Most people only book a massage when they're already falling apart — a bad flare-up, a trip they're 'earning,' a birthday gift to themselves. The problem: by the time you're in enough pain to book, you're managing a crisis, not preventing one.

The research on this is pretty consistent — the benefits of massage therapy (reduced cortisol, better sleep, lower muscle tension) compound with regularity. A single session feels great for about 3-5 days. A monthly rhythm is what actually changes your baseline stress level.

The barrier isn't the massage itself, it's the booking friction. Most people don't have a standing appointment because scheduling one-offs is annoying enough that it keeps getting pushed to 'next month.'

That's the whole thesis behind what I'm building with Restore — a membership model instead of one-off bookings, so the default is consistency, not willpower. If you're the type who says 'I should really get a massage' every few weeks but never does, that's the exact problem I'm trying to solve.

Curious if others have found ways to actually stick to recovery routines — what's worked for you?