Why Do I Need To Drink So Much Water After a Massage?
Posted on 22nd March 2023 at 13:29
At Fire&Earth, we often recommend that our clients drink plenty of water after a sports massage. We’ve explored the reasons why drinking lots of water after a sports massage is crucial for your overall well-being. But why is it so important to stay hydrated after a massage?
Flush out the waste
First and foremost, sports massage can cause the release of metabolic waste products and toxins from your muscles. These waste products can build up in your muscles over time, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. By applying pressure to your muscles, a sports massage can help release these waste products, allowing your body to flush them out more easily.
However, in order to flush out these waste products effectively, you need to be properly hydrated. Water helps transport these waste products out of your body via your kidneys and bladder. If you're dehydrated, these waste products can build up in your body, causing discomfort and possibly even worsening the symptoms you were trying to alleviate with the massage.
Hydrate to reduce inflammation
Another reason why drinking lots of water after a sports massage is important is that massage can cause slight inflammation in your muscles. This is a natural response to the pressure applied during the massage, and it can actually be beneficial in the long run, as it helps stimulate the healing process in your muscles. However, in order for your body to effectively deal with this inflammation, you need to be properly hydrated.
Water is essential for the body's inflammatory response. When you're dehydrated, your body has a harder time regulating inflammation, which can lead to increased pain and discomfort. By drinking lots of water after a sports massage, you can help your body effectively manage inflammation and promote healing in your muscles.
Keep your head and heart healthy
In addition to helping flush out waste products and manage inflammation, staying hydrated after a sports massage is important for your overall well-being. Massage therapy can be a physically and emotionally intense experience, and staying hydrated can help your body cope with the stress of the massage. Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, and dizziness, which can all make it harder to recover from a massage.
Keep loose and limber!
Drinking lots of water after a sports massage can also help prevent muscle soreness and stiffness. While some soreness is normal after a sports massage, especially if it's been a while since your last one, drinking water can help reduce the severity and duration of this soreness. Water helps keep your muscles and connective tissues hydrated, which can prevent them from becoming stiff and sore after a massage.
Drink up!
At Fire&Earth, we recommend that our clients drink at least two litres of water after a sports massage. This may seem like a lot, but it's essential for proper hydration and waste removal. In addition to drinking water, we also recommend avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which can dehydrate you further and impede your body's ability to recover from the massage.
Sweat needs replacing…
Another effect of the massage can be that you start to heat up and sweat. This is because the massage is stimulating the parasympathetic portion of the nervous system. This part of the nervous system operates mainly while you sleep and encourages your body to get rid of toxins from your bloodstream via sweat and the lymph system.
Worked out? Hydrate yourself
If you're an athlete or fitness enthusiast, staying hydrated is especially important after a sports massage. Your body needs water to repair and rebuild muscle tissue after exercise, and massage can help enhance this process. By staying properly hydrated after a sports massage, you can help your body recover more quickly and effectively from your workouts.
So clearly, it’s important that we stay hydrated in order to maintain the function of our body. It’s even more important after we have had a massage! Not only that, but it’s also just very refreshing.
Your therapist should offer you a glass of water after your treatment, but please feel free to bring along your own bottle and keep those hydration levels topped up.
At Fire&Earth, we recommend that our clients drink at least two litres of water after a sports massage and avoid caffeine and alcohol. By following these simple steps, you can help your body reap the full benefits of sports massage therapy. Book yourself in today, and don’t forget your water!
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