Massage minutes go by faster than the rest.
If you’ve ever been to a spa or any other place where massage therapy is offered, you probably know that massage therapists provide treatments for assorted lengths of time. Three typical massage lengths are 30 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes.
The most common massage in a spa environment is a 60-minute massage. As a massage therapist at a chiropractic office, I’d say I give about an equal amount of 30-minute and 60-minute massages. I give occasional 90-minute massages and have only given a single two-hour massage.
Which should you choose? The one that’s best for you depends on what you expect to get out of your massage.
30-minute Massage
- What it is:A 30-minute massage is a great maintenance massage for one area of the body. (Most of my 30-minute clients enjoy my combination shoulder, low-back, neck, and scalp massage.) It can also offer you a quick breather in the midst of a stressful day. Another major “pro” of a 30-minute massage is that it’s usually pretty cheap.
- What it isn’t: 30 minutes isn’t the intended length of time for a full body massage; it simply isn’t enough time to adequately address all areas of the body. If I were to break down a general full body massage into 30 minutes, I wouldn’t have enough time to do extra work on any of the muscles after I warmed them up.
60-Minute Massage
- What it is: 60 minutes is enough time to fit in a relaxing full body massage. An hour gives me time to warm up muscles pay a little extra special attention to problem areas. A 60-minute massage will be more expensive than a 30-minute massage, but many massage therapist offices and spas won’t actually double the cost for double the time. Generally, you’ll get more massage for your buck if you choose a longer massage. (For example, if a chiropractic office charged $40 for 30 minutes, it might charge $65 for 60 minutes.)
- What it isn’t: Some clients don’t feel that 60 minutes is quite enough time for them to be on the table when they want a well-rounded treatment. As a therapist, I agree. I can give a full-body massage in 60 minutes but I still feel rushed. For example, sometimes I’ll have already worked on a person’s back for 20 minutes but then run across a problem area right before I go onto the next body part. I have no choice but to tell my client something like, “I can continue to work on this spot and not work on your arms and legs, or I can just continue on
90-minute+ Massage
- What it is: 90 minutes is blissful. It’s enough time for me to slow down, ignore the clock a bit, and listen closely to what a client’s body is telling me. It’s also enough time for me to try out new massage techniques. Some of my clients say, “Once you try a 90-minute massage, you will never want to go back to shorter ones.” A 90-minute massage is naturally more expensive than your other options, but it also is usually cheapest per minute. I couldn’t say whether you should get a 30-minute massage every two weeks or one 90-minute massage every six weeks; that really depends on how often your body needs maintenance.
- What it isn’t: A 90-minute massage isn’t for people who have trouble lying in one position for extended periods of time. It also isn’t a frequent treatment option for people who are on a tight budget. However, I urge you to try it once to decide whether it suits you.
