Five Ways to Extend Your Massage & Keep The Calm

Whether you get a massage weekly, monthly, or just every once in a while, here are five tips to maximize and extend the afterglow of a therapeutic massage treatment:
 
1. Drink Water to flush the toxins from the body. Massage also promotes circulation, increasing blood flow and oxygen and stimulating the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of pathogens. After-massage hydration supports these functions, helping to eliminate released impurities, sooner rather than later.
 
2. Stretching between massages helps maintain joint mobility, prevent muscles from tightening up again, and keep the life energy flowing.
 
3. Exercise helps maintain the benefits of massage. However, if you're receiving massage therapy to help speed muscle strain recovery, you may need to ease up on the exercise for a while and give the body time to heal -- particularly if you're recovering from a strenuous training regimen.
 
4. Body Awareness. After a massage, listen to how your body feels. This may mean taking it easy, moving slower and perhaps doing less for a while. Get sufficient sleep to allow the body to absorb the effects and regain vitality.
 
5. Diet. Support the body's renewed state by adhering to a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which will continue the detoxification process.  Lay off the caffeine and other adrenaline-challenges for a time -- which would short-circuit relaxation anyway.
 
Enjoy the calm! Kim