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.

Give the gift of massage this season.

If you’re having trouble finding the perfect Christmas gift for your friends and relatives this year, may I make a recommendation? Get them a massage.

I know, I know. It’s a bit predictable for a licensed massage therapist with a massage therapy blog to recommend massage as a present, but who could possibly be better equipped to make a case for it? It would be a sin for me not to say something on its behalf.

Massage is easily transportable. You don’t have to assemble, ship, or wrap up a massage gift certificate. Simply put the certificate in an envelope or gift card holder and slide it into your mom’s stocking or send it to your cousin eight states away.

Massage can be for anyone. Even your dad, who says he already has everything, can enjoy a massage for Christmas. It certainly won’t be another gag gift to pile into his den. Even your great aunt could benefit from massage. If an older relative is wary about getting a massage for the first time, you can also buy a massage for yourself and offer to take her out for a spa day. Once she finally goes she’ll be hooked.

Massage is a great way to say thank-you. This year, skip out on the gift baskets or extra tips for your child’s teacher, the mailman, and your hairdresser. A massage gift certificate is more personal and it will go a long way for people who endure stressful days to make your life better.

Massage can also be a great group gift. Talk to your superiors at work to arrange (and pay) for a corporate massage therapist to come to your office. After your coworkers get a seated massage, they will go back to work feeling a little less stressed out—and a little more thankful for you—in the midst of the workplace holiday mayhem.

Massage can fit many budgets. You can opt to splurge on a 90-minute hot stone massage for your best friend or get a 30-minute pick-me-up for the members of your immediate family. I also mentioned in a previous post that many cheap massage deals are out there. If you want to buy in bulk, consider getting all of your family members (even your least favorite ones) certificates for a 10-minute chair massage at a massage station in your local mall. If you decide to hand out gift certificates before Christmas Day, you will give them a good excuse to take a little rejuvenating break from their holiday shopping.

Massage can be free. When I was a little kid, I used to give my mom the gift of “coupons” for things like free hugs and house vacuuming. It sounds a little silly, but if someone gave me a home-made coupon for an eight minute back massage, (example here) I definitely wouldn’t laugh or complain. Would you? I urge you to try it out if you’re strapped for cash. An added bonus: picking up the new skill could make you everyone’s favorite friend/relative in the very near future.

From what I’ve read, Bob Hope got a massage every day of his professional life. The man lived to be over 100 years old! Wouldn’t it be great if we each had the money to hire a personal massage therapist? Maybe if that were the case the world would see less war. Maybe we’d hug out our problems the way our parents told us to when we got into fights with our siblings.

So the reality is that most of us don’t have money like Bob Hope and political leaders aren’t quite hugging out war-related issues. Yet another reality is that massage is now turning into less of a luxury and more of a necessity. More massage therapy options are giving people (such as struggling massage therapists and freelance writers) the chance to get a well-deserved, quality massage at a discount.

Here are four major ways to find a cheap massage no matter where you live:

1. Look Up Massage Therapy Schools – Just use a search engine to locate massage therapy schools in your city. Most massage therapy schools require their students to have a certain amount of hands-on hours at a student clinic. Massage therapy school websites will give you the information you need to determine the cost of a student massage. If the site itself does not give you this information, the school will definitely provide a phone number. Massage therapy schools often charge between $25 and $40 for a 50 to 60 minute long treatment. That’s less than a third of what you would pay for a massage at most spas. Schools are even cheaper than Massage Envy, plus you won’t have to worry about schools automatically taking money out of your bank account every month.

2. Visit a Chiropractor’s Office – If you can’t find a massage therapy school near where you live, visit Google once more to find local chiropractors. More and more, chiropractors are hiring massage therapists to provide an assortment of massage therapy modalities for patients. Chiropractors also generally charge much less than a spa would charge for a 50 to 60 minute massage. The office I currently work for has a sliding scale depending on the services a person chooses to receive from us, but our “Wellness Package” is very popular. With that package, $40 covers a single 53-55 minute massage or two 25-minute massages per month.

3. Find Cheap Seasonal Deals – This method will take a little bit of research on your part, but if you manage to snag a great deal you won’t regret the effort you put into it. When you look around at spas and hotels near you, you will find that, especially around special occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, most places that offer massages will also offer cheap massage deals. A common discount is something along the lines of a “2-4-1 Romantic Getaway Massage”.

4. Travel Off-Season – If you’re only looking for a luxurious spa day at a discount, the best way to find a fancy cheap massage is to plan an off-season vacation to a place like Scottsdale, AZ where there are tons of luxurious day spas. In Scottsdale, this means: visit during the summer! It is sweltering hot between the months of May and September, and many spas have to offer cheap massage deals because most people don’t want to “vacation” in 112 degree weather. The weather really isn’t a big issue if you’re planning to spend most of your time getting pampered indoors anyway. Keep an open mind!

Tips/Warnings:

• When you visit a chiropractor’s office or massage therapy school for a cheap massage, don’t expect a bells-and-whistles treatment that involves aromatherapy, cucumber eye masks, chanting, and rain sticks. You may be able to find one, but if actually you do I’d like to hear about it.
• Avoid “cheap massage” places that are open until midnight. This also goes for “cheap massage” places where the therapists wear long fake nails and high heels.
• There is a chance that visiting a student clinic will mean that you get a less experienced therapist. This may occasionally mean that the quality of the massage is diminished, professional massage therapists also vary in quality. (Besides, you can simply opt to visit on a different day if you want to avoid getting the same therapist.) Let student therapists know if you have any health conditions so they can ask supervisors for assistance if necessary.