How is your Ski and Snowboard season going? Brrrrr, this week it is certainly a bit chilly, but I know that avid skiiers are hitting the slopes anyway. We know that those Blue Bird days at Sun Peaks Resort or Harper Mountain are calling your name!
Here are a few tips on how floating can help you recover faster, so that you can get out there sooner.
Take Gravity out of the equation
When you are floating, you are weightless, and the impact of gravity on your body is significantly reduced. By taking gravity out of the equation, all of your muscles get a chance to deeply rest, relax and recover. By relieving the stresses of gravity, even for short periods, floating takes weight off the strained bones, joints and muscles, and increases the efficiency of the blood and lymph circulating through the body, carrying away waste and toxins and bringing healing materials to damaged cells. (1)
Prevent Injury
Many sports injuries occur because of incorrect muscle tension, not always through direct physical contact. Many injuries could have been prevented by proper muscle relaxation. Floating provides an amazing opportunity to really tune into your body to identify areas of pain, muscle tightness, areas of rigidity or misalignment. During your float, when you notice areas that are need of attention, you can consciously release the area of tension, or gently stretch the area out. Or, by tuning into your body, you may be able to bring new information to your healthcare provider for specific treatment. There is abundant evidence that float sessions cause major and across the board reduction of muscle tension. And, even more significantly, researchers found that reduction in tension persisted for days and even weeks.
Promote muscle growth.
While high-intensity exercise stimulates muscles to grow, the stimulated muscles actually grow during rest. While research is still emerging, current suggestions by sports physicians is to alternate days of high intensity training with days of deep rest, with a float 30 to 40 hours after the period of intense exercise. (2) Even floating once per week would offer deep rest and relaxation that has been shown for recovery and stimulation of muscle growth.
So, as you are planning your next ski day, why not plan for your float at the same time? Want to learn about even more benefits of floating? You may also enjoy our Infrared Sauna page or blog.
(1) The book of Floating by Michael Hutchinson, page 165
(2) ” page 168