Sports massage
Regular hands-on soft-tissue work from a trainer or therapist
Deep, targeted work on the muscles that carry the training load, booked as a standing appointment rather than a treat. Elite athletes often keep one therapist for years so the person knows where the tightness lives.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- LeBron JamesDoes it
Basketball player · NBA all-time leading scorer
Treatment at 4 p.m., massage and/or stretching as the article puts it, is a fixed slot in the home game-day schedule he laid out in Starting 5. Mancias adds that off days matter because they are when the body gets worked on rather than pounded.
Source: Olympics.com: Nearly 40 years young: LeBron James' fitness routine - Michael PhelpsDoes it
Olympic swimmer · Most decorated Olympian in history
Had massages throughout his swimming career from the same strength and conditioning trainer, who also did his stretching and cupping, and compares the upkeep to maintaining a race car.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #494: Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett, transcript - Novak DjokovicDiscusses
Tennis player · Record 24 Grand Slam singles titles
A masseuse works on him daily, the article says, adding that he knows most readers cannot arrange that and points them at a foam roller instead.
Source: EssentiallySports: All You Need To Know About Novak Djokovic's Training Routine
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness or stress.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Tennis
Singles or doubles on court, played as a lifelong sport rather than a workout
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Grappling practice used as training, stress relief and humility
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Foam rolling
Pressing body weight into a dense foam cylinder to work through tight muscle
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.