Top athletes are always looking to get the most out of their performance by training to reach their maximum potential. A big part of their training may include finding ways to improve their breathing patterns, optimizing lung capacity, and shortening recovery time.
Once thought of as just a way for individuals to combat respiratory and skin conditions, athletes are now turning to dry salt therapy (halotherapy) to gain an edge over the competition and achieve their best sports performance.
Dry salt therapy has predominantly been thought of as a natural, drug-free, touchless complementary treatment to help relieve symptoms from a variety of respiratory conditions such as allergies, asthma, COPD, bronchitis, etc., however, athletes are now turning to dry salt therapy to gain an edge over the competition and achieve their best sports performance.
For athletes, the importance of breathing is often overlooked. Airflow obstruction and airway inflammation are two respiratory conditions that can cause poor breathing patterns that affect performance and ultimately lead to:
Increased dehydration
Reduced stamina and performance
Increased likelihood of cramps and injury
Increased recovery time
Elevated heart rate
Once athletes can optimize their breathing, less breath is required, which, in turn, means they have more air in reserve to achieve superior performance.
By simply breathing in dry salt aerosol, inflammation is reduced in the lungs so more oxygen can flow and turn into red blood cells. Dry salt also absorbs the mucous and other foreign substances that we breathe in every day, and salt is antibacterial.
Respiratory Conditions That Affect an Athlete’s Performance:
Airflow obstruction
Exposure to airborne allergens
Respiratory illnesses
Asthma
Allergies
Airway inflammation
How Dry Salt Therapy Works For Athletes
Improved Athletic Performance
Professional athletes, regular gym-goers, marathon runners, and anyone working out to improve their lifestyle all depend on breath control for optimal performance. Whether or not you have a respiratory condition, salt therapy can improve your respiratory and cardiovascular function.
Halotherapy acts as a disinfectant by clearing airways of bacteria, microorganisms, and other infections while not allowing microbial cultures to develop in our bodies. As a result, oxygen levels and respiratory volume increase, leading to improvements in athletic performance.
Clear airways mean increased oxygen capacity, higher energy levels, and more stamina. You will be able to set and accomplish higher workout goals as a result.
Several college and professional football players, including San Francisco 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward, use salt therapy during their off-season training, “I’ve seen amazing results from salt therapy and started leaking mucus and breathing better when I left the salt room. I’ll be adding salt therapy to my routine going forward in my NFL career.”
Faster Post-Workout Muscle Recovery
Working out causes microscopic tears (microtears) in the muscles, which produces inflammation and corresponding pain up to three days later. These microtears are vital for helping athletes build lean muscle mass.
Muscles must be broken down in order to build back up stronger. Following a strenuous workout, microtears occur, signaling the body to increase blood circulation and oxygen to the area to stimulate healing. Salt therapy opens the airways to improve breathing and allows oxygen to travel faster to the inflamed muscles, speeding up the recovery process.
A salt therapy session following a workout can reduce inflammation and post-workout recovery time.
Reduce Swelling and Inflammation
Swelling and inflammation at the joints are common results of working out due to the repetitiveness of performing similar movements over and over. It can also be the result of the normal aging process.
Salt acts as an anti-inflammatory, reducing fluid buildup and swelling in the joints. Decreasing the number of days without pain means more productive (and less challenging) workouts for you.
Reduced swelling combined with improved respiratory and cardiovascular function can dramatically enhance overall body performance. Just one session each week can provide you with the proper environment needed to reach your full athletic potential.
How to Experience Salt Therapy
To prevent and treat respiratory weaknesses that often affect athletes, the Salt Therapy Association (STA) recommends introducing dry salt therapy into sports training to better lung function and improve overall performance, endurance, and recovery. To find a facility near you, search the Client Directory Listings on the STA website.
Add Salt Therapy to Your Facility – Attract New Members. Generate New Revenue.
Fitness clubs across the country are striving to set themselves apart from the competition. They are looking to increase their customer base by attracting a clientele that cares about their respiratory and mental well-being and is looking for a relaxing post-workout recovery session.
Dry salt therapy is gaining in popularity thanks to its numerous health benefits. Instituting dry salt therapy at your club for sports training can lead to better lung function and improve the overall performance, endurance, and recovery of your members while offering a timely, future-proof profit center for your business.
If you own a fitness club, adding or converting a room into a dedicated salt room or a multi-use salt room where you can combine salt therapy with modalities such as yoga, massage, meditation, or breathwork can transform an underutilized space into a lucrative new revenue stream.
If you don’t have an extra room, simply installing a plug-and-play SALT Booth® for individual, personalized salt therapy sessions only requires a 4’x 4’ space. A SALT Booth® session is a 10-minute touchless service that requires minimum labor and your consumable salt costs are just pennies a day.
Adding salt therapy to your facility allows you to:
Incorporate a great wellness modality that helps treat respiratory issues and skin conditions
Attract new customers
Cross-market with your current services
But the biggest benefit to adding salt therapy to your fitness club is that you can generate over $6,000 per month in pure profit…
Don’t miss out on the salt therapy revolution – because it’s in-demand, profitable, and here to stay.
Want to know more about adding salt therapy to your facility? Please call 561-556-3322 or visit Salt Chamber Inc.
This is sponsored content. M&F is not endorsing the websites or products listed in this article.
