An avid massage-goer, the Bachelorette alum will often bring a few buddies to the spa parties or invite them over for a house call, courtesy of Zeel, an on-demand in-home massage service. Usually, his friends expect to receive a relaxing Swedish massage, but instead they’ll usually get a sports massage, a treatment that targets muscles used in workouts to help speed recovery.
According to MenHealth article, While the after-effects are rejuvenating, McNary says, in the moment it’s actually kind of painful, so he loves to see his friends’ facial expressions as the massage therapists knead and prod away.
“Those are the most fun for me,” McNary says. “You know they’re getting fixed, but they think they’re in a torture chamber.”
McNary sees regular massages as part of his fitness regimen, the tune-up after the workout. Bringing friends into the mix is a way to pay the wellness forward and to help his friends realize the benefits of self-care, he says. And they aren’t alone. Whether it’s for a bachelor party or just to catch up, men are increasingly booking group spa parties for massages, facials, or even the occasional pedicure, according to experts in the spa industry.
The trend likely stems in part from the growing cultural emphasis on self-care for men. According to the International Spa Association, 47 percent of spa clientele are men, compared to 31 percent just a decade ago. The number is even higher for on-demand massages: 53 percent of Zeel sessions are booked by men, according to Eva Carey, the director of massage therapy at Zeel.
“Traditionally, male clients used to seek massage therapy to relieve pain,” says Carey. “Now it’s definitely more toward pampering and relaxation and really becoming another way to destress.”