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 Float Therapy first came about in the 1950s and has grown exponentially in popularity since then. It wasn't until the 1970s that Float Therapy gained traction and became a popular form of stress and anxiety management. But how exactly does it work? Fear not; we're about to tell you all you need about float therapy for stress management.
4 Ways Float Therapy Can Help You Manage Stress 1. Decreases Blood Pressure There have been studies that have shown promising results in the correlation between Float Therapy and blood pressure. Float therapy can boost endorphins which reduce blood pressure by helping the body relax. Endorphins can also reduce pain and stabilize mood. 2. It Helps Lower Cortisol Levels Cortisol is a hormone our body releases in response to stress. By removing external stimuli, our bodies experience an intense sense of calm and ease that reduces stress triggers and thus reduces our cortisol levels. Cortisol levels must be kept in check in order to negate the severe negative side effects stress has on our bodies. 3. Magnesium Relieves Muscle Tension Float tanks contain over 1,000 pounds of Epsom salts which are an excellent natural source of magnesium. Our bodies don't naturally produce magnesium and generally get it from our food. But when our skin is directly exposed to it, it is absorbed readily, and unbeknownst to most, magnesium has insane benefits in pain management! 4. Decreases Amygdala Response The amygdala is a small section of the brain responsible for our flight-or-fight response. This response, unfortunately, goes hand in hand with increased stress levels. If the body feels as though it's under threat, it produces more cortisol. Sensory deprivation removes any amygdala triggers, allowing the body to fully relax and unwind, thus lowering our stress levels. Conclusion Float therapy has shown extreme promise in being an effective stress management tool, offering many significant health benefits. And as strange as the concept may seem, it's readily available if you know where to look. Float Missoula offers Missoula locals the opportunity to seek help and better their overall health through float therapy, infrared saunas and other wellness practices that can make you feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
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 Breathwork is a practice that helps people control their breathing, commonly used in forms of meditation, but is also a great way to improve your float session. Breathwork can help you achieve an intense state of relaxation and peace. So, whether you're looking to manage stress and anxiety, assist in sleeping patterns or focus, certain breathwork techniques may help. Here are three easy-to-learn breathwork exercises to try in float therapy. 1. Belly Breathing Also known as abdominal breathing, it is a technique that involves breathing into your abdomen. Sounds strange? Let’s explain. How does it work? Belly breathing requires deep breathing and an expansion, not to the chest, but to the stomach region. It is considered one of the most effective breathing techniques, as it can maximize oxygenation to the body. How to practice Belly Breathing?
Belly breathing can assist in reducing stress, improving sleep and digestion and enhancing relaxation, to name a few, but it does host other general well-being and mental health benefits. 2. Box Breathing Box breathing is also known as tactical breathing. It was designed to assist people in reaching a better sense of focus and relaxation. How does it work? By breathing in a uniform pattern, your mind is forced to focus on your breathing alone and clear all other thoughts to center you on this single task. How to Practice Box Breathing
What are the Benefits of Box Breathing? Box breathing has been known to help in cases of anxiety and panic attacks, as well as reduce tension headaches, improve sleep and improve lung capacity. 3. Conscious Connected Breathing Also known as rebirthing, this is a difficult but highly beneficial breathwork exercise to master. It was developed as a means of releasing negative patterns and traumas and reducing stress. How does it work? Through its promotion of a deep relaxation state, it is thought to assist people in confronting pent-up emotions. The continuous cycle helps us release emotional energy stored in our bodies. How to Practice Conscious Connected Breathing
What are the Benefits of Conscious Connected Breathing? This exercise can help increase self-awareness and promote emotional healing, which overall assists in reducing stress and anxiety. Try Out These Breathwork Exercises in Your Next Float Session
 What Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is a condition listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. Does that sound familiar? Probably does with the cold snap we’ve had recently. SAD tends to affect people who live in areas with more pronounced seasons. For instance, about 1.4% of Floridians get diagnosed with SAD, whereas 9.9% Alaskans are diagnosed with SAD. But many more people don’t fit those diagnostic criteria but still get the “winter blues.” Here’s how to beat it. How to Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder Many people who experience SAD take antidepressant medications, like SSRIs. Some rely on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a form of talk therapy. One of the best treatments for SAD is physical exercise. But, some people who experience severe symptoms have trouble making it to the gym (and you can forget about exercising outside when it’s snowy, icy, and freezing cold). Some light therapies, commonly called “SAD Lamps” can be effective in treating Seasonal Affective Disorder. But we think that Infrared Sauna is one of the best treatments for the winter blues out there. (Yes, we’re biased but we’ve had hundreds of customers tell us so). How Infrared Saunas Work The sunlight (that’s sorely lacking this time of year) is a combination of visible and invisible light. Infrared saunas use this invisible spectrum to heat your body directly without blinding you. An infrared sauna works just like other dry saunas but with a few key differences:
Why Our Infrared Sauna Is the Best Remember those invisible bands of light we talked about? Most low-end saunas only use one segment of that bandwidth, called “Far Infrared”. Far infrared is great! It penetrates the deepest into the body and it has a lot of benefits itself. But it’s only one of three segments of non-visible light. The other types of non-visible light are “Mid Infrared” and “Near Infrared.” Each spectrum of non-visible light has a different wavelength, which correlates to how deep into your body tissues it penetrates. And each carries its own benefit. To get all of those benefits, you really want what is called a “Full-Spectrum” Infrared Sauna. And that’s what we have here at Float Missoula - a full spectrum infrared sauna from the best manufacturer on the market - Sunlighten. Check out our Infrared Sauna page to learn more about the benefits of Infrared Sauna (and book your appointment today). Some studies suggest that as many as 48% of Americans are Magnesium deficient. Here’s what to do about it... Photo by Jason Tuinstra on Unsplash Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, from supporting muscle function to nerve function to energy production.
While slightly low magnesium levels aren’t a huge problem, chronically low levels can lead to serious health problems, like high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. Below, you’ll find 7 common symptoms of magnesium deficiency and 5 ways to increase your magnesium levels. 7 Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency 1. Muscle twitches, cramps, weakness, or pain Twitches, tremors, cramps, weakness, and muscle pain are all tell-tale signs of magnesium deficiency. 2. Increased risk of Depression Some studies have associated low magnesium levels with an increased risk of depression. 3. Osteoporosis Magnesium deficiency lowers the blood levels of calcium, the main building block of bones. 4. Fatigue Everyone gets tired from time to time but persistent fatigue can be another symptom of magnesium deficiency. 5. Irregular Heartbeat Heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is one of the most serious possible effects of magnesium deficiency and can lead to lightheadedness, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and even fainting. 6. High Blood Pressure Studies show that magnesium deficiency may increase blood pressure, which can lead to or negatively affect existing heart disease. 7. Asthma People with severe Asthma tend to be deficient in Magnesium. 5 Ways to Get More Magnesium 1. Eat Foods Rich in Magnesium Most people get all the magnesium they need from food. But, if you suspect you’re deficient in Magnesium, you want to take extra care to incorporate certain foods. Magnesium can be found in a wide range of foods, especially those high in fiber, including leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Checkout the list below for some of the best food sources of magnesium content (in each 3.5-ounce or 100-gram serving):
2. Oral Supplementation of Magnesium Many people who are low in Magnesium opt for vitamins and supplements to boost their levels. These can be purchased at any health food store, like GNC or Vitamin Shoppe and most grocery stores, like the Good Food Store. But, be careful because some experts have noted potential side effects of magnesium supplementation, like nausea, diarrhea, and cramps. 3. Topical Supplementation of Magnesium There are lots of products on the market that claim to supplement magnesium levels through topical or transdermal methods. These might be lotions, creams, oils, or sprays that you apply to the surface of your skin and are absorbed transdermally. Some researchers believe that transdermal absorption of magnesium is actually superior (and faster) than oral intake of magnesium, but the science isn’t quite clear. 4. Take Epsom Salt Baths Despite a lack of definitive science, people have used Epsom Salt to treat magnesium deficiency and its symptoms since before we knew what a magnesium deficiency was! The scientific name for Epsom Salt is magnesium sulfate. It’s totally different than table salt but its chemical structure is similar. And it’s called “Epsom Salt” because it was originally discovered in the town of Epsom, in Surrey, England. This is typically administered in a bath, adding anywhere from a few cups to a few pounds of Epsom Salt into hot water and soaking in it. But there’s a more modern and perhaps more powerful way to get the benefits of an Epsom Salt bath... 5. Relax in a Float Therapy Tank Float Therapy, also known as Sensory Deprivation, uses over 1,000 pounds of Epsom Salt or 1000x more than your typical Epsom Salt bath at home. In fact, it’s there’s so much Epsom Salt in a Float Tank that you actually float along the surface of the water - that’s where it gets its name. Float Therapy itself boasts some big benefits - reducing anxiety, and depression, relieving joint and muscle pain, and more - and many of those benefits might be a result of uptaking Epsom Salt, Magnesium Sulfate, through the skin. Want to learn more? Download our free eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Float Therapy. In 2011, there were 85 Float Centers in the United States. In just four years, that number increased by almost 400%, with over 300 Float Centers registered nationwide. At the same time, the number of people with anxiety in the U.S. has also risen sharply, a whopping 25% increase in the first year of the COVID-19 Pandemic alone. But here’s the good news... a landmark study, published in 2018, finally showed what new Float Center owners have known all along: Float Therapy can reduce your Anxiety. Now, we have the data to back it up. Here’s a link to the study, titled: Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST Now, we have the data to back it up. Here’s What The Study Found Fifty participants were recruited across a spectrum of anxiety and stress-related disorders (posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, panic, agoraphobia, and social anxiety), most with comorbid unipolar depression. They put each of the 50 participants in the float tank for just 1 hour and you’re never going to believe the results they found....  Here’s What The Study Participants Said Almost all of the participants reported extremely positive results, no matter what condition they were diagnosed with, or what medication they were on. Every single participant in the study reported feeling less anxious at the end of the session when compared to how they felt before they got into the float tank. In fact, the people who had the most positive experiences were the ones who were the most anxious at the beginning. Here are some of the ways study participants described their experience to researchers:
If you're one of the millions of people suffering from anxiety, you might just want to consider Float Therapy. Click here to check out our Float Therapy page, where you'll learn everything you need to know. Or, click here to book an appointment online or call 406.493.0502 to book over the phone. |