Generally speaking, drinking water encourages proper hydration in your body, which consequently helps your kidneys and other organs release toxins, and other waste materials from your body.
But have you ever wondered why you should drink water after a massage, or why your massage therapist asked you to drink lots of water after your massage session?
Well, there are several reasons why your massage therapists offered you a glass of water after a massage, most notably because you are parched, flush out toxins, and enhance the benefits of the massage therapy session.
5 Reasons to Drink Water After Massage
1. Helps Flush Out Toxins
One of the big reasons for getting a massage is to get relief from tight muscles and muscle knots in your body.
Your body’s muscles produce metabolic waste in the course of everyday functions. This waste is hard to flush out when your muscles are tight or you have a major muscle knot, owing to constricting circulation in those areas.
When you get a massage, it relaxes the tension, resulting in improved blood circulation, and allows the metabolic waste to be dumped into the system. Drinking after a massage provides your kidneys with the water they need to flush out this waste through urination.
2. Helps with Dehydration
Massage is the process of manipulating your muscles, which can deplete them of water, and make you feel dehydrated.
Just like you drink water after exercise or exertion, drinking water after a massage can rehydrate your muscles, because when your muscles are worked, they can lose electrolytes and water.
3. Alleviates Disorientation
Some people may feel disoriented after a massage, and drinking a glass or two of water can help replenish your body, and bring back your mind to the present.
4. Can Lower Blood Pressure
Your body becomes thicker, and not in a great state to move fluids across your body when you are dehydrated.
Thicker blood circulating in your body can present myriad different issues such as decreased blood circulation, causing your heart to pump harder and faster, resulting in fatigue issues and headaches.
Drinking a couple of glasses of water after a massage can reduce your blood pressure, fatigue, and the chances of headaches, so do not reach for the ibuprofen just yet.
5. To Avoid Nausea or Lightheadedness
Lightheadedness, specifically in the case of a deep tissue massage can be caused by the removal of muscle adhesions, making you feel dizzy and disoriented.
Drinking lots of water after a massage can give your muscles the rest they need, and help them re-energize.
How Much Water Should I Drink After a Massage?
If you are already good at keeping yourself hydrated, then you can tack on an extra 3 – 4 glasses of water after your massage.
But since everybody is different, you will have to check and see the amount that is right for you.
You can add a couple more glasses if you feel stiff or fatigued the next day, and drink more water after your next massage session.
Final Thoughts
Drinking water after a massage offers a plethora of benefits such as relaxing tension, and increasing your kidney’s ability to eliminate toxins and other wastes out of your body.
Adding to this, drinking water can also prevent unnecessary soreness, nausea, and an overall sluggish feeling.
It is also a good habit to drink at least eight glasses of water per day, regardless of whether you get a massage or not.
This will not only keep your muscles hydrated, and reduce the chances of ailments such as constipation and kidney stones.
