Sports massage, at the studio in NW6 or your door

What it is

Sports and recovery massage is focused work for people who train. It combines deep tissue technique with assisted stretching and trigger point work on the muscle groups doing the most work: legs and hips for runners and cyclists, shoulders, chest and back for lifting and racquet sports. Rather than a set routine, the session is shaped by your training and by whatever has been flaring up.

What it helps with

Booked before an event, it helps loosen and prepare the main working muscles. Booked after, it eases delayed soreness and helps maintain range of movement across a training block. Between events, it keeps tight hamstrings, hips, calves and forearms from becoming a recurring problem. It suits marathon and race preparation, heavy training weeks, and the general wear of an active routine.

It supports training and recovery. It is not physiotherapy and does not diagnose or treat injuries. If you have a specific injury, see a physiotherapist or sports doctor first and bring their guidance to the session.

What happens during the treatment

He arrives ten minutes early to set up. Before starting, he asks what you are training for, where you are in the block, and what has been sore.

The first few minutes warm the target muscles with broad strokes. The middle of the session is the working part: deep tissue technique through the priority muscle groups, trigger point pressure held on the tightest points, and assisted stretching where it helps, with the limb supported and moved slowly to its comfortable range. Around halfway he checks how it is landing and adjusts. The final few minutes are lighter, flushing strokes to settle everything that was worked. Sixty minutes covers the key areas for one sport. A 120 minute session covers the whole body with a training focus, useful in a heavy block or before a long-distance event.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits you if your tension comes mainly from physical activity and you want the session built around that. It works well as a regular fixture through a training programme, and as a one-off in the days around an event.

It is not the right choice if you are not especially active and the problem is desk posture, where deep tissue massage fits better, or if you want a calm, whole-body treatment, which is Swedish massage. Tell him about any current injury, and do not book a firm session in the 48 hours before an event.

How it differs from the other treatments

Deep tissue uses similar pressure but addresses everyday tension rather than a training load, with little stretching. Swedish massage is lighter and aims for calm. The back, neck and shoulders treatment is upper body only and better for screen tension than for legs and hips. The two-hour massage gives room to cover the full body with a sports focus.

How often to book it

Through a training programme, every two to three weeks keeps tightness in check. In the fortnight before a race, one firmer session early and one lighter session close to the day is a common pattern. Off-season, monthly is enough.

What to expect afterwards

Expect the worked muscles to feel tender for a day, similar to a hard session. Keep moving gently, drink water, and keep the area warm. Leave heavy training for 24 hours after a firm session, and keep the day before a race light. If a muscle feels sharply painful rather than generally tender, or a joint is involved, rest it and speak to a physiotherapist.

Price and duration

Sports and recovery massage is available at the studio in NW6 and as a mobile visit. At the studio it is £70 for 60 minutes or £120 for 120 minutes. As a visit it is £85 and £145, including table, linens and oil, with travel included within five miles of the studio. The treatments page has travel bands and block bookings for a training block.