How to Prepare for Your Massage
To shave or not to shave; to eat or not to eat—these are just some of the questions massage clients often have pertaining to how to best prepare for their massage appointments. Read more to get the inside scoop.
1. Arrive early
Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment so you have plenty of time to chat with your therapist about what you’re needing work on, use the restroom and settle down from your drive. Clients who arrive late are often in rush-mode and may have a harder time relaxing during their session.
2. Arrive hydrated
You’ve likely heard the importance of drinking water after your massage—but what about before? The truth is muscle and connective tissue that is well-hydrated is more pliable and easier to work on than dehydrated tissue. Drink some extra water the morning of and even the day before your session so your massage therapist can best help you meet your bodywork goals.
3. Arrive clean
Please shower as close to your appointment time as possible. The warmth of a shower or bath helps begin the process of relaxing your muscles and readying you mentally for your massage. It’s also true that massaging skin with bacteria is unhygienic (and potentially harmful) for both yourself and the massage therapist working on you. Also, skip any body lotion after your shower because it may prevent your therapist from properly gripping your muscle tissue when trying to treat you.
4. Eat a light meal before your massage
You don’t want to be so hungry that your stomach is growling and all you can think about is food when you’re trying to relax, but you also don’t want to be so full that you can’t comfortably lay on your stomach. Go for a the happy medium when it comes to food and plan to eat a light, nourishing meal a couple hours before your massage session.
5. Shave your legs (or back) the day before your massage (or don’t)
Many clients are often a little embarrassed if they didn’t have time to shave their legs before their massage. We promise it doesn’t bother us and it won’t affect the quality of your massage. If you do choose to shave beforehand, do so the day prior so that any little nicks have had time to heal over.
6. Workout before your massage
Especially if you’re wanting deep tissue work, make sure to work out before your massage, not afterward. An intense workout following deep tissue work can cause a high level of inflammation and can lead to extreme muscle soreness. Save your workout for the next day or be sure to fit it in the morning before you come in.
Follow these guidelines and you’ll be primed to receive your best massage yet! For a customized massage tailored completely to you and your goals, book online here.
