A Great Massage

We sat down with Laura Slade, owner of A Great Massage, LLC, to learn how massage can help athletes, desk jockeys, and others.

How often should I get a massage?
It really depends on why you need a massage. For general wellness, stress management, and to check in with your body, once a month is a good guideline. If you have a particularly stressful job, twice a month can really help with stress management. If you have just started an exercise program, or are in an intense training program, once-a-week massages can promote faster recovery and keep you on track with your fitness goals.

What’s the best massage for people who sit all day?
A deep tissue massage is best for targeting chronic muscle tension in areas like the neck and shoulders. It can be helpful to warm up the tight areas first by stretching the superficial fascia with tools like my warm, gently vibrating scraper, which I include as a free add-on to any massage.

Can massage really help you recover after exercising?
Yes, massage can help with exercise recovery by increasing blood flow to muscles, which delivers oxygen and nutrients while helping to flush out metabolic waste. This process can help to speed up muscle fiber healing after intense workouts. Something to keep in mind with marathon training season starting!

What is a common issue you see doing massage in Boston?
I definitely see tight calves and sore feet all the time. Boston is a walking city, and it’s also covered in cobblestones, especially around Back Bay. Trigger point therapy and stretching can help these muscles recover from all the walking Bostonians do and improve flexibility and range of motion in the foot and calf muscles.

What is your favorite treatment that you offer?
I love the Swedish massage with dry brushing and moisturizing body butter. I like it much better than a body scrub, which costs hundreds of dollars, takes an hour or more, and doesn’t include a massage at all! With dry brushing and body butter added to your treatment, you still get a great massage, but you also get a full-body skin treatment with a gentle, non-chemical exfoliation and moisturizer.

Laura Slade is a 2018 graduate of The Massage School and has worked in high-end fitness clubs and luxury hotels in and around Boston. She owns and operates A Great Massage, LLC, an independent massage studio at 262 Beacon St. Follow her on Instagram @aGreatMassageLLC.