for highly stressed people who find massages essential for managing their stress levels.

Physical activity levels

Next up, consider how active you are. If you’re hitting the gym daily, biking everywhere, playing tennis on weekends, and hiking whenever you can, you might need regular massages to help your body recover from all that activity.

Massage is brilliant for muscle recovery, so if you’re very active, think about scheduling massages more often. But even if you’re not overly active you can still benefit from regular massages to tackle other issues.

Medical conditions

Finally, think about any medical conditions you have. If you’ve got back or spine issues, be cautious and maybe chat with your doctor first. If you’re lucky enough to be in good health, regular massages are generally fine.

Types of massage

The type of massage treatment can affect how often you should leave between sessions. Urban therapists offer a wide range of treatments, from lymphatic drainage to sports massage, so here’s how often you should book each type of massage.

How often should you get a deep tissue massage?

One of the most popular treatments we offer is deep tissue massage,  They can be a bit intense if you’re a massage newbie, but over time they quickly become the go-to treatment for many.

If you’re just starting out with massage therapy, we recommend getting a deep tissue massage once a month or once every two weeks.

If you’re a lot more experienced, you’ll be fine to book a weekly session with your therapist, assuming you have no underlying medical conditions.

Book a mobile deep tissue massage

How often should you get a sports massage?

Good news for those with an active lifestyle – you can enjoy a sports massage once a week if needed. These massages boost performance, reduce muscle soreness, and speed up recovery. If you’re serious about your sport, make sports massages part of your routine.

If you’re serious about improving in your sport, we strongly recommend including sports massage into your routine.

Book a sports massage

How often should you get a lymphatic massage?

When deciding how often to get a lymphatic massage, consider:

• Are you recovering from surgery or an injury?

• How nourishing is your diet?

• What’s your stress level?

• Are you very active?

Book a lymphatic drainage massage

Post surgery/injury recovery

If you’ve recently undergone surgery, or you’re recovering from an injury, regular lymphatic drainage sessions can be super useful. Having weekly sessions can help reduce any swelling or inflammation.

Diet

If your diet’s high in ultra processed foods, more frequent lymphatic massages (weekly or bi-weekly) can help reduce diet-related inflammation.

Stress

Stressed out? Regular lymphatic massages (weekly or bi-weekly) can improve your wellbeing.

Activity

If you’re really active, regular lymphatic massages can be beneficial. Maybe alternate with your sports massages and see what works best.

How often should you have reflexology?

For general health, monthly reflexology sessions are great. But if you’re dealing with stress or health issues, more frequent sessions (weekly or bi-weekly) might be better.

How often should you get a full body massage?

New to massages? A full body massage every month or bi-weekly should be fine. If you’re new, give your body some time after the first session before booking the next one to get used to it. 

How often should you get a Swedish massage?

Swedish massages can be enjoyed weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Consider your goals with this treatment, and if your aim is to reduce pain, a weekly routine might be most beneficial.

Enjoy regular massage treatments with Urban

With Urban, you can enjoy various massages in the comfort of your own home. If you’ve got any questions around massage frequency, or would like to discuss any particular massage treatments in more detail, we recommend asking your pro via the in-app chat. They’ll be happy to discuss your treatment in more detail and answer any questions you may have.

Frequently asked questions around massage frequency

How long should you wait between massages?

Think about your stress levels, physical activity, any medical conditions, and your favourite massage types. These factors will help you decide how long to wait between sessions. If you’re unsure, ask one of our experienced massage therapists.

Are monthly massage treatments worth it?

Yes! As a general rule of thumb, monthly massages offer loads of physical and mental benefits, significantly boosting your overall wellbeing.

Is it okay to get a massage every two weeks?

For most people, bi-weekly massages are great. But some health conditions might require less frequent treatments. If in doubt, check with your doctor.

How long do the benefits of a massage last?

Depending on the type of massage treatment you have, benefits can last anywhere between 24 hours and a couple of weeks. This will depend on the amount of discomfort you were experiencing before the session.

For example, if you were suffering with a long-standing injury and a sports massage helped ease these symptoms, the benefits both physically and mentally may last longer than someone having a relaxing massage.