Before you go in for a massage therapy appointment you should be aware of a couple tips and tricks that could greatly improve your overall experience. Some of these tips may seem self-explanatory, but you would be surprised at the amount of patients that don’t abide by these rules. Check out the five things you need to know before you go in for a massage therapy appointment.
1. Be On Time
See what did I say, self-explanatory, right? But realistically we have all been late for an appointment before, and what does that do? Well, when you are late for an appointment it can really change your whole day. Not only does it supply you with extra unnecessary stress, but it can stress out your massage practitioner as well. Each day massage therapists have many scheduled appointments and rely on patients to be on time. So do yourself a favor, don’t stress out your therapist, show up on time for your appointment!
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Dictate The Pressure
Sometimes when patients get a massage they can be concerned about telling the practitioner they are either pressing too hard or too softly on their body. Patients feel as if they are overstepping their bounds by bringing this up to their massage therapist. But, don’t be afraid to ask, your massage practitioner wants to create the best experience possible for you and is happy to adjust what they are doing to fit your needs.
3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Make sure you hydrate your body extensively after your appointment. When your muscles experience the act of massage they get dehydrated. It is important to drink plenty of water after your massage therapy appointment in order to replenish your muscles and retain hydration throughout your body.
4. Take a Warm Shower Before Your Appointment
A relaxing, long, hot shower before your appointment can greatly increase the amount of relaxation you will receive. So clean off and relax before your appointment. It could go a long way to making your massage the best it could possibly be.
5. Don’t Eat Directly Before Your Massage
Massage is known to stimulate your body’s digestive system. Because of this fact, it is important to avoid eating a full meal right before your massage. This is not to say you can’t have something small to eat beforehand, after all we don’t want you to starve. Just make sure you stick to it being a small snack, a big meal before your massage appointment is a no-go.