How often should you get a sports massage?

There's no universal answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your training is selling something. What follows is honest guidance based on training load and what you're trying to achieve.

Rough guide by training load

Training 5–6+ times a week

Every 2–3 weeks is reasonable. At that volume tissue doesn't get much chance to recover on its own, and regular treatment keeps small restrictions from becoming injuries that cost you weeks.

Training 3–4 times a week

Roughly monthly works well for most people. Often enough to stay on top of tightness, not so often that you're spending money for the sake of it.

Training once or twice a week, or generally active

Every 6–8 weeks, or simply when you notice something. Many people in this group book as needed rather than to a schedule, which is perfectly sensible.

Working through a specific problem

Two or three sessions relatively close together — a week to ten days apart — then spacing out as things improve. Long-standing tension rarely resolves in one go, but it shouldn't need endless appointments either.

Training for an event

Regular maintenance through the training block, then a lighter session around 3–5 days before the event. Deep work in the final 48 hours is a bad idea — you can arrive on the start line feeling flat or tender.

Signs it's time to book

• Soreness after training is lasting noticeably longer than it used to
• A specific area feels tight most days rather than occasionally
• Your range of movement has quietly reduced — a stretch you used to manage easily now doesn't
• A niggle keeps reappearing in the same place
• You're compensating: favouring one side, changing how you lift or run
• Sleep or stress levels have been poor for a sustained stretch

Can you have too much?

Yes. Deep work more than about once a week on the same area doesn't give tissue time to settle, and you can end up permanently slightly sore without gaining anything. More is not automatically better.

If a therapist recommends weekly deep tissue indefinitely with no clear reason, be sceptical.

The honest version

Most people benefit from somewhere between monthly and every six weeks. Beyond that, listen to your body rather than a schedule. You'll be told directly if a follow-up isn't needed — there are no packages to sell here.

More guides

Common questions