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Whether you are competing or just want to be at your best, Prevention, Preparation, Performance and Recovery are all critical aspects to achieving this.
Photo: Debbie Pinder, Ultra Marathon Runner
How many times how you found yourself over training only to pick up a cold, impacting your performance or training plan?
Does the pollen season affect your respiratory system and make it harder to breathe?
Do your lungs feel sore or tired after a long or intensive training session?
Are you struggling to get a restful sleep or just need some relaxation time to gain mental focus?
Athletes, especially in endurance sports, know good lung health is crucial to optimising performance. One of the most critical factors to achieving maximum potential is an optimum breathing pattern and lung capacity. A simple method used to measure this is via a peak flow meter or VO2 Max.
Poor breathing patterns can often lead to reduced stamina, increased dehydration, increased recovery time, limited oxygen exchange, increased heart rate and early fatigue. There are also a number of respiratory conditions and pulmonary limitations athletes may suffer from such as:
Air flow obstruction leading to performance reduction
Increased bronchial responsiveness
Exposure to airborne allergens and other unwanted inhaled particles
Respiratory illnesses and conditions such as asthma, allergies, airway inflammation
If you feel that you suffer from any of the above, then Halotherapy may be a worthwhile consideration for you.
But what is it?
Photo: Koru Wellness, Bookham, Surrey
Halotherapy, known as dry salt therapy is anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and completely natural (drug free). Originating as Speleotherapy from salt mines in Eastern Europe over 100 years ago, it has now been modernised and recreated in the form of a halogenerator, which mechanically disperses ground up micro particles (0.3-0.5 microns) of pharmaceutical grade salt, which are then inhaled. The session is held in a room where you stay fully clothed and relax.
Halotherapy is a clinically proven treatment used:
To clear mucus from the airways thus removing airflow obstruction
To enhance mucociliary clearance mechanism in both asthmatic and healthy subjects
To balance airway-surface liquid
To help clear unwanted inhaled particles from lungs
To provide anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects
To reduce bronchial hyperresponsiveness
To improve lung function
As a drug-free treatment for asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and allergies
By tackling these symptoms, it allows athletes to achieve better performance with less breath. Oxygenating your muscles efficiently, means you can make your body work harder, for longer. When you want to win, you need that edge.
Studies by the World Halotherapy Association have shown, on average, a 13% increase in FEV1 (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1-second) of recreational athletes due to Halotherapy. Other smaller studies are also consistently providing positive results among athletes.
Many sports teams and athletes in Europe and America are already embracing the power of halotherapy, including Olympic figure skaters, Crossfit competitors, MMA, NFL teams, jockeys & their horses. There are even underground sports fields and basketball courts in Poland, with over 2000 salt caves or rooms in Eastern Europe and Russia alone!
For research studies and articles, visit Exploring Salt & Halotherapy Initiative Resources - Global Wellness Institute
If you want to find out how you could benefit from Halotherapy please get in touch.
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