Electronic music indisputably moves us, regardless of the genre. Music with a BPM between 140 to 180 is going to make us move our bodies hard and fast, also known as headbanging! Hearing this music live, we tend to whip our heads and necks in unnatural ways and we pay for it the next day. Almost every raver in the community has experienced soreness and stiffness in their neck due to headbanging the night before… not fun!
To diminish these side effects, rather than whipping your neck around, try moving your whole body as one unit to relieve stress on your cervical spine. Really get your back and legs involved as you headbang, your neck will thank you later. Moving in this way also allows for more creativity in your dance moves!
I quickly realized that if you are so in the moment and just feeling the music, you may forget to incorporate your entire body. Being a massage therapist I started continuously massaging my neck throughout the set and it helped tremendously. If you remember, massage your neck before and after the as well, it works wonders on your muscles.
Besides the physical side effects your neck may endure, you also have to be mindful of your surroundings. I’ve had friends headbang into camelbacks, rails, and other festival goers. Nobody wants to get hurt during a rave, so be cautious of your surroundings so you don’t hurt yourself or others.
Headbanging is a great expression of EDM as well as a release of stagnant energy, so do it the correct way so there are no repercussions!
