Self-Care – Looking After Yourself Between Massages
Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could have a massage every day of the week? Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the time or money for such a routine, but we can make the most of the massage treatments we do get by taking care of ourselves in between sessions.
First rule – drink the water!
There’s a reason your therapist offers you a refreshing glass of cool water after a treatment: it helps hydrate your body and keep your muscles relaxed. Drinking water after a treatment assists your body in flushing out accumulated waste and toxins that are released during a massage. A lot is going on inside your body while your muscle tissue is being manipulated. Also, water is great for your skin and your muscles, plus staying hydrated can even help to prevent headaches and reduce post-massage soreness.
Keep up the stretching.
It’s a very common problem, but there’s a very simple solution…if you are one of the many people who feel achy and tight after a day at work, or other activity, then stretch!
Making a habit of including stretching in your daily routine will really help you with a lot of muscle aches and soreness, and will make the effects of your massage last longer. Having a good stretch in between sessions helps support the work that’s already been done to relax your muscles on the treatment table. It doesn’t matter when you fit your stretches in, as long as you make a habit of it. Morning, noon, midday, or night stretches all include multiple benefits.
Stretches shouldn’t ever hurt! So don’t overdo it. Gently easing into stretches and holding them for at least a minute will yield you better results and prove to be more effective than shorter, deeper stretches.
Epsom Salts
Epsom salt baths are great for keeping any muscle aches and stiff joints at bay – they contain magnesium, which is also good for relieving stress. To prevent soreness after a massage, add Epsom salts to your bath as directed and relax. As for showering, it is recommended to wait at least an hour or two after your massage. This gives your body time to absorb whatever aid your therapist may have applied. If you feel you have to shower right after your massage, remember to mind the temperature. Hot showers can cause you to feel dizzy.
Feeling hot and cold
In between massages, you may start feeling that build-up of tension – nip it in the bud with heat therapy. Applying heat can help to soothe aching muscles and relieve tightness and tension. Heat can also improve and stimulate blood flow to the area. Try using a heat pad, or cautiously heat a damp towel in the microwave using 30-second intervals to check the temperature.
If you injure yourself in between massage sessions, try using cold therapy to numb the pain. Cold therapy is good for strains, sprains, and other minor injuries (if you’re unsure or are in serious pain, consult your healthcare provider).
For severe pain and/or swelling, take a cold pack (or you can use a frozen bottle of water, or even frozen vegetables in a bag) and wrap it in a towel to avoid cold burns. If you’re using a frozen bottle as a cold pack, a thick sock works well as a barrier. If you’ve been overdoing it and you have sore feet, try rolling the frozen bottle under your foot. You can alternate between hot and cold therapy, but always leave a period in between for your body to adjust. 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off is usually a good rule of thumb.
One last and very important tip: make your massage sessions part of your regular self-care routine. If you’re unsure about how often you need a massage, here’s a hint. If you have to take more than a minute to think or remember when your last session was, then it’s not often enough. But really, the best person to ask is your therapist. They will let you know if you need extra sessions or just maintenance care, and will make sure your massage is tailored to your needs. That’s a proper Wellness Technique.
