Drinking Water After Massage is Important
If you have had a massage, you have likely heard the words “Be sure to drink lots of water to flush out the toxins.” The recommendation to drink water is a good one. Yet, the second part of this statement – the one about “toxins”- is not based on any documented findings. Read on and learn!
Drinking Water is a Good Idea
Drinking water is a highly recommended activity. It keeps you hydrated, energized and helps your body function. Water makes up 50-70% of your total body weight. This amount changes throughout your lifetime based on things like sex, age and activity level. Your body requires adequate water to function properly. According to Harvard Medical School, some of the many benefits of water include providing cushion for joints, transporting nutrients and oxygen to your cells, helping digestion, regulating body temperature, and protecting your tissues and organs.
What happens when you don’t get enough water?
Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration. Dehydration is when the body does not have enough water to function properly. Not having enough water in your body can be serious, even life threatening. While there are activities and conditions that can cause your body to lose water, massage is not one of these. Certain activities or conditions can cause water to leave your body quickly – exercise, pregnancy, breastfeeding, illness, and the environment. Your body naturally loses water in day-to-day functioning such as sweating, urinating, and defecating. Replacing the water your body uses will keep you feeling energetic and healthy.
Signs of Dehydration
Not drinking enough water to replace the water your body uses or expels can lead to dehydration. Even mild dehydration can make it difficult for you to function properly. You may notice physical, cognitive, and emotional effects of dehydration. Some signs of dehydration include:
· Thirst
· Muscle soreness or weakness
· Colored urine
· Lack of urination or sweat
· Constipation
· Dizziness or confusion
· Headache
If you believe that you or someone close to you may be severely dehydrated, seek medical attention immediately as this can be life threatening.
Drinking Water and Massage
From the list above, you may notice that some of the signs of dehydration are also reasons people seek massage: muscle soreness and headache. These are also symptoms that some people, maybe even you, have experienced after receiving massage. Drinking water after your massage is important because drinking water is important. Your body functions better in general when it is hydrated. Even mild dehydration can cause you to feel unwell.
The Myth of “Toxins” and Massage
You may have heard that massage “flushes toxins from your body.” Massage is great a great addition to your self-care and healthcare routine. However, the removal of toxins from your body is NOT one of the known benefits of massage. Massage cannot wring out unwanted substances from your body. Your body naturally filters out and removes toxins. The liver, kidneys, and skin are some of the organs that help your body to remove unwanted, unusable, and harmful substances from your body. If you have consumed a harmful substance, such as poison or too much medication, seek medical attention not massage. Drinking plenty of water helps these organs do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. So, please do have a glass of water after your massage, before your massage, and every other day of the week.