In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the basics on utilizing float therapy for athletic and exercise benefits. From the professional ranks all the way down to home workouts, those who take part in float therapy often notice significant benefits to both their physical and mental performance, plus vital recovery areas.
At Body Balance Massage and Float, we’re proud to offer float therapy services in addition to our wide range of massage therapy solutions. Athletes and those who deal with exercise-related issues are some of our most common clients in both these areas – in today’s part two of our series, we’ll go over some of the specific uses of float therapy in athletic and exercise settings, including both before and after major activity.
As any serious athlete well knows, proper warmup is essential to any major workout, sport or exercise. This is a process that generally involves loosening the muscles and joints before activity, ensuring they’re ready for the heavier strain than normal you’re about to put on them.
While you may not be able to float before every game or exercise, float therapy in general is hugely beneficial here. It involves removing the pressure of gravity from the equation altogether, helping relax the muscles and increasing your red blood cell count and blood circulation. This, in turn, leads to much lower injury risk due to relaxed muscles and related factors.
While float therapy is fantastic for sports preparation from a physical standpoint, it’s vital not to forget about its benefits within the mental realm. Especially for high-level athletes, focus is essential for strong performance – including the ability to calm down and remain engaged with the task at hand.
Again, float therapy is an excellent resource. It limits the production of lactate in the bloodstream, which in turn improves your ability to think clearly. It’s also a fantastic form of relaxation or mediation for many, allowing you to spend time calmly visualizing success or taking any other mental preparation steps you prefer.
And of course, perhaps the most well-known use of float therapy within athletics is for cool-down and recovery purposes. Whether we’re talking about specific pain or aches in a given area, muscle tightness, cramping or any other sort of sport-related discomfort, float therapy is a fantastic resource.
Once again, the lack of gravity is a major factor here. It gives the joints and muscles the opportunity to relax and fully undergo their healing processes. In addition, magnesium sulfate in the tank further relaxes muscles, plus restores joint protein to help speed up recovery.
For more on the benefits of float therapy for athletes and those who exercise often, or to learn about any of our float therapy, massage therapy or other services, speak to the staff at Body Balance Massage and Float today.