Why is it important to drink water after a massage?
If you have ever gone for a professional massage with a RMT (Registered Massage Therapist) chances are they tell you that you need to drink plenty of water after your massage. But why? You haven’t been running a marathon or sitting out in the hot sun. Is it really that important??? YES IT IS!!
Like with a workout, your body needs to be rehydrated…
Even though you haven’t been exerting yourself during a massage, your muscles have been through a workout. Massage works by increasing circulation within the body. This means increasing fluid movement. The soft tissue is massaged to increase circulation to the area being worked and from there the massage therapist will use techniques that encourages that fluid to move back towards the heart and eventually your body filters that fluid through the kidneys. That is why people often have to make a visit to the restroom immediately after a massage. When there is an increase in the amount of fluid you are losing, it is incredibly important to replenish that fluid. Slight headaches following a massage treatment is a common sign that you did not successfully rehydrate.
Help further the benefits of your massage even after you leave the clinic…
Another key reason to increase your fluid intake following a massage treatment is to help your body to continue the healing process. In other words, by hydrating you are furthering the effects of the massage. Metabolic waste is produced by your muscles during everyday use. When an area of muscle is constricted, circulation is decreased to this area. These are the areas that your RMT may identify as a “knot” and work to loosen the constricted area to allow for increased circulation. This allows the waste products that the muscle is holding onto to be flushed from the area. Again, this waste is moved through the circulatory system and ends up being filtered by the kidneys. If you are not getting enough water, your body is not able to flush this waste out as it should.
Drinking more water is a good recommendation on any day but especially after a massage!
Now that you know how important it is, will you be bringing your water bottle with you to your next treatment?
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