Can Horse Riding Help Combat Menopausal Depression?

If you are one of the many women battling menopause, you may be suffering with some of the unpleasant symptoms that accompany this transitional stage. Maybe you are experiencing short bouts of unhappiness, or coping with raging mood swings, which are both very normal during menopause. Some women, though, may be dealing with a much more serious symptom: depression. Women are more likely to suffer from depression during menopause than at any other time in their lives. Depression is characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness and inability to see positive outcomes in the future.

Fortunately, depression can be treated, and women can return to normal life with happiness and hope.  Read on to learn how riding horses can help you beat depression.

How Can Riding Horses Treat My Depression?

Though it can be a little expensive, horseback riding can be an excellent exercise for treating depression. Read to learn more about its benefits.

Muscle Exercise

Horse riding exercises your muscles, particularly in the abdomen and back. This encourages healthy blood flow around the body, reduces muscle tension, and improves stress levels. It also speeds up the heart rate, providing cardiovascular exercise, which is well-known for improving mood.

Weight Loss

Despite not being a strenuous exercise, riding can help you lose weight. Regular exercise is essential in weight management, preventing obesity, and improving self-esteem.

Concentration

Concentration levels may plummet if a woman is suffering from depression. Horseback riding can improve concentration while freeing up the mind and lifting the mood.

Self-Confidence

Riding has excellent therapeutic qualities. It can improve your self confidence purely because it involves risk-taking and belief in yourself.

Social Interaction

Having contact both with other riders and with the horse itself can lessen feelings of loneliness, a major part of depression. Riding is an interactive and social form of exercise that can promote happiness. It can make you feel free and help you detach from everyday worries.

Recommendation

Horseback riding is a worthwhile way to combat depression. It can boost your mood and fight other frustrating menopausal symptoms through exercise and social interaction.