Have you been looking for a healthy way to spend time with your significant other? Your busy schedules usually keep you from exercising together and with the fast pace of the day there's not always time to plan a healthy meal. So what can you do together that takes you away from the same old places? How about a Couples Massage? A Couples Massage is done by two massage therapists in one room with the couple.

How can Couples Massage help you both stay healthy? Massage therapy helps you improve your health due to the many healthy benefits of massage including: improved circulation, greater flexibility, better sleep, feelings of wellness, stress reduction, and reduced muscular pain.

Now that you know that Couples Massage can help you improve your health, you might want to know what types of massage are available to you during a Couples Massage. There are many styles and techniques used in Couples Massage but there are some that are widely available that you can receive during your session. The best known massage therapy techniques for Couples Massage are:

1. Swedish Massage - this is the most common of massage techniques in the United States and perhaps the world. Swedish massage is known for its long gliding strokes, kneading strokes, friction strokes, and percussion as well as joint movements that feel great while improving range of motion. It's most often thought of as a "spa" type of massage but it's much more than that. Swedish massage is great for reducing stress, improving circulation, improving range of motion of your joints, and helping you actually feel better in your own skin. Swedish massage can range from light pressure to a heavier pressure depending on your comfort level.

2. Deep Tissue Massage - right behind Swedish massage, Deep Tissue Massage is one of the best known and most often requested massage techniques. This massage is used to root out chronic tension in the deeper musculature and connective tissues that contributes to pain and loss of range of motion in joints. While some practitioners use a heavier, sometimes uncomfortable, pressure in Deep Tissue Massage it should be noted that a more moderate pressure can reach deep tissues and achieve great results with little discomfort.

3. Hot Stone Massage - this massage is probably the most relaxing and luxurious massage used in Couples Massage. Heated stones are added to the massage and are used by the massage therapist to perform a mini heat treatment as well as gliding strokes that seem to melt away stress and tension.

4. Sports Massage - just like it sounds, Sports Massage is geared toward athletes at every level from professional to the "weekend warrior" and those who strive for a higher level of fitness. Rather than a specific form of massage, Sports Massage is generally a combination of massage techniques tailored to the athlete's needs. The Sports Massage might be applied to one area to relieve pain or might be more general in nature to assure overall performance. Sports Massage is great for athletic couples.

5. Neuromuscular Therapy - also called "NMT", Neuromuscular Therapy is a well known technique for relieving muscular pain throughout the body even "referred" pain that originates from someplace other than where it's felt. This technique uses very targeted massage techniques, positioning, and stretching to release myofascial trigger points in muscles as well as restrictions in tendons, muscular attachments, and sometimes fascia surrounding the muscle.

All of the massage techniques described here can help a couple receive the health benefits of massage. Of course there are many more massage therapy techniques available during Couples Massage that are relaxing, stress reducing, and that relieve chronic tension and pain. You actually don't have to know what type of massage to ask for, you just need to know what you want to achieve. Do you just want to relax? Reduce muscle soreness? Relieve pain? Improve posture? Ask your massage therapist what they recommend for your particular health needs and get massaged together.