- Sandra Robles
Post Hike Massage: Benefits
Updated: Oct 22, 2019
It’s summer time and the living is easy… unless you are one of the numerous people who enjoy hiking in the glorious Colorado mountains. Few people realize the amount of stress placed on the body during a hike. The areas of the body that experience the most stress during hiking are also the ones most prone to injury. Through massage therapy, an individual has the luxury of having these problem areas targeted, thus keeping hikers on the trail.
When a hiker comes in for a massage it is important to let their therapist know which areas are crucial to focus on. These areas are: calves, hips, sacrum, quadriceps, hamstrings, neck, shoulders, and, most importantly, the feet. By getting a deep tissue massage the day after a strenuous hike, one is giving their body the opportunity to flush out any toxins released during the hike, thus aiding in recovery and injury prevention. By stretching before your hike and receiving frequent massage, the likely-hood of injury or general stress to the body is significantly lessened.
Something that most people do not realize while hiking is the immense amount of pressure applied to the back of the knees and legs. When one is climbing up a 45 degree slope the pressure from the incline and backpack alone is enough to put the legs under a great deal of stress. Couple this with the high altitude that conjoins with many Colorado hikes and you have a body filled with toxins; this is due to the lack of air as well as the intense stress placed on the body from the hike. Because of this strain it is immensely important for hikers to receive massage, not only does it improve circulation, reduce stress, and aid in the healing of muscle tissue, it also help to flush out toxins in the body. (If you haven’t noticed flushing out the toxins in your body is massively important!)
Clients have reported increased stamina after a strict post hike massage regiment. Other benefits reported are ease of breathing at higher altitudes & quicker recovery times.
In summation; I recommend keeping yourself safe and on the trail by scheduling a post hike massage for the day after your hike.By getting frequent massage you are not only keeping your body healthy and ready for action, but you are also helping your metaphysical state of well being to be healthy as well.
