Disclosure: I was invited by The Massage Company for a massage in exchange for this blog post.

When I think of massage, it tends to be something that I think of as a luxury and a bit of a treat. I love a spa day, and the massage is always my favourite part of that, but it’s not something that I’ve ever done as a regular thing, and I suspect many people are the same.

But The Massage Company want to change that, and encourage more people to make massage a part of their regular routine. There are so many health benefits to regular massage, including decreased stress levels, improved circulation, reduced muscle tension, reduce anxiety and depression, improved sleep, and increased immunity. As part of my recent focus on self care, I really wanted to explore what massage could do for me. My running and yoga had definitely given me various aches and pains!

The Massage Company is a bit different to lots of massage places which offer massage alongside beauty treatments. The Massage Company just offer massage, pure and simple. You can choose from a variety of different types of massage: deep tissue, sports, Swedish, hot stone etc. They have a number of different locations, including Camberley, Tunbridge Wells, High Wycombe, and Sutton Coldfield. I visisted the Camberley branch, which is conveniently located right by the train station, with a multi-storey car part directly opposite.

I was warmly welcomed by the reception team, who invited me to complete a health questionnaire before my appointment. This asked all of the usual health questions I’d expected, but also included details of what kind of massage you were looking for, any specific areas I was having issues with, the level of pressure you wanted (light, medium, or firm), and also any areas that I wasn’t comfortable being touched.

I opted for the Deep Tissue Massage, which I hoped would help target the tension in my shoulders and neck, as well as the aches in my legs from all the running I’ve been doing.

I was met in reception by my massage therapist, and showed to the treatment room. We discussed my completed health questionnaire and then I was left to undress and pop onto the massage table under a sheet. The table was heated, which makes it really cosy, and only the part of your body being worked on is ever out of the sheet, so you’re kept lovely and warm. My therapist made sure to check that the level of pressure was comfortable for me (I opted for medium).

I have to say that I don’t find the whole experience of massage relaxing. At points it’s quite uncomfortable for me, particularly in those places that I hold tension, like my shoulders. But it’s the feeling afterwards that makes it all worthwhile. I walked out of the treatment room feeling so light and so much more relaxed than when I’d walked through the door. When I compare this to massages I’ve had on spa days, this definitely felt like a deeper, more intense treatment.

After the treatment, I was left to get dressed and then met at the door, where we then discussed quite how tight my shoulders had been! I was recommended to try the hot stone treatment next time, which is an add on at a fee of £8.95 for non-members or £5.95 for members. When I’ve looked at hot stone massages at spas, they’ve been hugely expensive, sometimes around £200, so I felt this was very reasonable.

The biggest benefit for me though, was the improved sleep that night. I woke up the next morning feeling like I’d slept better than I had in years, and I’d really like to continue massage regularly to see whether it could help me sleep better long term.

The Massage Company have a great introductory offer at the moment, where you can book your first massage for £39.95, which is a fantastic deal. They are happy to accept bookings on a one-off basis, but if you are looking for regular massages their membership plans make this very reasonable. You can book in your monthly massage at a time to suit you (they are open every day of the week, some weeknights until 21.00), and if you can’t make one month, you can carry it over to the next, or even gift it to someone else!

I’m so impressed with the whole experience from The Massage Company. So often I will consider booking a spa day just to have a massage, which definitely gets very costly, so on a per massage basis this is much more affordable. But it’s also opened my eyes to the benefits of regular massage, as part of my self care routine, not just as a luxury. As a busy mum, good sleep is one of the most precious things in my life, so the improvement to my sleep, as well as the easing of my tense muscles, makes this something that I’d love to continue.

Disclosure: I was invited by The Massage Company for a massage in exchange for this blog post.