You have heard of the numerous benefits of floating – reducing pain, athletic recovery, reducing anxiety and depression, reducing stress. But did you know that a regular float practice is also the ultimate anti-aging tool?
You know how it goes – every birthday you notice that you recover more slowly, your smile lines become a bit more pronounced, and your body and mind are just a little bit slower to react. How can that be? You could swear that your 25th birthday was just yesterday. So, what is behind a large number of the symptoms of premature aging? With age comes wisdom, but it also comes with – you guessed it – STRESS.
The effects of stress on your body
Being under a constant state of stress means that your body is constantly flooded with Cortisol, the hormone released in response to stress. Too much cortisol in your system can contribute to conditions like increased blood pressure, decreased libido, heart disease, increased inflammation, a depleted immune system and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Did you know that Cortisol is also the natural enemy of collagen? Excessive cortisol breaks down the connective tissue that keeps your complexion taut and firm. Stress can also cause us to hold certain facial expressions, such as furrowing the brow which can eventually cause permanent wrinkling on the forehead and around the eyes. If you clench your jaw when you are stressed, you could also be strengthening the masseter muscle in your jaw, making your face look more square.
Cortisol is also linked to shortening of Telomeres. Telomeres are a protective casing at the end of a strand of DNA. Each time a cell divides, it loses a bit of its telomeres. An enzyme called telomerase can replenish it, but chronic stress and cortisol exposure decrease your supply. When the telomere is too diminished, the cell often dies or becomes pro-inflammatory. This sets the aging process in motion, along with associated health risks. (1)
How can floating help
A regular float practice has been proven to lower your stress levels in several ways, which makes it the ultimate anti-aging tool. For starters, just by booking your float appointment, you have decided to dedicate 90 glorious minutes to your own self care. Lets not forget that you conveniently remove yourself from the source of much of your stress. No one talking to you, bugging you, or asking you for something. Priceless!!
Secondly, entering the float, your body and mind realize that you are no longer under a perceived threat. Therefore your body chemistry can return to normal. Your body slows down, the flood of nerve-jangling chemicals is eliminated. Your stress gives way to feelings of deep calmness, peace and well-being.
Thirdly, a regular float practice gives you an opportunity for introspection and examination, helping to interrupt the cycle of fight-or-flight before it gets out of control.
A regular float practice also helps you become amazingly body-aware. Those furrowed brows? That clenched jaw? They both become glaringly obvious during your float. Being weightless in your float allows you to perceive much smaller sensations in your body makes it easy to pinpoint any areas of muscle tension. Once identified, these hot spots can be consciously released and eliminated.
The benefits of floating have been shown to be even more effective than other stress management techniques and have even greater benefits the longer that a person keeps up the practice. Check out our benefits of floating page for more info.
So, why not try trading some of the latest anti-aging skin creams for a float membership? Renew and rejuvenate yourself from the inside-out for long-lasting results.