If you’ve ever gotten a massage, you were probably told to drink plenty of water afterward. While keeping up with hydration is always a good idea, you might be wondering—why drink water after a massage, specifically? What’s the benefit, and how does it help your body recover? Find out more about this common recommendation and why drinking water after a massage is so beneficial.
Effects of a Massage on Your Body
When you get a massage, a trained professional uses tried-and-true techniques to relieve soreness and relax the body and mind. Whether you’re treating yourself to a Swedish or hot stone massage, the sustained pressure on your muscles and soft tissue causes several effects:
- Happy chemicals get sent to your brain (oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins, etc.)
- Feelings of anxiety and depression go down
- The lymphatic system is stimulated
- Circulation and blood flow improve
- Blood pressure decreases
- Tension is released
- Your immune system sends healing white blood cells throughout the body
When the massage is over, your body begins working to recover, which can lead to soreness, aches, and fatigue if you’re not prepared. This is where drinking water after a massage comes into play. Water helps all of your body’s systems function more smoothly, improving the benefits of a massage.
Massages Cause Dehydration
As an adult, your body is about 60% water. Things like exercise, illness, sweat, crying, and massage can all result in dehydration because your body loses more water than it takes in during these events.
When a massage therapist kneads and manipulates your muscles, blood is sent to those areas, and fluid is released into the body to be flushed out. Drinking water after a massage helps replenish this fluid loss.
What About Toxins After a Massage?
Another commonly cited reason to drink water after a massage is to help your body flush out the toxins released during your appointment. Because massage therapy improves circulation and lymphatic function, your body is primed to flush out waste products after a massage—and drinking water supports these systems.
Research disagrees on whether or not toxins are physically squished out of your tissue during a massage. Your body naturally disposes of toxins and byproducts daily when you use the bathroom, but massage can help improve these functions—as long as you’re hydrated!
Water Helps Alleviate Potential Soreness
A lot of people experience muscle soreness after a massage, but this can be significantly improved with enough water intake. Drinking water after a massage lubricates your muscles, joints, and ligaments, giving them the hydration needed to recover.
You can also get ahead of soreness by drinking a lot of water before your massage. The more hydrated you are before an appointment, the better your muscles and tissues will respond.
Schedule a Massage at Spa Royale Today
Whether you’re new to massage therapy or have been pampering yourself for years, everyone should understand why drinking water after a massage is a critical part of the recovery process. Drinking water after an appointment helps your body rehydrate, flush out toxins, and alleviate soreness.
At Spa Royale, we’re passionate about providing relief and healing through massage therapy. Schedule an appointment today and experience total relaxation and rejuvenation.