Drink water?
How many times have you had a massage and at the end the therapist has said “drink plenty of water”? Its something that most of us have heard and I think we can all agree it is a good idea to drink water anyway but why is it so important after a massage?
Massage in itself is dehydrating. Not only do you not drink for the entire time you are on the table, the working of your muscles pushes fluid back into your circulatory system and straight towards your kidneys (hence why many people need the bathroom soon after a massage). You have to replenish all that lost fluid – by drinking water.
There are also the “toxins” released during massage (well, the metabolic waste from everyday activity). Massage relaxes the muscle tension, allowing a greater blood flow and opening the circulatory pathways. In creating this free flow the muscle is then able to “dump” it nitrogenous metabolic waste into the system so that it can be filtered out by the kidneys. Drinking provides your kidneys with the fluid they need to effectively eliminate the waste. From there we have come full circle and are taking a trip to the bathroom again.
Massage therapists unfortunately don’t have shares in water bottling companies (though there’s a thought!) we just want to make sure that you get the most benefit from your massage and hydrate to keep your system healthy. So lets raise a glass (of water), and toast to your health!
Want to know more? Contact us here