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The Wrong Way to Use a Massage Chair for Beginners
"Sitting In My Massage Chair Hurt!" Beginner Mistakes With Massage Chairs”
Why Were Your Sore After Your First Time in Your Massage Chair
It’s never what you want. You’ve purchased your massage chair, hooked it up, and are ready to enjoy an incredible session, but when you get out of the chair you feel sore, and maybe even during the massage, you were experiencing pain with some of the massage strokes. What went wrong? Why did this massage hurt when you’re supposed to be so relaxed and blissed out afterward?
It can be disappointing to take home a chair with all the top features like Bluetooth, enhanced 4D rollers, body scanning, and more only to be in pain after the first massage. This is also very common. Quite often people don’t truly realize the settings and intensity that they need from a chair and when the person in the store helps you they typically program the chair to be effective but gentle based on what you told them.
But there is more to a rough first time than just a bit of soreness.
In America, especially in the fitness world, the saying is “No pain, no gain.” In fitness gyms and classes around the nation, there is a perceived relationship between the aches we feel after a workout and the results. So many people think that the sorer they feel, the better and faster the results will be. And that makes a lot of people push themselves to their breaking point.
When it comes to true progress and particularly massage chairs, that kind of thinking isn’t helpful.
According to MayoClinic.com, stated in a recent Healthy Lifestyle article, “some forms of massage can leave you feeling a bit sore, but [a massage] shouldn’t ordinarily be painful or uncomfortable.” If a massage chair causes the user to wince or feel discomfort, it’s simply not doing its job and should be refined.
Yet, because of our perception of pain equating to an increase in results, we frequently think the opposite–that a session in a chair where we are prodded and pounded is actually going to be the most effective for us. However, this is completely wrong. In fact, not only should a session in your massage chair not hurt, they should reduce pain.
So, what could be causing the pain you’re experiencing in your massage chair when you take it home? Well, the bad news is that there are various reasons why you might experience some discomfort and soreness despite a wonderfully executed massage session. The good news is that determining what it is for you isn’t too hard. Let’s dive into the causes behind this first-time use pain.
You Might Be Dehydrated
Did you know that there are steps you should take both before and after a massage session, whether in person or in a chair? The truth is there are several, and drinking water is one of the most important.
Massage therapy, regardless of whether you’re lying on a table in a spa or getting on from your very own shiatsu massage chair, assists to flush out toxins from your body. And what do you need to get those released toxins from your muscles and bloodstream out of your body? Water.
What happens when you are dehydrated and didn’t drink enough water before your first massage session in your chair? You get a buildup of toxins that can lead to aches and pains all over your body. What’s the fast and simple fix? Make sure you drink lots of water not just following your session in your new chair, but, equally importantly, prior to sitting down and enjoying a full body massage.
Some Essential Tips for Beginners
pay attention to these tips when experiencing the massage chair:
- When a massage chair scans your back and body to locate shiatsu acupoints, it is sensing the most essential areas to craft a session around, so be sure to sit still and let your back rest against the chair fully.
- A gentle, nuanced massage does work for pain relief and relaxation when those acupoints have been located.
- The remote should allow you to customize the session if it starts to be uncomfortable quickly and easily.
- Since pain is subjective, you may need to decrease the intensity even if it seems low to begin with.
- When a massage chair causes physical soreness, something is typically wrong if you have taken all the above steps. It may have unrefined choreography or be poorly constructed.
You know your massage chair is worth the investment when it makes you feel better and helps to alleviate the concerns that brought you to it in the first place. Soreness or discomfort after a massage isn’t a good sign, and it doesn’t mean you got your money’s worth out of it. Rather, it’s the fact that pain and discomfort are lessened.
Take It Slow
Since your muscles aren’t yet used to being massaged on a regular basis, you’ll need to take it slow. This will help prevent unpleasant soreness.
For your first week, only use your chair for one or two sessions. Then, slowly increase to two or three times in the chair per week. As you get more accustomed to the chair, you can use it the full three to four times per week. If you want to learn a bit more about how often you should be using your massage chair