With so many stresses and strains in life, and so much going on, self-care is vitally important. When you’re struggling to manage your work/life balance or have an illness or condition that is causing pain or mobility issues, a nice massage is often the perfect solution. But how long should a massage be? What length of time should you book your session for?
This is an important consideration, and while cost is often the one that immediately springs to mind for many, there are a few other things to consider before deciding how long to book your massage therapy session for.
Our massage therapy treatments are typically done in 30 or 60 minute time slots. Arguably the sixty-minute massage is the most commonly booked, however, there are times when a thirty-minute massage is the better choice.
To make it nice and easy for you to decide, here are the pros and cons of booking a 30-minute massage vs a 60-minute massage…
30 Minute Massage
While a sixty-minute massage may sound more appealing (more time, more relaxation, right?), there are times that a highly focused massage over a shorter time may be the better choice. For example, if there is a specific area, such as your lower back, or shoulders, that you would like your massage therapist to focus on, a 30-minute massage is the better choice. You wouldn’t want to focus on a single body part for longer than that.
Massage therapy can be just as beneficial for children as it can for adults. This is particularly true if they are athletic, or participate in activities like dance, that require a lot of physical movement and flexibility. The body of a child, however, is usually far smaller than an adult. Even a full body massage doesn’t need as much time when conducted on a child as it does a fully grown adult. Add to this the issues of children sitting comfortably for prolonged periods, and a 30-minute massage is often the best length for a therapy session if the client is a child.
Finally, there is the obvious reason to opt for a thirty-minute massage session, and that’s you’re running short on time, but desperately need to fit in some relaxation. The 30-minute time slot is the perfect solution to all those complaints that you ‘don’t have time to fit it in’!
60 Minute Massage
The 60-minute massage has a lot of benefits. It enables your massage therapist to effectively work on multiple muscle groups without. When you try to cram this into a shorter session it can reduce the effectiveness of the work done, as each area of the body receives limited attention.
Having a full hour for your massage session will also give your massage therapist the time to begin to identify and resolve the root of any pain or tension you may be feeling. For example, while you may be carrying tension in your shoulders, or pain in your leg, the cause of either could actually lie in your back. While a thirty-minute massage will allow your therapist to relieve the immediate tension, it doesn’t allow them to resolve – or even begin to resolve – the underlying cause. This means that tension will inevitably return. So, while your massage will provide some short-term relief, it’s not a long-term fix.
If complete relaxation is the name of the game, or you’re booking in a full body massage, an hour long session ensures there is ample time to get you to that point of peak zen. For full body massages in particular, trying to fit one into a thirty-minute session generally results in it being less effective (on adults at least)
So, How Long Should A Massage Be?
The short answer to the question of how long a massage session should be is, it depends on why you’re getting the massage. If you’re looking for a fast way to fit in a bit of self-care, need a single area focusing on, or are booking in a child, a thirty-minutes is the best bet.
If, on the other hand, you’re seeking maximum relaxation, a massage that covers multiple areas, or a session that discovers and alleviates the underlying causes of pain and tension, a sixty-minute massage is needed.
Whether you need a 30-minute or 60-minute massage session, our professional massage therapists are here to ensure you get all the relaxation and treatment needed. You’ll find us in the heart of Northwich, welcoming clients from Middlewich, Winsford, Knutsford, and the surrounding areas of Cheshire.
