To get health benefits, you need a massage that applies moderate pressure. “Your skin needs to be indented as the therapist’s hands move across it,” says Tiffany Field, PhD, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Here are four basic types that fit the bill:

Swedish
If you just ask for a massage, it’s probably what you’re getting. Expect long, gentle, soothing strokes—and general relaxation. Its hallmark is improved circulation. The therapist will use her hands and fingertips and not push too hard (unless you like a lot of pressure).

 
Deep Tissue (a.k.a. sports massage)
It’s more intense than Swedish—and it’s not just for athletes. The therapist targets the muscles and ten-dons just under the skin and the deeper ones by using more pressure from her fingertips. Stretches may be included.

 
Trigger Point Therapy (a.k.a. myotherapy)
Ask for this type when specific areas of the body are supertense—say, when you have knots in your shoulders. The therapist might press her thumb (or knuckle or elbow) deep into the knot in hopes of releasing it.

 
Hot Stone Massage
The therapist rests or moves hot stones along your body, and the heat increases blood flow to the muscles more than other kinds of massage. It may be especially good after your first run-in with a new activity like Pilates.

By Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Illustrations by Kay Dockrill