Most of us don’t even come close to drinking enough water each day. According to The Institute of Medicine, “men should drink approximately 13 cups (3 liters) of water each day, and women are supposed to drink at least 9 cups (2.2 liters) of water daily.” This is a challenging goal to attain, and many of us are dehydrated.
Dehydration often causes symptoms such as:
- Dry mouth
- Sleepiness
- Thirst
- Dry skin
- Headaches
- Etc.
Dehydration also has its own set of effects when it comes to massage. Your therapist can tell when you are dehydrated just by the way your muscles feel. Hydrated muscles feel pliable and are easy to grab onto and move around. Muscles that are dehydrated are much more difficult to manipulate for an effective massage. Another reason to keep hydrated before a massage is because when you are properly hydrated, you are less likely to feel bruised or sore afterward.
To avoid all of negative effects of dehydration and give your body the fluids it needs to stay alert and focused it is ideal to:
- Drink water with each meal
- Drink water between meals
- And drink water throughout all exercise