One of the latest trends in relaxation is also a helpful tool for athletes who need to recover in between workouts, practices and athletic events.
Flotation tanks offer a unique experience that isn’t easy to replicate outside of the spa. The tanks contain skin temperature water and 1200 pounds of Epsom salts, making you extremely buoyant. In this experience, with proper isolation, you start to feel that you become one with the water. You don’t have to use your muscles to hold yourself up and you can relax your muscles more deeply than if you were simply lying down. Giving the body a break from gravity, which pulls down on our bones and muscles every moment of every day, is an important part of recovery for athletes.
Many athletes already take regular baths in Epsom salts because they have several natural properties helpful to active people. They are anti-inflammatory, which helps with recovery after a hard day of training. It is very common for an athlete to draw themselves a bath at home with Epsom salts after a workout to avoid soreness, so imagine what 1200 pounds of the stuff could do in a bath!
A study done by Northern Illinois University showed that athletes who did a flotation session after a workout, had a significant reduction in blood lactate, the compound that develops when you overwork your muscles, in their blood. Reducing lactic acid makes athletes ready for their next workout much faster.
According to experts, flotation tanks also help to reduce stress, lowering cortisol levels . Cortisol is a hormone that keeps us going in stressful moments, but too much of the hormone can tax the body and increase fatigue. Other experts say that the sensory deprivation tanks are the perfect environment for athletes to envision and focus on manifesting their success.
Hopefully, in the future, more studies will be performed to prove definitively to any skeptic that flotation tanks work!
This isn’t some alternative therapy only done by those who practice fringe health improvement techniques. Even professional athletes are getting in on the game. While the popularity of flotation tank may have been made popular by “far out” celebrities including John Lennon in the 1970s, modern athletes and celebrities are huge advocates for the technology – because it works.
In 2014, one NFL team, The New England Patriots , started using flotation tanks to improve their athletes’ recovery. At first, the guys were skeptical, but now some of the players, like Tom Brady, have put a flotation tank in their own homes because they realize how essential it has become for their recovery process.
Other celebrities like NBA star Steph Curry and Olympic athlete James Magnussen are strong advocates for a long soak in a flotation tank. Joe Rogan, a UFC host and athlete is even considered the grandfather of floating because he has been doing it for so long.
Now it is time for you to step into the tank and find out why top athletes swear by flotation tanks. Plan your visit to Still Life Massage and schedule a float. Our location offers a calming environment, complete with a lounge for relaxation after your flotation experience.
Schedule your first float
today!