With the current levels of infernal stress surrounding us everywhere, getting a relaxing massage has become more important than ever. If done correctly, a massage would lower the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. To get the most out of it, it’s a good idea to know what to do before a massage appointment, as well as after!
To keep this article nice and organized, I’ll divide the tips into 2 sections. What to do before a massage appointment, and after.
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What to do Before a Massage Appointment – the Do’s and Don’ts
I remember my first-ever massage. I was nervous about undressing in front of a stranger who would also work on my body.
If your appointment will be your first, it’s totally normal to feel this way. Putting the following steps in mind can help you have a great first experience.
Even if you’ve been into massaging for a while, reading these tips would get your comfort to a whole new level.
Think about the Massage Type
How much do you know about massages? If you think they’re merely a great way to relax, then you need to do a quick google search.
Massage has become much more versatile lately. For instance, deep tissue massages aim to alleviate chronic muscle pain and aid in faster injury rehabilitation.
Another type called “Shiatsu” focuses on certain pressure points in your body that are thought to induce bursts of energy. Bowen, Reiki, and crystal therapy are other great massages that I won’t discuss to keep things simple.
After reading about the different massages out there and deciding what suits you, you’ll be left with a quite similar task.
Just like doctors, not all massage therapists can do everything you’ve read about. Call and ask the receptionists about the available services. They can also recommend alternatives if they don’t serve what you need.
Carefully Pick Your Appointment
For the best results, pick an appointment that has a large wiggle room before and after. Obviously, you don’t want to pick it directly after work since you can get caught in traffic.
If possible, it would be better if you did absolutely nothing after the massage. This way, the relaxing sensation would linger around for the longest time possible.
Early morning appointments are great if that’s the only time you can squeeze in a massage. However, a massage generally is to help one relax or work out the body pain. So, keep in mind what kind of massage you need and schedule accordingly so you can do aftercare as needed.
Don’t Eat 1 Hour Before the Appointment
Being stressed about the massage can push you into insatiable stress eating. Not to mention the extra pounds you’ll probably put on, eating would also make you uncomfortable.
When the therapist moves to your lower back, you’ll be agitated every time he/she presses down. And when it comes to your stomach, things might turn out quite ugly.
You shouldn’t starve yourself, either. You have to be in the perfect state for a massage to be enjoyable. Generally speaking, it would be safer if you have a light snack one hour before the appointment.
Same goes for consuming liquids. If you have a weak bladder or a bladder condition, don’t consume a lot of liquid within an hour before you massage.
Stay Away from Gas-Inducing Food
Unless you want to feel bloated throughout the appointment, you should avoid food that induces gas formation. To name a few:
- Peas, beans, and lentils
- Onions, asparagus, broccoli, and cabbage
- Lactose, the natural sugar found in milk
- Corn, pasta, and potatoes
- Whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat
- Fiber-rich meals
Surely, you know yourself better than anyone else. You might be sensitive to a certain meal that nobody faces problems with. Avoid such foods even if they don’t cause that much discomfort.
Communicate with the Therapist
Generally, therapists would have you fill out a form before your appointment. It should tell them whether you have anything that needs special attention. Nevertheless, it’s always better to restate these facts right before you begin.
Talk about things that might feel tender with the massage pressure. This includes pregnancy, injuries, broken bones, surgeries, health conditions, etc.
Also, remember to warn the therapist about your allergies. Even if you think it won’t matter, it’d be safer to avoid oils and lotions containing such allergens. Many therapists use essential oils so if those bother you, let your therapist know.
If you’re uncomfortable about the therapist touching a certain area of your body, it’s perfectly normal to discuss it. You can ask to completely exclude it or find a way that’d be less awkward.
Show Up 10 Minutes Early
Like I said earlier, you’ll need some time to fill the form and talk with the therapist. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to take that time from my rightfully paid session. That’s why I always prefer to show up 10 minutes before my appointment.
Naturally, if you arrived late, don’t expect the therapist to extend your session. More times than not, another client would have his/her appointment booked right after you. Since you’re the one who showed up late, it’d be unfair to punish someone else for it.
Don’t Smoke on the Appointment Day
Typically, you won’t be allowed to smoke inside a massage clinic. But believe it or not, going with clothes that smell like cigarettes would do the same effect.
As you might expect, this can be deeply frustrating to therapists. They’ll have to spend extra time fragrancing the room for the next clients.
But it isn’t only about the inconvenience, though. You might actually harm the therapists by not refraining from cigarettes.
By using a smart sweatband, researchers were able to confirm that nicotine exits the body through sweat. In another study, the opposite was also proven. Nicotine can enter the bodies of other people after touching contaminated sweat.
I know it can be hard to pause smoking, especially if you’ve been doing it for a long time. But it would be quite noble to help a therapist who’s trying to do his/her job! If you can’t refrain from smoking, maybe just do it outside instead of in an enclosed area. That way it won’t stick on your or your clothing. Or shower and put on clean clothing right before your session.
The Do’s & Don’ts after a Massage Appointment
If you’ve been regularly getting massages, you must know how good it feels just after you finish. Muscles literally feel as if they’re melting off one’s bones.
So, what to do now? How can you leverage the benefits of your massage and make them last longer? That’s what I’ll discuss in the following section.
Drink More Water
Before we can talk about the importance of drinking water, we need to take a brief look at how your body reacts to massaging.
Without getting into complex medical concepts, the lymphatic system is among your important weapons against infection and toxins. Through a collection of vessels and organs, it absorbs harmful products and destroys or excretes them.
When a therapist kneads and presses your tissue, the lymphatic absorption skyrockets. That’s actually one of the reasons behind the heavenly post-massage feel.
But the therapist’s fingers aren’t the only stimulants, though. Normally, water acts as a great, natural medium that absorbs more toxins and pathogens.
After the appointment, make sure to drink more water than your average. Also, avoid diuretics like alcohol and coffee. These will absorb water before it can help your body.
Take a Warm Bath
Spending the night enjoying warm water in a tub is definitely the best way to conclude a massage appointment.
Warm water is crucial to enhance your circulation and lymphatics, which would get rid of more toxins as described earlier. Also, it naturally soothes your muscles, multiplying the relaxing euphoria.
To improve the experience, consider adding some Epsom salt to the tub. Its magnesium particles are known to relieve muscular pain and tightness.
Don’t Bathe in Hot Water
Opposite to the common belief, a massage could cause a bit of discomfort the day after. This gets more likely in types that involve applying more pressure like deep tissue massages.
Since these types activate muscles that you don’t usually use, they cause light inflammation. Obviously, heat is the last thing you want to get near an inflamed area. Let alone the pain, hot water would prolong the inflammation by irritating more tissues.
Many times a therapist will advice to go home and relax with an ice pack on your more tender areas.
Feel Free to Indulge in Food
Believe it or not, as you’re relaxing after a massage, your body usually fires up. After the therapist activates your muscles, they demand more nutritious substances.
Luckily, this can be easily achieved through the similarly-stimulated circulation. But this would leave you with an especially-voracious appetite. It’s important to never hold this back. Otherwise, your muscles will take more time to recover.
Moreover, eating is a natural mode booster. It’d be the final puzzle piece missing after an awesome massage.
Do It Again Sometime Soon
As long as we live with our current stressful lifestyle, we can’t have too many massages. The more appointments, the more benefits. They’re certainly worth a place in your budget!
Many therapists offer packages, or discounts if you pre-pay for a certain amount. It never hurts to ask your therapist.
If you need to watch your pocketbook, but want to get regular massages you can also keep any eye on deals in your area. Many times a new therapist or massage business will advertise deals to get new clients.
To Sum Up What to do Before a Massage Appointment
On its own, massage would be great to give your body well-deserved maintenance after months of work. But it could be even greater if you knew what to do before and after.
After sharing what to do before a massage appointment there are two tips that are probably the most important to me.
If I had to pick one “before” tip, it’d be the client/therapist communication. When the therapist knows about your special needs, he/she can modify the massage, yielding the best results.
After the appointment, it’s crucial to drink a lot of water. This will release more toxins from your body, making you healthier in the long run.
Remember, there’s no need to be stressed about the concept of undressing before a stranger. Just show up and let the magic happen! See also how often should you get a massage.
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