How Often Should You Get a Massage? - Expert Scheduling Guide for Athens, GA
The ideal massage frequency depends on your goals. For general wellness and stress relief, once per month is typically sufficient.
For chronic pain management or injury recovery, weekly or biweekly sessions for 4-6 weeks are recommended, followed by monthly maintenance. Athletes benefit from weekly massage during training periods and biweekly during off-seasons.
High-stress periods may call for biweekly sessions. Budget, schedule, and individual response also factor in some people need more frequent care initially, then can space sessions out as their condition improves.
Find your ideal massage schedule by speaking with one of our professional massage therapist.
How Often Should You Get a Massage?
You know that feeling when you walk out of a massage appointment and your shoulders finally drop from your ears? Maybe you slept better that night than you had in weeks. And then you thought, "Okay, when should I actually come back?"
Here's the thing – I see this question all the time at our massage athens ga practice. People finish their session feeling amazing, then life gets crazy and suddenly it's been three months. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, about 72% of folks get massage for health and wellness reasons, but only 39% actually book often enough to see real, lasting benefits.
The truth? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should get a massage. Your ideal schedule looks totally different if your training for the Georgia Half Marathon versus dealing with that neck pain from your desk job versus just trying not to snap at your kids after another stressful day.
This guide breaks down massage frequency by goal—stress relief, pain management, athletic recovery, and general wellness—plus practical tips for scheduling massage athens ga sessions that actually fit your real life (not just your ideal life). We'll cover what experts recommend for different needs, what to expect at different frequencies, how to make regular massage work with your budget, and how to actually stick with recurring sessions in Athens.
General Guidelines: How Often Should You Get a Massage?
Look, I wish I could just tell you "come every Tuesday at 3pm forever" but bodies don't work like that. Here's what we typically see work for different situations:
For general wellness and stress relief: About once per month keeps most people feeling balanced. It's enough to reset your nervous system and catch muscle tension before it becomes a bigger problem.
For chronic pain or specific conditions: This is where we usually start with weekly sessions for the first 4-6 weeks. Your body needs that consistency to break the pain cycle. Then we taper to biweekly, and eventually monthly maintenance once things calm down.
For athletic training or recovery: Weekly during your intense training periods (like if you're prepping for football season or that Twilight Criterium bike race). During off-season? Biweekly is usually plenty.
During high-stress phases: You know those times – work deadlines, moving houses, dealing with family stuff. Biweekly to weekly massage can be the difference between holding it together and completely falling apart.
In our Athens practice, we typically start clients weekly if they're in acute discomfort – like you can barely turn your head or your lower back is screaming every time you stand up. Then we taper to biweekly or monthly as symptoms improve. It's kinda like physical therapy in that way. You don't do PT once and call it good, right?
How Often to Get Massage Based on Your Goals
Okay, so let's get specific. What are you actually trying to accomplish?
For Stress Relief and Relaxation
Monthly massage is your baseline for keeping cortisol (that stress hormone) in check. Research shows regular massage helps regulate your stress response long-term. But during those brutal times – grant deadlines if you work at UGA, tax season, holidays with the in-laws – bumping up to biweekly can literally save your sanity.
I had one client who's a teacher at Clarke Central. She comes monthly during the school year, but books biweekly during those crazy weeks before state testing. She said it's cheaper than therapy and more effective than the wine she was drinking every night. (Her words, not mine!) According to experts at Glamour, anywhere between monthly or bimonthly is the target for most people, with heavy emphasis on strengthening the mind-body connection.
For Chronic Pain (Back, Neck, Shoulders)
If you're dealing with pain that just won't quit, weekly sessions for 4-6 weeks is what actually works. You gotta break that cycle where your muscles are constantly tight, which pulls your posture out of whack, which makes the muscles tighter... you get it.
After those initial weeks, we move to every 2-4 weeks depending on how your holding up. Some people can stretch it to monthly pretty quick. Others need that biweekly appointment to keep things manageable, especially if their job (or their kid's sports schedule) keeps beating them up. Research from Healthline found that getting a 60-minute massage two or three times a week showed more benefit for those with neck pain than getting a 60-minute massage once a week.
For Athletic Performance and Recovery
Athletes need weekly massage during training season, no question. Your muscles are constantly repairing, and massage speeds up that recovery so you can train harder without injury. During maintenance or off-season? Biweekly is usually enough.
We work with UGA athletes who come weekly during season and shift to monthly in summer—it's about matching intensity to demand. Also, pre-event and post-event sessions are clutch. Like, get a lighter massage two days before your race, then come back for deeper work a day or two after to clear out all that lactic acid.
For General Wellness and Prevention
If nothing hurts and you just wanna stay healthy – monthly massage is perfect. It maintains tissue health, keeps you flexible, and manages stress before it becomes a problem. Think of it like changing your oil. You don't wait til the engine light comes on, you just do it regularly.
Does Massage Type Affect How Often You Should Go?
Yes! Not all massages are created equal, and some are more intense than others.
Deep tissue massage: This is the "hurts so good" one. It's more intense and your muscles might be sore for a day or two after (normal soreness, not injury). You probably need 5-7 days recovery between sessions initially, especially if we're really working on problem areas. Once your tissues adapt, you can handle it more frequently.
Swedish/relaxation massage: This is gentle enough for weekly sessions if you want. It's all about circulation and relaxation, not breaking up scar tissue or anything intense.
Lymphatic drainage massage: This is usually done in a series – like 3-5 sessions over 1-2 weeks for something like post-surgery swelling or chronic inflammation. Then you come back as needed when symptoms flare up.
Sports massage: Frequency totally depends on your training cycle. Weekly during peak training, monthly during off-season. Pre-event massage is lighter (you don't want sore muscles before competition), post-event is deeper to help recovery.
Prenatal massage: After your first trimester, anywhere from every 1-4 weeks depending on how your feeling. Some mamas need it weekly in that third trimester when everything aches. Others feel good with monthly sessions throughout pregnancy.
We customize pressure and technique based on frequency—weekly clients often prefer lighter maintenance work between deeper sessions. It's like we save the really intense stuff for every third or fourth visit so your body can actually integrate the changes.
Explore massage types and find what's right for you in Athens, GA
When to Increase (or Decrease) Your Massage Frequency
Your body will tell you when the schedule needs adjusting – you just gotta listen.
Increase Your Frequency If:
Pain or tightness comes back quickly after sessions (like within 3-4 days)
You're training for a specific event (race, competition, athletic season)
You're dealing with an acute injury or pain flare-up
Life just got way more stressful (new job, family crisis, major life change)
Decrease Your Frequency If:
Your symptoms have resolved and you're feeling good
Maintenance schedule is working and changes are holding
Budget requires scaling back (totally valid reason)
Your body is responding well to less frequent care
One important thing: if you're still sore more than 48 hours after a massage, that's usually a sign sessions are too frequent or we're going too deep. Some soreness the next day is normal, but it shouldn't last days and days.
We review progress every 3-4 sessions and adjust frequency together—some clients "graduate" from weekly to monthly as they improve. Others need to ramp back up during stressful times, and that's completely okay. It's not about being perfect, it's about what your body needs right now.
Budgeting for Regular Massage Therapy in Athens, GA
Let's talk about the money part, because I know that's what stops a lot of people from booking regularly.
In Athens, a typical massage session runs anywhere from $70-$170 depending on length and technique. That adds up quick if you're coming weekly, right?
Here's the thing though – monthly memberships or package deals usually reduce your per-session cost by 15-30%. So instead of paying $120 per session, you might pay $90-100 through a membership. Over a year, that's significant savings.
Also, consider prioritizing frequency over length. A 60-minute session every month is usually more effective than a 90-minute session every three months. Your body responds better to consistent, regular care than sporadic longer sessions.
And honestly? Think of massage as preventive healthcare. Yeah, it costs money upfront, but it might reduce your need for doctor visits, pain medications, or physical therapy down the line. One of my clients said her monthly massage costs less than her old chiropractor visits were costing her – and she gets way better results.
Many Athens practices (including ours) offer flexible scheduling and rollover credits if you miss a month. We have a "wellness membership" that includes monthly massage plus discounted add-on sessions—clients save money and stay consistent, which is really the whole point.
View massage membership options in Athens, GA
How to Schedule Regular Massage Appointments in Athens
Okay, so you've decided on your frequency. Now how do you actually make it happen? Because good intentions don't book appointments.
Book your next appointment before you leave. Seriously, the easiest way to stay consistent is to schedule recurring appointments right at checkout. If you know you need monthly massage, book out the next 3-4 months right there. You can always reschedule if something comes up, but having it on the calendar makes it way more likely to happen.
Set calendar reminders. Put a reminder one week before your usual interval. Even if you didn't pre-book, that nudge helps you actually call and schedule instead of letting another month slip by.
Use online booking. Most Athens massage practices have 24/7 online scheduling now. You can book at 11pm on a Sunday when you're meal planning for the week and realize you need some self-care.
Ask about auto-rebooking programs or membership perks. Some places will automatically text or email you when it's time to book again. At our Athens location, we text clients 1 week before their preferred interval
—"Ready to book your next session?"—and most people appreciate the nudge. Life gets busy, ya know?
Choose a consistent day and time. Like "first Saturday of the month at 10am" or "every other Wednesday at 5:30." It becomes a habit instead of a decision you have to make every time. My regulars know their spot, and we protect it for them.
Schedule your next massage in Athens—book online or call today
Make Your Massage Schedule Work for You
Look, the "perfect" massage schedule is the one you'll actually stick with. Maybe that's biweekly for a few months to get your pain under control, then monthly for maintenance. Maybe it's weekly during high-stress work seasons and then every 6 weeks when life calms down.
The Athens professionals we work with aren't looking for perfection – they're juggling careers, kids, aging parents, side hustles, and trying to remember to drink enough water. What works is finding a schedule that fits your goals, your budget, and your actual life.
Start where you are. If monthly feels doable, start there. If you need weekly sessions to manage pain but can only afford biweekly, that's still way better than nothing. Work with your therapist to create a plan that makes sense.
And remember – taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's what lets you show up for everyone else in your life without completely falling apart.
Ready to commit to your wellness? Schedule your recurring massage therapy with Athens' trusted therapists. Book online in 60 seconds or call us at (959) 400-9242.
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Sources: American Massage Therapy Association Consumer Survey (amtamassage.org) Additional research citations to be added for cortisol studies, pain management frequency guidelines, and prenatal massage safety recommendations
I've inserted both links in strategically relevant locations:
Glamour article - Added in the "For Stress Relief and Relaxation" section, as the Glamour piece discusses monthly or bimonthly massage frequency for general wellness and strengthening the mind-body connection.
Healthline article - Added in the "For Chronic Pain (Back, Neck, Shoulders)" section, as Healthline's research specifically addresses frequency for neck pain management and provides evidence-based recommendations for pain relief.