When Is The Best Time To Use A Massage Chair: Before Or After Taking A Bath?

For most people, baths and massages are excellent options to cap off the day – whether it was a physically tiring one or a mentally exhausting one. However, some still wonder in which order should these two activities come – bath first or massage first? Assuming you have one, when is the best time to use a massage chair: before or after taking a bath? Read on to find out.

Getting a massage before a bath

Taking a bath before sitting on the massage chair definitely has its advantages. For instance, if you’ve just been to the gym after a grueling workout or have just arrived from an hour-long (or perhaps longer) commute, or maybe you’ve just gotten off from work (especially those whole day shifts or longer), it might be a good idea to take a bath first. Doing so removes sweat, oil, dirt, and other nasty things on your skin that you might end up depositing or accumulating in the chair.

Also, taking a bath first, especially a warm one, effectively soothes tired and knotted muscles, causing them to unwind and loosen. This is a good thing because it makes it easier for the massage rollers to knead the muscles and deliver complete relaxation afterward.  

In addition to this, taking a bath before a massage will also do wonders if you have skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. This is because a bath cleanses and moisturizes the skin – an important step in soothing the symptoms of these skin conditions and making sure that they don’t get aggravated further by dry rubbing. However, if you want to err on the side of caution, applying additional moisturizer even after the bath would be safer.

See also:  3 Reasons Your First Time on a Massage Chair May Hurt

Getting a massage after a bath

Some people prefer taking a bath after the massage because they are worried about picking up some dirt, bacteria, grease, or other unwanted stuff from the chair after a massage. This might be true, especially for massage chairs that are not exclusive to you. Because let’s face it. Even though you clean the chair after you use it, other people who share the chair with you might not. And even if no one else uses the chair apart from you, there’s no guarantee it won’t pick up dust or other stuff from the area you put it in. So, it is not only smart to do the massage before a bath, but it is also more hygienic.

Another possible reason to go and delay a bath till after the massage is finished is that the mechanical kneading you will get from the massage chair has a greater effect on relieving muscle pains than taking a bath, even if it is a hot bath. So, when your muscles are already hurting because of strain or fatigue, you can let the massage relieve the pain first. A warm bath after should be enough to fully unwind your muscles and help bring further relaxation.

THE VERDICT

Either way, both options should be fine. You can get a massage before a bath or after one. The important thing is that you give yourself a bit of time before you transition from one activity to another. Take a few minutes to an hour before you take a bath after a massage or go to a massage after a bath. Take a warm bath. Apply moisturizer to your skin before the massage. Always make sure to regularly disinfect your massage chair.  If you observe these precautions, then it shouldn’t be a problem which order you follow. You’ll be able to enjoy both activities just fine.