What to Do After Deep Tissue Massage Sessions & Why It's Important

When it comes to getting a massage, you should always know what to expect as well as proper aftercare methods to ensure you reap all the potential long-term benefits of your session. Recovery, relief, and relaxation are some of the hallmarks of getting a massage, but what kind of massage should you get? If you’re experiencing muscle soreness and tightness, stress, or pain then a deep tissue massage may be just the thing you need.

To help maximize how a deep tissue massage impacts your body, we’re exploring what to do after deep tissue massage sessions and why it’s important. Read on, and get the most from your next deep tissue massage experience!

What Is a Deep Tissue Massage?

Before we dive into what to do after a deep tissue massage, what is this massage technique and how does it benefit your body? Deep tissue massage is an advanced massage technique applying firm pressure and slow strokes to manipulate deep layers of muscle and surrounding connective tissue called fascia. You can also use this massage technique to help break down scar tissue and work out any knots you’re feeling in your muscle areas.

The movements that bring out deep tissue massage benefits include a process called stripping. This movement applies deep pressure that goes along the length of your muscle fibers and across their grain. While a traditional massage therapy appointment will have the massage therapist working your body in this style, there are other popular methods people are turning to in order to experience the benefits of massage therapy at home.

Today’s luxury massage chairs offer a plethora of different massage types, including deep tissue massage programs that give you all the benefits without having to leave the comfort of home. Advancements in massage chair technology such as 4D AI massage chairs deliver these massage sessions in a way that effectively eliminates any difference between using a massage chair vs human massage.

What to Do After Deep Tissue Massage

Now you know what this technique involves and how to experience it, but what about what to do after deep tissue massage sessions to extend the benefits beyond your session? Getting a massage isn’t an isolated experience. The bodily manipulation you experience affects your body, making proper aftercare an essential part of what to do after a deep tissue massage. Aftercare is important to facilitate muscle recovery and enhance how the body heals itself.

To maximize the benefits you experience, follow these tips for what to do after deep tissue massage sessions:

• Stay hydrated
• Keep your body active
• Add omega-3s into your diet
• Try applying a cold compress
• Get a good night’s rest
• Plan your next massage session

Stay Hydrated After Getting a Massage

Kicking off our list of what to do after deep tissue massage sessions is to stay hydrated. As with any kind of massage, it’s important to stay hydrated both before and after your session to maximize its benefits. The goal of deep tissue massage is to stimulate blood flow, which helps with muscle recovery as well as flushing toxins released after massage.

Making sure you are well-hydrated keeps the blood flowing more smoothly, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients throughout the body efficiently. Keeping hydrated also works to reduce inflammation in the body, aiding in better blood flow.

Keep Your Body Active After Deep Tissue Massage Sessions

While you might think of massage sessions as a means to relax and unwind, there’s also a special importance in keeping your body active as part of your aftercare routine. Learning what to do after deep tissue massage sessions involves finding ways to keep the blood flowing and making sure that muscles stay loose. You could also explore the benefits of heat therapy to help with this after a deep tissue massage for deeper relaxation while keeping muscle groups from tightening up as they heal.

Eat Foods Rich in Omega-3s

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like sardines, walnuts, eggs, and salmon have various benefits for your body and brain. Adding these to a light meal after your session is an ideal example of what to do after a deep tissue massage to maximize its benefits. Be sure to avoid eating a heavy meal, but get the nutrients your body needs. Foods rich in omega-3s may help relieve soreness some people experience after a deep tissue massage.

Try Applying a Cold Compress

Next up on our list of what to do after deep tissue massage sessions is applying a cold compress. Where the benefits of heat therapy during post-massage aftercare may keep muscles loose, a cold compress may help with slight soreness associated with deep tissue massage sessions.

Apply an ice pack wrapped in a towel against your skin for fifteen minutes or so to help slow down inflammation. This should be done only once every few hours to avoid overexposure to the cold, which could damage surface tissue.

Rest After Deep Tissue Massage

While keeping active is a good idea for what to do after deep tissue massage sessions, so is getting enough rest and a good night’s sleep. Getting enough sleep after a deep tissue massage will help with muscle recovery and boost energy levels so you’re ready to take on the day when you wake up the next morning! Treating your massage aftercare as part of a regular routine can help you create healthy habits for getting enough sleep on a regular basis, as well.

Plan Your Next Massage Session

Getting a massage is a great way to relax and recover. Where one massage is good, consistent massage sessions are great. Last, but not least, on our list of what to do after deep tissue massage sessions is to plan your next one! 

Here is another example where people have turned to the benefits of owning a massage chair instead of having to make an endless stream of massage therapy appointments which add up quickly and may be difficult to fit into busy schedules. How to improve your life with a massage chair becomes more and more obvious as you begin to recognize all the benefits of using a massage chair from the comfort of home. At the touch of a button, you can enjoy your next deep tissue massage session (or one of any number of other types of massage techniques) and compound the benefits you experience.

We hope this guide has given you clear examples of what to do after deep tissue massage sessions and why it’s important to practice proper aftercare. Deep tissue massage benefits go a step beyond regular relaxing massages, targeting areas to improve your physical well-being efficiently and effectively. Follow our tips and see how they maximize the benefits of your future deep tissue massage sessions!