In training, so much of what you do regardless of your sport is either impact orientated or taxing on your joints. People invest so much time into training but often fail to plan for time for their recovery. A good recovery can be so much more beneficial to you than just having that much-needed sleep in. It also keeps you operating at your peak which gives you a good, competitive advantage.
Floatation is used as a great tool in developing body awareness and helping you pre-empt injury. We occasionally hear from clients that they experienced mild discomfort whilst floating, and it was present in an area that they did not know was tender. This is great news! Floatation gives you an idea of where you need to focus more time on when you are on the foam roller or stretching phase of your active recovery.
When is the best time for me to use Floatation?
The best time to use the Float Room in any kind of training is when you start to feel fatigue levels increasing and your strength plateauing. For endurance training such as an Iron Man, the Floatation is essential in your scheduled recovery or taper weeks and ideally one float to three/four training sessions for optimal peak performance and repair.
For general training that stays fairly consistent in its nature and strength requirements, utilise a Float Room when you start feeling that real heaviness and sluggishness in your body (most commonly felt in the legs!).
“Float in the Room immediately after a major event, such as an Iron Man or Marathon to move the lactic acid out of the body and optimise your recovery. This is highly recommended instead of having a massage right away.”
If you wish to have a massage as well, your recovery results are significantly improved if coupled with a float first. The reason we recommend this is because the Epsom Salts help with built-up fluids, fatigue and soreness. Just a massage too soon after your event can leave you a bit bruised (even with gentle/medium pressure) and the best results won’t be gleaned as you may be potentially too sore still.
Floatation Therapy can also be used before any event to improve energy levels, your mental focus and clarity as well as calm any pre-race nerves. We commonly find that strength levels improve for a window of time after floating. It is best to experiment and find what best works with you and your training schedule.
But I can’t switch off my mind in the tank! It’s okay – you’re not the only one!
Just like any skill, getting your mind to relax requires patience and practice! Typically clients who have experienced yoga are more familiar with the practice of quieting the mind and, on average, do initially well in the Float Room.
Swimmers also have a very good response to Floatation and its results because of their predisposed comfort to water and spending a lengthy amount of time staring at the black, lane divider line has good meditative affects.
“Remember, even if you have trouble completely switching your mind off, you are still mentally benefiting from the sensory deprivation as well as gaining the physical benefits immediately.”
You can expect that your first Float will be a bit of a novelty. In subsequent sessions, your mind and body will know what to expect and your body and muscles are getting told to relax. You will have a positive feedback response sending to messages back into your brain, asking it to relax as well.
Because the Float Room is designed to shut your mind down, you can rest assured that it will eventually happen. Just be patient as it may take a few Floats until you get there!