Why Hydrate After A Massage?

Yam Massage

You’ve heard the mantra after every massage and it’s emblazoned on the website of the American Massage Therapy Association, but why exactly should you drink plenty of water after a bodywork session? The reasons are simple and two-fold, and understanding a little bit more about how the body functions and the mechanism behind a healthy choice is great fuel for follow through. So without further adieu…         

One.

Massage dehydrates the body. When muscles are kneaded, fluid is pumped out of the soft tissues and into your circulatory system, where it’s dutifully transported on down to the kidneys. This is why you often feel the need for a nice long pee when the session ends.  Drinking plenty of water afterwards will help to replenish your body’s water supply. Drinking enough water for the body to perform its necessary functions is essential to good health. Which leads us to…

Two.

To keep things fresh and healthy, muscles produce metabolic waste. When your muscles get tight or form a knot, circulation becomes constricted, inhibiting the natural cycle of flushing and elimination. As your massage therapist works their magic, circulatory pathways open, and that build up of nitrogenous waste gets released. Giving your kidneys the water it needs to flush these toxins from the body is a vital component to an effective massage.

So yeah—drink plenty of water