Can Massage Benefit Horseback Riders?
If you’re heading to the stables this summer, you may want to head to a massage table first. While horseback riding is elegant and graceful, equestrianism is much more intense than it looks.
You’ll likely be instantly jarred into remembering how taxing it can be on your main muscles soon after your ride ends. Let us remind you that since you’ll be heavily relying on these muscles, if you plan to spend your days riding trails, and especially if you plan on competing, you will need to find a way to heal those muscle imbalances.
How Horseback Riding Affects Your Muscles
Because you rely on your core muscles so heavily for riding, it creates an imbalance in the low back. Additionally, the leg, hip, shoulder, and back muscles are taxed quite hard while on horseback.
It’s common for horseback riders to experience shoulder injuries and soft tissue damage in the joints of the lower body. This is due to the repetitive and forceful vibrations created from the horse’s movements over the terrain.
What Equestrians Can Do to Prevent Injuries
Medical professionals advise horseback riders from beginners to advanced to prepare by warming up and stretching prior to mounting. However, this is not enough to warm up those muscle groups.
A better way is through massage therapy. Regular massage treatments, both before and after riding, can help keep your muscles flexible and relaxed.
Through massage therapy, a massage therapist can help identify your problem areas and address them to relieve the issues that may hold you back from enjoying the sport. Even if you simply plan on leisurely rides to enjoy with the family in the summer, it’s a good idea to have a massage to prevent major injuries that could impact the enjoyment of the rest of your summer.
Another thing that massage can do is help you achieve better balance and control. When you tighten up too much, that tension can transfer to the horse and make the ride less enjoyable for you both.
Massage therapy certainly has a positive effect on the recovery of your muscles and improving your athletic performance. You shouldn’t wait until you’re exhausted after a ride or suffer an injury though. Instead, ahead of your first visit to the stables, schedule massage therapy and make it a regular part of your schedule to get the most out of horseback riding.
If you need massages to keep your body primed for horseback riding but don’t think you have time to drive around to find a massage therapist and wait to be seen, there’s a better way. In Your Home Therapy features licensed massage therapists who come to you in your home, at your convenience. Schedule your session today!
