The Benefits Of Massage After A Long Backpacking Trip
Long backpacking trips can be so rewarding. Escaping the daily hustle and bustle to just walk the trails for a while can be the experience of a lifetime. But with that being said, long-distance hiking and sleeping in a tent for nights on end is not always easy on your body. When you get back, it's important to take good care of yourself, and that care should include a massage. Here are some key benefits of massage after a long backpacking trip.
To loosen up muscle knots.
You may have some areas where you're feeling sore and tight from sleeping in a strange position on hard ground, night after night. Or, there may be areas with muscle knots from the physical exertion of hiking for days on end. These knots can take a long time to work their way out on their own, but a massage therapist can accelerate that process. They will use long strokes of increasing pressure to break apart the muscle adhesions forming the knots. Afterward, you should be able to move more freely.
To address lingering soreness.
Do you have a tendon that's been bothering you, although it's not outright injured? Maybe there's an issue with your knee or hip. While massage is not a cure for torn ligaments or tendons, it can go a long way toward easing the soreness and tightness of tendons and ligaments that have been under a lot of stress during your trip. By loosening up the muscles, your massage therapist can reduce the tension in these tissues so they stop bothering you and don't progress to an actual injury in the coming weeks.
To mentally relax again.
Returning to daily life after a long backpacking trip can come with some stress. Suddenly you're on a schedule and need to be in specific places at specific times again! A massage can be a low-key way to deal with some of this stress so you can reacclimate. Your massage therapist may even incorporate things like aromatherapy and music therapy to make your massage an even more relaxing experience.
Whether you were out backpacking for a week, a month, or several months on end, you owe yourself a massage appointment when you return to ordinary life. It will loosen you up, help prevent injuries, and get you back into a more pleasant mindset as you reintegrate into your life off the trail.
Contact a massage therapist like Luata L.F. Bray, L.M.T. to learn more.