Should You Stretch Before or After Remedial Massage?
Short answer: after, generally — but it depends on what you're trying to achieve.
Why after tends to work better
Once tight tissue has been worked on, it tends to have more range available to stretch into. Stretching beforehand on tissue that's still tight can feel like fighting against resistance that hasn't been addressed yet.
What about stretching before your appointment?
Turning up having done a very light warm-up is fine, but there's no need for a dedicated stretching session beforehand. Your therapist will assess what your body needs once you're on the table.
Stretching as part of the session
A lot of remedial massage sessions include some assisted stretching as part of the treatment itself, particularly for areas like hips and hamstrings — this is different to a static stretch you'd do on your own.
Ongoing stretching between sessions
Gentle, regular stretching between sessions helps maintain whatever range you've gained, rather than one big push in either direction.
Book a session
Nick Mann, Mixed Osteo, 92 Parsons Street, Kensington.
Book online or call the clinic on (03) 4054 1621.
