If you’re like many people, you already understand just how great a good massage can make you feel. Unfortunately, you have probably also experienced some of the common frustrations that people feel when they leave the spa after a massage. All too often, those massage recipients feel that stress and tension start to return within moments. Others, however, are somehow able to hang onto massage’s benefits for hours afterward. To understand how they maintain that good feeling for so long, it’s vital to learn about massage aftercare. Here are five things you should do after your massage.
Plan Your Schedule
One of the most important things you can do is to properly schedule your massage. Don’t be in a rush to get it done so that you can get back to your busy life. Massage’s benefits include relaxation, rejuvenation, and the release of stress and tension. Why would you schedule your massage right in the middle of a busy day, essentially erasing its benefits as soon as you move onto your next task or chore?
Eat Lightly
Massage relaxes your body’s systems, inducing a state of peacefulness and calm. If you try to eat a large meal afterwards, you might find that your body immediately sheds that restfulness so that it can get about the business of digesting all that food. The end result? You may feel tired, sluggish, bloated, and disoriented. The better option is to choose a light meal or snack instead – just enough to keep you energized and alert.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
There’s little scientific data to back up the importance of hydration for massage aftercare, but it does seem like common sense. After all, you try to stay hydrated any other time your muscles are involved, right? Drink plenty of fluids to prevent cramps and reduce soreness. Besides, water is a healthy option at any time!
Avoid Immediate Stress
Avoid the news, loud noises, heavy traffic, and other stimuli that could create undue stress. There’s no reason to put yourself under stress right away when you just paid someone to remove it with a massage. Go home, relax, put on some peaceful music, and read a good book. Take a warm bath. Send the kids to a friend’s house. Bottom line: avoid stress like the plague!
Make the Day About You
Most important of all, remember that it’s about you. The entire day is about your needs, and your stress relief. Your best option, therefore, is to schedule massage for a day when you’re free from the demands of work and home, so that you can pamper yourself and get the rest and relaxation you need.
The truth is that you can extend the benefits of massage for more than a few minutes or hours, but you need to plan ahead to make that happen. In the end, though, that planning will be worth it as you keep the good feelings going all day. And remember: you deserve time to focus on yourself!
