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The general population is under hydrated. Most folks think that by consuming coffee or soda that they are doing their part in maintaining proper hydration. (buzzer sound) AAAIIINNT!!! These products actually rob the body of water. They are diuretics, which remove water from our system. Of course, alcohol falls under this category as well. Nothing can replace pure, clean, crisp, cool water for keeping our skin looking smooth and flush, our hair soft and shiny, our breath fresh, our eyes clear and our trips to the bathroom regular. So, you might be asking, what does this have to do with massage?
When a human being spends a lifetime of being dehydrated, the body starts to run ineffieciently. There could be a lot of common diseases that result from this but let us stick with an obvious one: PAIN. When muscles aren't properly hydrated, the tissue surrounded them can become sticky, like glue. Underneath, our skin can actually adhere to our muscles, reducing our flexability and ultimately causing severe discomfort. Muscles can also bond together! Our joints will no longer stay properly lubricated. The muscles and skin around them can 'tighten up', diminishing their mobility. Along with proper hydration, a good massage therapist can go in and help loosen these areas up, bringing fluid back to where it belongs. Massage can actually help reverse the process brought upon the body by years of improper hydration.
So even if you haven't booked an appointment with me yet, start drinking your water. A good recommendation is 1 ounce for every pound of body weight, divided by 2. So if you weigh 200 lbs, you need 100 ounces of water a day to stay properly hydrated. If you drink a lot of alcohol, coffee and soda, double it. I'm not kidding!
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2 comments:
Your so right. I have had a lot of pain relief just from drinking more water! I was surprised to learn how important it is to drink water before a massage as it helps plump up the muscles so toxins can move out. Great article! Thanks!
Water is probably the single most underestimated element in our diet and probably one of the key elements in prevention, which should be the focus and central principle in everyone's health care plan.
A side note, prevention is so absent in America that our healthcare system and our daily lives.
In Poland, there is a lack of water culture; people drink coffee or juice and assume that, "there is water in this, I am drinking water". The same logic could be applied to beer, vodka, etc. It is really sad.
When i was having some recent kidney problems, I was told to drink about 5 liters of water a day with the medicine I was taking. It ended up making the problem worse as I was then completely drained and depleted and my blood sugar was out of whack.
But 1 to 2 liters of water a day over a long period of time and you can feel the difference in a lot of your bodily function!
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