Everyone deserves to take a break once in a while. It’s a form of therapy that helps people get back to their feet and improve their mental health. Moreover, there are different ways people can relax. Some choose to take a warm relaxing bath, read a good book, or take a walk. But if you want something that’ll surely be effective, you might want to consider getting a massage.
Getting a massage would help relax your tensed muscles and make you feel rejuvenated right after. It’ll be one of the best 30-to-90-minute breaks you’ll have wherein you allow your body to feel at ease and recharge under the hands of amazing massage therapists.
But if it’s your first time having a massage appointment, you might be nervous about what are the things you need to do. Don’t worry, as being anxious for your first massage appointment is completely normal, as you’ll have no idea what should happen.
To help you out, indicated below are some things you need to do before, during, and after your first massage appointment. Keep on reading to learn more.
Things To Do Before Your Massage Appointment
One of the most nerve-wracking moments in your life would surely be before your massage appointment, as you have no clue what to expect from it. While you might see some clips from movies wherein actors are getting their massages, you might be confused if they’d be the same as reality.
To help you get started, below are the things you need to do before getting the most out of your appointment.
- Research About The Different Types Of Massages
Depending on the massage clinic or therapist, they may ask what kind of massage you’ll have as soon as you book or just right before your appointment.
To prevent yourself from getting a different massage you’re uncomfortable with, it’ll be great if you could research the different types of massages. This will give you an insight into what you’d like to have, as there are plenty of choices out there.
- Swedish
This massage is highly recommended for beginners as it’s a gentle full-body massage. This can help you to relax and still release muscle knots, which is perfect for relaxation.
The massage therapist will use oil to lubricate your body to allow smoother movement. In this type of massage, you’ll need to remove your clothes. You can choose to keep your underwear on, but your entire top has to be completely naked.
- Shiatsu
If you’d like a more invasive massage with a few added pressures, then shiatsu would be a better choice.
This type of massage uses Japanese bodywork that gently helps to reduce stress and tension and recharge your body. It’ll mostly use palm and finger pressure and no rubbing at all. This means that this type of massage wouldn’t use oil as it doesn’t need any lubrication.
Moreover, you can stay fully clothed during this session.
- Deep Tissue
Deep tissue massage is an intensified version of a Swedish massage. This will involve a mix of rubbing and pressure to help remove any soreness, imbalance, injury, and muscle pain. Just like with a Swedish massage, this type of massage involves oil, which requires you to be naked as you lay on the massage table.
- Sport
If you’re looking for a massage appointment because you have a repetitive injury to a certain part of a muscle, then a sports massage would be the best option for you. They’re also great if you’re prone to have one, which helps prevent them from developing.
A sports massage can also help relieve pain, relax muscle tension, and improve athletic performance. This type of massage uses oils, so you need to be naked for this. Nonetheless, if you choose to keep your clothes, ensure they’re loose so your massage therapist can easily access your muscles.
- Hot Stone
One of the most popular massages would be the hot stone massage. This will involve using hot stones to help relieve muscle pain or tension or allow a person to relax.
A massage therapist can choose to rely solely on hot stones or still use their hands for added pressure. Don’t worry, as the stones will be comfortable on your skin and will not burn off. Of course, you need to be completely naked for this massage to work.
- Keep Yourself Hydrated
The number one thing your massage therapist would probably say before you meet with them is to keep yourself hydrated. Not only that it’ll help you to have fewer water breaks, but it also helps to build your muscles so that they can be more flexible and easier to work with.
- Skip The Alcohol
After a long and tiring week, sipping alcohol might sound relaxing and fun. But if you plan on having a massage, this should be something you should skip.
When you drink alcohol right before your massage appointment, it might numb your senses. This will result in an ineffective and unrelaxing massage as you won’t feel the amazing sensation that your massage therapist would give.
- Free Your Mind
Even if a massage is supposed to help you feel relaxed and worry-free, you won’t be able to achieve full rejuvenation if you keep thinking about the things that make you stressed.
Before you meet with your therapist, try to free your mind, avoid thinking about negative thoughts, and look forward to the relaxation that a massage can bring. This is your time to relax and be at peace, and you need to make the most out of it.
- Take A Relaxing Shower
A great way to set your mood for your massage appointment is to take a relaxing shower. This should help make you feel at peace and prepare for the maximum relaxation the massage would bring. It can also help you be hygienic when working with your massage therapist and allow them to work with a clean body.
- Put Your Worries Away
One of the few things that people fear when visiting a massage clinic is being judged for their bodies. Admittedly, not everyone is comfortable in their own skin.
But when you’re inside a massage clinic, you should know that it’s a judgment-free zone. Everyone there would like to relax and not waste time judging each other. Further, your licensed massage therapist will not look down on you as they completely understand that everyone’s different and different bodies have various ways of working.
- Arrive Early
There’s nothing more frustrating than missing your first massage appointment that you’ve been looking forward to all week long. To prevent missing your appointment, you should arrive early at your massage clinic.
As you arrive at the clinic, you’ll need to fill out some forms, as you’re a new client. It gives you more time to relax while waiting for your turn as well. Once you arrive at the massage clinic, it’ll be the perfect time to throw your worries away.
- Communicate With Your Therapist
Preferably, before you begin your massage session, you should communicate with your therapists about everything you need to let them know. This will help them perform better and give you a great massage experience.
You can discuss with your therapist any medical condition, if you’d like to keep your clothes on, and if you’d like them to focus on a specific part of your body.
Things To Do During Your Massage Appointment
When it’s finally your turn for your massage appointment, your nervousness might spike as this is where everything happens. To help you fully relax and enjoy your booking, below are some things you need to do during your massage appointment:
- Don’t Be Afraid To Fall Asleep
When you experience an amazing massage, there’s a high chance for you to fall asleep. Don’t worry, as it’s completely normal. This is the state wherein your body is fully relaxed and chooses to go into a deep slumber.
Massage therapists are used to handling clients who fall asleep during the session. This isn’t rude but rather a complement as it simply states that you’re comfortable enough to drift into sleep. While you might want to keep yourself awake as you don’t want to miss the action, this is a part of your relaxation that can make you feel at ease and comfortable during the entire hour.
- Speak Up About Your Massage Preferences
Different massage therapists have various ways of how they massage their clients. Yet if your massage therapists start it off with something you’re uncomfortable with, such as hard pressure, you can speak up and ask them to tone down the pressure. You can even ask for deeper pressure if your body’s pain is too intense.
Plus, if you feel it’s too cold or hot inside the room, you can ask them to adjust the temperature to make you more comfortable. If you ever need to take a quick break to the restroom, you can let them know easily. Your comfort is their number one priority, and they should help to make you feel at ease.
- Decide If Should You Speak Or Be Silent
During a massage, you might be confused about whether you should share a conversation with your massage therapist or go through the entire session in silence.
A massage therapist would never initiate a conversation as they need to hear from their client what their preferences are. If you stay silent, your massage therapist would assume that you’d like to have a peaceful and quiet massage.
If you’d like to strike up a conversation, you can always begin by asking them questions and letting the flow go from there.
Things To Do After Your Massage Appointment
After your massage appointment, you can just get clothes and go home to sleep. There are some things you need to do to make the most out of your appointment, even after your massage.
To help you maximize the benefits of getting a massage, listed below are the things you need to do after your appointment:
- Drink Plenty Of Water
Keeping a proper hygiene level is extremely important with whatever you do. Nonetheless, for your massage session, it’s vital that you drink plenty of water. Not because you’d feel thirsty, but because your body actually needs it.
When you get your massage, your body releases toxins throughout your body. It’s from the tight knots and stress spots that form inside your muscle. This will result in additional work for your lymphatic system, which can affect the method of how your body process waste.
Ideally, you should wash the toxins out of your body to allow for a speedy and healthy recovery. You can do this by drinking plenty of water right after your massage. Further, you should keep yourself extra hydrated for the first 24 hours and avoid drinking sugary drinks as they can help dehydrate you.
- Let Your Body Recover
Treat your massage appointment as a workout routine. Even if you didn’t lift a finger, you need to let your body recover from the massage.
Once you reach home, you should consider doing some cool-down stretches to promote proper blood and movement flow to prevent your muscles from tightening. You can do some quick walking or light body stretches too, which should be enough.
As you let your body recover, avoid doing any intense movements for the next 24 hours. This will include skipping a day in the gym and just allowing yourself to relax.
- Have A Relaxing Bath
A great way to help your body recover and promote proper blood flow and stimulation is to take a relaxing warm bath. Heat can help to increase your body’s blood flow allowing for a quicker recovery and muscle relaxation. This will be an excellent treat as well as you indulge yourself in a relaxing bath right after your massage. It’ll be the perfect spa day.
- Observe Your Body
Since it’s your first time getting a massage, you’ll never know how your body will react to it. While it’s normal to feel some body pain after a few days, especially since your body isn’t used to the movement, it’s completely not normal to feel intense pain.
The pain you feel should only be light to moderate. But if you find yourself finding it difficult to get up in the morning or you’re just in intense pain, this just means that your massage was too hard for you. Take note of that so you can lighten up the pressure on your next visit.
Takeaway
As you go through your first massage appointment, you might be nervous about what are the things you need to do before, during, and after your appointment. Luckily, there are plenty of tips available that could help you get the most out of your appointment. As you follow them, you should allow yourself to fall deep into slumber and give yourself the relaxation and break you deserve.
