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SPORTS MASSAGE AFTERCARE
Drink Plenty of Fluids
Arguably the most important piece of aftercare advice for sports massage is to stay hydrated.
You might not have thought it, but massages are dehydrating! Kneading the muscle works out fluid from soft tissue and into the circulatory system, which heads towards the kidneys.
Because of this, many people experience needing to use the bathroom straight after a sports massage.
This is why re-hydrating your body post-massage is crucial!
Drinking plenty of fluids helps to promote elasticity back into the muscles, thus reducing soreness while recovering.
Tight and sore muscles may have been a reason for you getting a sports massage in the first place, so it’s important to keep hydrated to promote this muscle elasticity.
Plus, drinking plenty of fluids helps to detoxify the body by flushing away free radicals that are released during a massage.
Plenty of water will also help to oxygenate cells which keep your metabolic functions operating effectively.
Most sports massage therapists encourage their clients to drink a large glass of water after their session to reduce muscle soreness and to promote detoxification. It is a good idea to drink plenty of fluids for the remainder of the day too.
If you don’t want to drink plain water all day, alternatives such as coconut water will also help to rehydrate you!
Keep Moving
After a sports massage, you may be tempted to just sit back and relax. But one of the most important pieces of aftercare advice for sports massage we can give you is to keep moving!
Now, we don’t mean going on long runs or hikes. We simply mean that you should try not to sit or stand in the same position for prolonged periods.
If you’re someone who enjoys sitting cross-legged or is typically hunched over a desk for most of the day, try to get up and move frequently.
On regular days, the body doesn’t cope well with being in fixed positions for prolonged periods of time as muscles are likely to tense up. But this is especially important on days when you have had a sports massage!
Try to keep your body active with light movements and stretches to help alleviate aches and pains.
You don’t have to set aside a particular time to do this either. For example, consider going for a light walk on your lunch break or do some dynamic stretches while you wait for the kettle to boil.
Doing this will help to promote elasticity back into the muscles after your massage and prevent them from getting too tense.
Eat Healthily
If you’re an athlete or gym fanatic, chances are you eat a healthy diet anyway.
There are lots of benefits of healthy eating for the body and mind in general, but it is especially important as part of your sports massage aftercare routine.
Any food that is rich in nutrients and minerals is ideal, such as:
Fresh fruit and vegetables
Wholemeal carbohydrates
Foods high in protein such as meat, fish, grains and pulses to promote muscle recovery
Additionally, try to avoid eating a heavy meal straight after your appointment, as this can result in feeling nauseous.
To avoid this, consider having a light snack before and after your massage and save any larger meals until a couple of hours after your session.
Use Ice/Heat Packs
Another piece of useful sports massage aftercare advice is to use ice/heat packs.
As we have said, you should expect to experience some muscle soreness after your massage. But fortunately, ice and heat packs can help alleviate this soreness so that you can still perform everyday activities.
Benefits of heat and ice packs include:
Reduced swelling/inflammation
Decreased muscle spasms
Reduced pain
When placed on the skin, heat and ice packs encourage the blood vessels to open up and allow more blood into the area. This boosts oxygen flow to the muscles thus reducing muscle soreness from developing.
However, be aware that neither an ice or heat pack can completely stop muscle soreness- they simply help to reduce soreness from developing.
Consider using packs for 2-3 days after the appointment or up until the aches have subsided.
Taking hot baths for a few days is also a viable alternative to a heat pack!
Avoid Drinking Caffeine and Alcohol
With the previous point in mind, try to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks and alcohol until your body has had time to recover from your sports massage.
As you now know, replacing the fluid lost from a sports massage is critical, and most massage therapists encourage their patients to have a large glass of water at the end of a session.
Whilst water is beneficial, you should avoid alcohol and caffeine post-massage. This is because they are diuretics, which means they promote water loss through urine.
A hormone called vasopressin is produced which plays a large role in the regulation of water excretion.
In other words, consuming caffeinated drinks or alcohol too soon after a sports massage could cause further dehydration.
Symptoms of dehydration include:
Headaches
Fatigue
Irritableness
Sunken eyes
To avoid experiencing these symptoms, make sure you follow this piece of sports massage aftercare advice!
Be Patient
While this point may be easier said than done, a crucial part of any sports massage aftercare process is to be patient!
Should you be getting a sports massage to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, it is likely that you may experience worsened symptoms for a few days after your massage.
This is because the role of a sports massage therapist is to use various techniques and massage tools to target deep muscle tissue.
Due to this, many report that a sports massage is not a relaxing experience as with a Swedish massage, for example.
As mentioned earlier, your muscles will undergo trauma during a session and so will take a couple of days to recover and feel the true benefits.
Being patient is therefore super important during this time. While feeling stiff and sore is not a pleasurable experience, the long-term effects of the massage will be worth the wait!
Stretch
Light stretches can help to release muscle tension after a sports massage, making it a beneficial part of sports massage aftercare.
Doing gentle static and dynamic stretches will help ease some of the aches and pains in your muscles, helping them to fully recover.
Static stretches are when you stand, sit or lie in a single position and hold it for a period of time.
For example, a static hamstring stretch would involve standing hip-width apart and bending the body forwards at the hip, reaching the arms towards the toes while keeping the legs straight. This is then held for 15-30 seconds.
Dynamic stretches involve moving the muscles while stretching, rather than holding them still for a period of time.
For example, a dynamic full-body stretch would involve stepping the right foot forwards, lunging forward. You then extend both arms straight out at shoulder height and twist the body and arms at a 90-degree angle to the right.
Since it involves movement, this is therefore a dynamic stretch.
Doing both static and dynamic stretches is a great piece of sports massage aftercare advice that you could do to alleviate muscle aches and pains.
Avoid Intense Exercise
Although we have said that you should keep your body moving, you should avoid engaging in strenuous exercise for at least 24 hours after a sports massage.
This includes any kind of physical activity that raises your heart rate or uses your muscles intensely, such as:
Running
Weight lifting
High-intensity aerobics
Power yoga
The goal of a sports massage is to reduce tension and muscle soreness, so it’s worth letting the full effects of a sports massage develop before hitting the gym.
Plus, rest days are a critical part of any fitness regime!
If you’re conscious about not achieving your fitness goals by not exercising after a massage, consider doing a workout before your sports massage appointment. That way, you may not feel as guilty about missing a day or two to allow your body to recover.
Don’t Be Afraid to Contact Your Sports Massage Therapist
The final- but equally important piece of sports massage aftercare advice we can give you is to be willing to contact your therapist after your appointment.
If at any point you have questions about your recovery process or something doesn’t feel quite right, don’t be afraid to contact them.
After all, part of their job is to be there to help you physically and to provide you with sports massage aftercare advice.
Your therapist should offer a range of contact methods at the point that you booked the massage.
Make sure that you communicate any queries during regular business hours and if they don’t get back to you right away, recognise they may be busy with other clients.
That said, if your concern is urgent, refer to your GP instead.
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