Float therapy for athletic recovery

Recovery is a vital aspect for any recreational or professional athlete, which involves methods to eliminate pain, enhance performance and promote prevention.  Recovery techniques are essential in maintaining overall health, including mental health - a keystone of any training program.  One recovery method that is gaining popularity is float therapy.

As athletes, we all understand the necessity to be aware of our surroundings, ground feel, other people, finish lines, time on the clock and teammates. Yet, we often forget to  purposefully pause, rest and recover because it feels unproductive.  Disconnecting from constant “go mode” is one of the best ways to improve “go mode”.  The sensory deprivation mode found in a gravity defiant, brainwave altering float session in a float tank allows the athlete to disconnect from the outside world and focus on their body and mind.

Floating in a fiberglass tank filled with magnesium rich Epsom salts creates a sensation of weightlessness which allows for the brain and body to shift focus. The high concentration of magnesium salts allow for cardiovascular, neurologic and musculoskeletal advantages. Your skin absorbs magnesium during the float. Magnesium is essential to reduce inflammation, soothe sore muscle and aid with detoxification pathways to help rid the body of waste products that lead to soreness.

Floating helps decrease cortisol levels, which reduces systemic inflammation and improves mental state. When cortisol levels are high, the body remains in a state of stress, which affects the ability to sleep properly and to heal.  Floating allows for a potent“rest and digest” signal to  the nervous system, which shifts the body into recovery mode, including the production of happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin.  Further, floating allows for better circulation, lymphatic flow and tissue oxygenation.

Float therapy assists one to move in ways that they cannot in a standing or weight bearing position. The absence of gravity allows for movement and stretching of the torso and limbs, which can aid in muscle recovery and improve flexibility. It can also help with injury prevention by increasing joint range of motion and the promotion of proper movement and breathing patterns. 

Lastly, floatation has been shown to improve sleep quality and duration, which is an essential component of recovery.  Good sleep is vital for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue, regulating hormones and improving overall health.  So, from productive sleeps to reducing inflammation, improving detox pathways, mental state, muscles, and movement patterns, float therapy is and excellent addition to any athlete’s recovery regimen.