Best time to get a massage: morning, lunchtime or evening?

Ask ten regulars when they like to book and you will get ten different answers, each one delivered with total confidence. The honest truth about the best time to get a massage is that it depends on what you want from it. If you want to wind down for sleep, that points to one time. If you want a stiff body loosened for the day ahead, it points to another.

Both of our spas are open seven days, 10.00am to 8.00pm, so there is a wide window to work with. Here is how we would think about it: first by time of day, then by day of the week, then by what you have eaten and done around it.

Late morning: for a stiff body

Mornings are when a lot of people feel stiffest. Muscles that have been still all night, a neck that slept at a funny angle, a back that needs a while to get going. Our first appointments are at 10.00am, which suits guests who want to be loosened up, and who like having the rest of the day ahead.

A late-morning massage is a good fit if you want to feel looser through the day, you are the sort of person who does not like to be out late, or you are heading into a busy afternoon and want to go in feeling easier in your body.

There is a catch. Some people feel very relaxed after a massage, and if you have a meeting at noon you may not want to be quite so soft. If you have something that needs sharp focus afterwards, leave a gap.

Lunchtime: the quick reset

For the CBD crowd, lunchtime is the natural slot. A 30-minute back and shoulder massage at the Viaduct fits into a lunch hour, and it is aimed at the places a desk day hits hardest: the neck, the shoulders and the upper back. Thirty minutes is $65 at the Viaduct and $60 at St Heliers.

The sensible rule for lunchtime is to eat lightly, or have something small before you go, and to leave a little time to come back to your day rather than racing straight to the next meeting. If you are on a tight clock, tell the therapist how long you have when you arrive.

"People who come at lunch are usually in a hurry, and the best thing they can do is tell us how long they have. Thirty minutes spent on the right place is better than sixty rushed."

Siri therapist team

Evening: for winding down

Evening is the favourite for guests who want a massage to help them switch off. Because we are open until 8.00pm every day, a late-afternoon or early-evening slot lets you go home, have a light dinner and settle in. Slow, rhythmic touch is widely associated with the body shifting towards a rest-and-digest state, which is why a calm session such as aromatherapy massage suits an evening.

If you are hoping it will help your sleep, our guide to massage and sleep goes into more detail. A few practical points belong here, though. Healthify, the New Zealand health information site, suggests an hour of quiet time before bed, such as reading, having a bath or listening to music. A massage that finishes a couple of hours before bed, followed by something quiet, fits that well. Going from the massage table straight to a loud night out does not.

If your day ends later than ours, see our guide to massage open late in Auckland.

Weekday or weekend?

This one is down to your life more than your body. A weekday booking works well if you can slip away, and it keeps the weekend free. A weekend booking means no rushing and no returning to a desk, so it suits longer sessions of 90 minutes or more.

We are not going to tell you which days are busiest, because that is not something we would want to guess at. If you have a particular time in mind, check the booking page, and if the slot you want is taken, ask the branch what else is free.

A practical point worth a mention is public holidays. A 15% surcharge applies to all treatments on public holidays, and we are closed on Good Friday, until 1.00pm on ANZAC Day, on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. If you are planning a holiday booking, check the dates first.

Season can play a part too. In an Auckland winter, muscles tend to feel stiffer and the evenings arrive early, so a late-afternoon booking followed by a warm shower and an early night is a lovely way to spend a cold week. In summer, a morning slot keeps you out of the afternoon heat. Neither is a rule, only a prompt.

Around meals

A massage on a very full stomach is uncomfortable, especially lying face down. A massage on an empty one can leave you light-headed or distracted by a rumbling tummy. A small snack an hour or two before suits most people, and Healthify makes a similar point about bedtime: avoid heavy meals within two hours of going to sleep. That is worth remembering if you book an evening slot and plan to go out for dinner afterwards.

• Avoid a heavy meal just before. Lying face-down on a full stomach is no fun. Leave a gap.
• Do not arrive starving. Have something light beforehand, and a drink of water.
• Eat afterwards, not straight away. Many people feel sleepy and slow afterwards, so a light meal later works better than a big one on the way out.

Around workouts

Training and massage are good friends but they need a gap. After a hard session, give your body time to cool down, eat, drink and shower before you book. Firm deep tissue work the day before a race or a heavy session is a poor idea, because muscles can feel tender for a day or so. We cover this in detail in our guide to massage before or after a workout.

What matters more than the hour

The best time is a time you can keep. A massage you can lie back and enjoy, without watching the clock or rushing off, is better than one at a theoretically perfect hour. Many guests find that how often they come matters more than what time of day, and our guide to how often to get a massage goes into it.

The length matters too. If you are booking at lunch, 30 minutes is enough for a neck and shoulders. For an evening wind-down, an hour is a comfortable default, and ninety minutes is a treat. Sixty minutes of aromatherapy is $115 at the Viaduct and $105 at St Heliers.

If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or are recovering from an injury or surgery, check with your GP, midwife or specialist before booking at any time of day, and tell the therapist when you book.

A quick way to choose

• Stiff on waking: late morning, with something light to eat beforehand.
• Desk-bound and short of time: lunchtime, 30 minutes, back and shoulders.
• Wound up and sleeping badly: late afternoon or early evening, then a quiet night.
• Want to feel properly looked after: a weekend, 90 minutes, no schedule behind it.

When you are ready, the prices for both spas are on the Viaduct pricing page and the St Heliers pricing page, and you can book either by Fresha.

Common questions