Category: Booking sessions

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What length of session should I book?

15, 30, 45, 60, 75 or 90 min. treatments? We have them all, but which one is right for you?

As a rule of thumb, you can assume that “half of the body” can be treated in half-an-hour. Choose a 30 minute treatment for straightforward issues of either upper or lower body. Go for a full-hour treatment when your issues are more complicated or you want both upper and lower body treated. If you are not sure, 45 minutes often can be the ideal session duration for your first visit.

15 minute treatments are useful as pre- or post-performance sessions or when you simply don’t have time for a half-hour-session.

90 minutes may be necessary for extensive work on several issues, but it can often be more advisable to choose several sessions rather than trying to sort everything out in one.

Taking good care of your body also means taking good care of small injuries before they turn into more serious ones. If you don’t feel that anything is wrong with your muscles and you feel generally fit and healthy, a regular massage session of 1 hour every 3-4 weeks will help you stay that way.

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Massages for marathon runners

There are three kinds of massage relevant to marathon runners:

Deep tissue massage

Treats injuries and tightness. This treatment is ideal at any time during your training up to one week before the competition. The last week before the run is required to give the body time to recover, so the only useful massage in that time is the light pre-competition massage (see below).

The duration of the session depends on the issues to be dealt with. A simple case of scar tissue in the vastus medialis leading to knee pain, for example, can sometimes be successfully resolved in a single 30 minute session, while a case of plantar fasciitis may require a series of 45 minute sessions, for example.

For the first 24-36 hours after a deep massage, you should not subject your muscles to intense training. The tissue needs time to “implement” the benefits of the massage. Going back to full training within that period is likely to cause inflammation. You should also ensure that you drink enough water to help your body flush out waste products.

Pre-competition massage

A general massage which improves circulation throughout the soft tissues and generally loosens up the muscles. It is particularly useful in the last few days before the competition. A 30-minute session is enough for the whole body.

Post-competition massage

Uses the same approach as pre-competition massage. It can greatly support and speed up recovery after the marathon and is ideal in the first day after the race.