The higher the output, the greater the need for recovery — and massage should be part of that equation
In the last post (The 3 Fitness Variables That Determine How Fast You Change), I talked about fitness variables and how recovery must match the effort.
The more you train, the faster results can come. But at the same time, the harder you push, the greater the recovery has to be.
To me, one of the greatest forms of recovery is a skilled nervous system reset massage therapist. Right next to deep, restorative sleep, massage is one of the most powerful tools for helping the body recover.
But the last post only spoke about massage in the context of workout stress.
Life adds stress too.
And for most people, life is not light.
Work stress, mental stress, emotional stress, poor sleep, family demands, projects, financial pressure, relationships, and the constant weight of modern life all compound how quickly the stress vessel fills.
That is why, to me, massage is not a luxury for the average person.
It is an essential form of self-care.
Massage Is Maintenance, Not Just Rescue
I always recommend that clients come back at least once a month for maintenance.
And honestly, that is often the bare minimum.
What I have found over and over is that when people wait much longer than that, old issues begin creeping back more easily. Tension returns more readily. The body starts sliding back into old patterns. Areas we already reduced or resolved begin to reappear.
In a more ideal world, every 2-3 weeks is often a better rhythm for massage.
Especially if output is high.
If someone is living a stress-filled life, trying to perform well, adding fitness on top of that, carrying multiple responsibilities, and pushing toward goals, the need for massage rises with it.
That is just reality.
When the Body Is Already Struggling
Very often, when clients come in with major issues, I get them to come in weekly until the problem is drastically reduced or resolved.
For the normal person with no major active issue, that level of frequency may sound excessive.
But in terms of health, efficiency, and nervous system regulation, it really is not excessive at all if someone has the time, space, and means to include it.
The body does better with rhythm than with crisis management.
That is true in training.
That is true in stress.
And that is true in massage.
Filling the Gap Left by Hustle Culture
A big reason I keep talking about this is because I am always trying to fill the gap that hustle culture leaves wide open.
Social media glorifies grind.
Push harder.
Go harder.
Sleep less.
Ignore stress signals.
Keep producing.
Keep output high.
Keep pushing no matter what.
But that is not how real long-term performance works.
That is often how people slowly overload themselves while mistaking breakdown for discipline.
The truth is, true high performers understand something many people miss:
Recovery must rise with output.
And those with the highest output often spend a great deal of time receiving massage.
Not because they are weak.
Not because they are lazy.
Not because they cannot handle pressure.
But because they understand that pressure without recovery becomes self-destruction.
Real Examples of High Performers Who Prioritize Massage
LeBron James
LeBron James is known for investing heavily in recovery, and massage has long been part of that equation.
At that level, massage is not something used only after injury. It is part of routine maintenance.
For an athlete carrying that much physical output, massage helps:
- reduce accumulated tension
- keep tissues moving better
- support recovery between games and training
- and help the body stay usable over a long season
The key point is this:
Massage is built into the schedule before the body breaks down.
Michael Phelps
During Olympic preparation, Michael Phelps was receiving massage regularly, often daily, because the volume of training was so extreme.
That level of swimming places enormous repetitive stress on the body.
Massage in that context was not a luxury add-on. It was part of how the body stayed functional under the load.
When training output is that high, massage becomes one of the ways tension is cleared before it accumulates too far.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt regularly used massage throughout training, especially during periods of peak output.
For a sprinter, the body is under intense muscular and nervous system demand.
Massage helps keep the body from becoming too locked up, too guarded, or too burdened by repeated high-force effort.
Again, the lesson is not that massage is optional when someone becomes elite.
The lesson is that elite performers often use massage more, not less.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady’s philosophy around performance consistently emphasized keeping the body supple, mobile, and able to recover.
Massage played an important part in that.
When an athlete is trying to maintain performance over years and years, massage is one of the tools that helps reduce excessive tension, preserve movement quality, and keep the body feeling more workable.
For someone like Brady, massage is not reactive.
It is preventive.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
During fight camp, Floyd Mayweather used massage frequently, often daily.
That makes sense.
Boxing camps create:
- repeated impact
- high tension
- nervous system strain
- muscular fatigue
- and a huge need to stay loose without losing sharpness
Massage helps support that by reducing buildup and helping the body stay in a more usable state while the demand is still high.
What These Athletes Actually Show
The point is not that massage is only for celebrities or elite performers.
The point is that people performing at the highest levels do not treat massage like some occasional luxury.
They treat it like part of the system.
They understand that if output is high, massage frequency often has to rise with it.
Not because massage is indulgent.
Because it is practical.
Because when the load on the body is great enough, massage becomes one of the ways you keep the system from accumulating too much tension, too much guarding, and too much wear all at once.
That is the real lesson.
Why This Matters for Regular People Too
Now, most people are not LeBron James or Michael Phelps.
But that does not mean the principle changes.
If anything, many regular people need maintenance massage even more than they realize.
Why?
Because they are carrying:
- training stress
- work stress
- family stress
- emotional stress
- poor sleep
- long hours sitting
- chronic tension
- and often very little actual recovery
The body does not separate these stressors neatly.
It accumulates them.
That is why massage is not only for athletes, injuries, or special occasions.
It is for people trying to function well in a high-demand life.
The Better Way to Think About Massage
Massage should not be viewed only as something you get once everything hurts.
It should be viewed more like regular maintenance for a body that is constantly carrying load.
Just like training has frequency, recovery should have frequency too.
Just like output has a cost, the body needs repayment.
For some, that may mean monthly massage.
For many, every 2-3 weeks may be better.
For higher output people, weekly massage or even twice weekly during intense phases may make sense.
The right amount depends on the load.
But the core idea remains the same:
Massage is not just recovery after breakdown. It is one of the tools that helps prevent breakdown in the first place.
Practical Takeaway
A simple way to think about your own massage frequency is this:
Low to moderate output / average life stress
At least once a month as a baseline
Moderate to high output / higher life stress
Closer to every 2-3 weeks
Major tension, chronic issues, or overload phases
Weekly until the body is brought back down to a more manageable state
Extreme output, extreme stress, or short intense seasons
Sometimes twice per week may make sense for short periods
The right frequency depends on the total load on your system.
Ask yourself:
Am I waiting until my body is overwhelmed, or am I maintaining it before it gets there?
That question alone changes how many people think about massage.
Final Thought
The deeper truth is simple:
The higher the output, the higher the recovery requirement.
That is true in fitness.
That is true in performance.
That is true in life.
So if you are trying to live well, perform well, train hard, work hard, and stay functional through it all, massage is not some extra indulgence sitting off to the side.
It is one of the things that helps keep the whole system going.
And for many people, it should be treated that way.
At the end of the day, your body keeps score of everything—training, stress, long days, and everything in between.
If you’re always pushing but rarely resetting, it’s only a matter of time before things start to tighten, slow down, or break down.
Massage isn’t about fixing something once it’s already bad.
It’s about staying ahead of it.
If you’ve been feeling it build up lately, that’s usually your sign.
You don’t have to wait until it gets worse.
Book when you’re ready.
Lucky Nghi RMT – Calgary 5-star Massage Therapy
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