Massage can be incorporated into sex in a lot of ways — the limit being how creative or daring you and your partner are.

Maybe it’s a rub down with oil before missionary style sex (with the lights off, of course) or a massage and masturbation session. Maybe you’re going for style points and try a shoulder rub while getting a blowjob. The possibilities are as endless as there are sexual partners in the world.

But what of the pre-game massage? We approached three couples who have already gotten close with one another and asked them to incorporate massage in some way to their already okay sex lives to tell us whether or not it felt improved.

But Why Though?

In her article for Integrative Healthcare, Leslie DeMatteo, a licensed and practicing massage therapist writes:

There is a great deal of fear, anger and controversy that is associated with discussing sex and massage therapy. It is critical that as massage therapists, we maintain a professional boundary around this issue. Most therapists typically limit their discussions with clients to the general health benefits of massage therapy, avoiding any discussion of massage’s benefits to sexual health. Nevertheless, while we never want to encourage, or allow for, any type of sexual misconduct with our clients, it may be time to begin to put aside the stereotypes and negative associations and acknowledge that massage therapy may contribute positively to sexual health and function in both men and women.

The Mayo Clinic reports that massage can help reduce stress and anxiety. And Psychology Today found that while sex reduces stress, it can inhibit healthy and fun sex.

All the data translates into the idea that massage and sex are mutually beneficial to one another. But, like basically everything else with sex, it depends on the timing, the couple and the way the two are done.

So What Happened?

ALEXIS AND AUSTIN, both 21, tried a traditional full body massage with oil before, what the called, “traditional” sex.

“We aren’t very creative, normally,” Alexis laughed. She also shared that since moving in together, they usually have sex about once a week, and it’s usually pretty vanilla.

But what of the massage pre-game?

“I really loved it,” Alexis says. “It was really romantic to get a massage with oil and I feel like it got me in the mood a little more than usual.”

Austin adds that while he did enjoy massaging Alexis, he wasn’t as happy to be on the receiving end.

“I loved seeing how into it Alexis got,” he said. “But it just felt weird to be oiled, you know?”

“I think it made the sex better,” Alexis finishes.

Austin agreed.
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HAILEY AND JAKE, both in their mid-20s, decided to take the requested massage in a self-pleasing direction.

“I massaged her, and watched her masturbate,” Jake shared, adding that he got the idea from porn.

“I was a little weirded out by the idea at first, but it was actually really fun,” Hailey added.

“Yeah, it was definitely something I would do again,” Jake says with a grin. “I think it was better than usual.”

“I don’t think it was better,” Hailey interjected. “But, it was fun and different. And I want to be sure we never get into that ‘bedroom slump.’”
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BELLA AND KYLE, went another popular porn route.

“He rubbed my shoulders while I gave him a blowjob,” Bella said. “Actually, there’s not a lot I wouldn’t do if he’s willing to rub my shoulders anyway [laugh]. I get so much tension in them from my job!”

“She got a lot deeper than usual,” Kyle shared, bashfully, adding that she seemed much more into it and it was a lot easier to transition into sex.

“It was better,” Bella added, saying that the whole experience was fun and relaxing.

“It was so much easier to just focus on the blowjob or sex because I feel like it brought me more into the moment,” she said.

Kyle agreed that it was a great blowjob.

[cover photo by Maru Lombardo on Unsplash]