The Science Behind Massage: How Peterborough Massage Therapists Are Revolutionizing Pain Management

In the heart of Ontario, Peterborough has become a hub for innovative massage therapy practices. Long gone are the days when massage was considered merely a luxury spa treatment.

Today, Peterborough's skilled therapists are at the forefront of a revolution in pain management, blending traditional techniques with cutting-edge science to offer relief to those suffering from chronic pain.

In this article we’ll go into the science of massage therapy for pain management, exploring how local practitioners are changing lives one session at a time.

The Science of Pain

To understand how massage therapy is revolutionizing pain management, we must first delve into the science of pain itself. Pain is a complex neurological process that involves various pathways in our body. It can be broadly categorized into two types: acute pain, which is usually sharp and temporary, and chronic pain, which persists over long periods.

Chronic pain is a significant public health issue, affecting 1 in 5 adults globally (World Health Organization, 2021). Our brain processes pain signals through a network of nerves that transmit information from the site of injury or discomfort to the central nervous system. This process, known as nociception, is influenced by various factors, including our emotional state, past experiences, and even our beliefs about pain. Understanding this intricate system is crucial for developing effective pain management strategies.

Recent research has shed light on the concept of neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This understanding has opened up new avenues for pain management, as it suggests that chronic pain can potentially be "unlearned" through various interventions, including massage therapy.

Traditional Approaches to Pain Management

Conventional pain management techniques have long relied on pharmaceutical interventions, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgical procedures. While these methods can be effective, they often come with limitations and potential side effects. For instance, long-term use of pain medications can lead to dependency and other health issues.

Physical therapy, while beneficial, may not always address the root cause of pain, especially when it's related to chronic stress or emotional factors. Surgical interventions, while sometimes necessary, come with inherent risks and long recovery periods. These limitations have led many to seek alternative approaches to pain management, paving the way for the rise of massage therapy as a viable and effective option.

The Massage Therapy Revolution in Peterborough

Peterborough's massage therapists are pioneering innovative techniques that address pain at its root. By combining a deep understanding of anatomy with advanced manipulation techniques, they're offering new hope to those who have found little relief through traditional methods.

One such success story is that of Sarah, a 45-year-old office worker who had suffered from chronic lower back pain for years. After just six sessions with our Peterborough massage therapist specializing in deep tissue massage therapy, Sarah reported a 70% reduction in her pain levels and significantly improved mobility. "I had tried everything," Sarah recounts. "Pain medications, chiropractors, even acupuncture. But it wasn't until I started regular massage therapy sessions that I finally found relief."

Sarah's story is not unique. Many Peterborough residents are discovering the transformative power of massage therapy, particularly when it comes to managing chronic pain conditions. Local therapists are not just treating symptoms; they're addressing the underlying causes of pain, leading to more sustainable and holistic healing.

Scientific Evidence Supporting Massage for Pain Relief

Recent studies have provided compelling evidence for the efficacy of massage therapy in pain management. Neurologically, massage has been shown to stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. It also appears to reduce the production of stress hormones like cortisol, which can exacerbate pain perception. A study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that massage therapy led to increased serotonin and dopamine levels, neurotransmitters associated with mood regulation and pain reduction.

Furthermore, research has demonstrated that regular massage can help reduce inflammation in the body. This anti-inflammatory effect can be particularly beneficial for those suffering from conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia.

Cutting-edge Techniques in Peterborough

Peterborough therapists are employing a range of advanced techniques to target pain:

• Deep tissue manipulation: This technique applies firm pressure and slow strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle, effectively breaking down scar tissue and adhesions that can cause chronic pain. Peterborough therapists are particularly skilled at tailoring the pressure to each client's comfort level, ensuring maximum benefit without discomfort.

• Trigger point therapy: By applying pressure to specific points in the muscle, therapists can relieve pain that radiates to other parts of the body. This technique is particularly effective for treating conditions like tension headaches and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.

• Myofascial release: This technique focuses on releasing tension in the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs, providing relief from overall body tension and pain. Peterborough therapists are at the forefront of incorporating the latest research on fascia into their treatments, leading to more effective and long-lasting results.

• Neuromuscular therapy: This advanced technique addresses the relationship between the nervous system and the muscular system. By applying precise pressure to specific areas, therapists can help reset dysfunctional patterns in the nervous system, leading to pain relief and improved function.

Integrating Technology with Massage Therapy

Peterborough therapists are also embracing technology to enhance their treatments. Tools like percussive therapy devices and infrared heat are being integrated into massage sessions to amplify the benefits.

One particularly innovative approach being used in Peterborough is the integration of float therapy with massage therapy. This combination of physical therapy and mental relaxation has shown promising results, particularly for clients dealing with anxiety-related pain and chronic stress.

The Role of Customization in Pain Management

One size does not fit all when it comes to pain management. Peterborough therapists excel in tailoring treatments to individual needs. By conducting thorough assessments and listening closely to patients' experiences, they create personalized treatment plans that evolve as the patient's condition improves.

This customization extends beyond just the physical techniques used. Peterborough therapists are increasingly taking a holistic approach, considering factors such as a client's lifestyle, stress levels, and even dietary habits when designing treatment plans. This comprehensive approach ensures that the benefits of massage therapy extend well beyond the treatment room, leading to more sustainable pain relief and overall wellness.

Combining Massage with Other Therapies

The holistic approach to pain management in Peterborough often involves combining massage with other therapies for synergistic effects:

• Psychotherapy: Addressing the mind-body connection in pain management, therapists often work in tandem with mental health professionals to help patients manage the psychological aspects of chronic pain. This integrated approach recognizes that chronic pain can have significant emotional and mental health impacts and that addressing these aspects is crucial for comprehensive pain management.

• Contrast therapy: By alternating hot and cold treatments, therapists can enhance circulation and reduce inflammation, complementing the benefits of massage. This technique is particularly effective for sports injuries and chronic conditions like fibromyalgia.

• Float therapy: Our wellness centre at Flow Spa in Peterborough offers float therapy sessions, where patients experience weightlessness in a sensory deprivation tank, promoting deep relaxation and stress relief that enhances the effects of massage. The combination of float therapy and massage has shown remarkable results in reducing both physical and mental stress.

John, a former athlete was dealing with both physical pain and anxiety, and in this client example, we were able to see the power of this combined approach. By integrating massage therapy with float sessions, John reported not only reduced pain but also improved sleep and overall quality of life. "It's not just about managing pain anymore," John says. "It's about reclaiming my life and feeling whole again."

The Future of Pain Management in Peterborough

As research continues to validate the benefits of massage therapy, our clinic in Peterborough is poised to remain at the forefront of pain management innovation. Emerging trends include the integration of artificial intelligence for more precise treatment planning and the use of wearable technology to track patients' progress between sessions.

Peterborough's massage therapists are truly revolutionizing pain management. By combining scientific understanding with innovative techniques and a holistic approach, they're offering new hope to those suffering from chronic pain. The integration of advanced technologies, personalized treatment plans, and complementary therapies is setting a new standard for pain management not just in Peterborough, but potentially across the entire field of massage therapy.

As we look to the future, it's clear that Peterborough will continue to be a hub of innovation in massage therapy and pain management.

Whether you're dealing with persistent discomfort or simply looking to improve your overall well-being, exploring massage therapy and its complementary treatments in Peterborough could be the key to unlocking a pain-free future. As the field continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: the commitment of Peterborough's massage therapists to provide compassionate, effective, and scientifically grounded care to all who seek their help.

Book a massage at Flow Spa to experience the deep health benefits of our approach to pain management.

Finding The Right Massage Therapy Treatment for You at Flow Spa in Peterborough

Discover the healing touch of massage therapy

Our Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) are dedicated to providing you with the highest quality care through a variety of therapeutic techniques.

Whether you’re seeking relief from chronic pain, recovering from a sports injury, or simply need a moment to unwind, Flow Spa has the perfect massage treatment for you.

Many of our clients are seeking out massage therapy as a way to relax from stress and ease pain. Massage therapy is a great treatment option for making the most out of the health insurance benefits that you have. And with direct billing available, it’s a breeze to book a treatment and have us take care of the rest of the work in processing payment from your insurance.

Customize your massage to suit your needs and preferences. These are just some of the treatment types that our therapists are trained in and skilled at providing for your best experience.

Deep Tissue Massage: Targeting Pain at Its Source

Deep tissue massage is ideal for those suffering from chronic muscle tension and pain. Our skilled RMTs use firm pressure and slow strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle and fascia. This technique helps break down adhesions (knots) and promotes better blood flow, leading to significant pain relief and improved mobility.

Sports Massage: Enhancing Athletic Performance

Athletes and active individuals can greatly benefit from our sports massage therapy.

Designed to prevent and treat injuries, sports massage incorporates techniques such as stretching, compression, and joint mobilization. Whether you’re preparing for a big event or recovering from one, our RMTs will help optimize your performance and speed up your recovery time.

Prenatal Massage: Nurturing Mothers-to-Be

Expectant mothers can enjoy the numerous benefits of our prenatal massage.

This gentle and soothing treatment focuses on the unique needs of pregnant women, helping to alleviate back pain, reduce swelling, and improve sleep. Our RMTs are trained to ensure both the safety and comfort of the mother and baby, providing a truly relaxing experience.

Relaxation Massage: Your Path to Tranquility

At Flow Spa, we understand the importance of taking time to relax and rejuvenate. Our relaxation massage is designed to help you escape the stresses of everyday life. This gentle and soothing massage focuses on calming the mind and body, using light to moderate pressure and smooth, flowing strokes. Perfect for anyone seeking a tranquil experience, our relaxation massage promotes overall well-being, reduces stress, and enhances your mood.

In addition to the range of massage treatments you’re looking for, some of our registered massage therapists are trained in other modalities to accentuate your treatment.

Hot Stone Massage: Melt Away Stress

Experience the ultimate in relaxation with our hot stone massage. Smooth, heated stones are placed on specific points of the body to warm and loosen tight muscles. The heat from the stones enhances the benefits of the massage, allowing for deeper muscle relaxation and stress relief. This treatment is perfect for those looking to unwind and de-stress.

Cupping Therapy: Ancient Healing for Modern Times

Cupping therapy is a traditional technique that has stood the test of time. This treatment involves placing cups on the skin to create suction, which helps improve blood flow and promote healing. Cupping can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and increase relaxation. Our RMTs combine cupping with massage for a comprehensive therapeutic experience.

Why Choose Flow Spa in Peterborough?

At Flow Spa, we are committed to your well-being. Our RMTs are highly trained and passionate about helping you achieve optimal health. We offer personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific needs, ensuring you get the most out of each session. Our serene and welcoming environment is designed to enhance your healing experience, making each visit to Flow Spa a step towards a healthier, more relaxed you.

Book Your Appointment Today

Don’t wait to experience the transformative benefits of massage therapy.

Contact Flow Spa in Peterborough today to schedule your appointment. Let our expert RMTs guide you on your journey to wellness.

Call us at 705-230-8575 or click the button below to go to our online booking page to find your next appointment.

3 Legitimate Reasons You Should Not Cold Plunge, and 1 Sure Sign You Definitely Should

Everyone is on the cold plunge kick right now.

In the past year, I've seen a massive rise in the popularity of cold plunging. Before companies started selling at-home cold plunges left, right, and center most people looked at you like you were crazy if you willingly got into cold water. Now that we know there can be legitimate reasons to cold plunge, the concern is less about getting people to take the plunge but when you shouldn't

There are 3 key reasons why it's best to save your dip in cold water for another time.

Reason #1 - Immediately Post-Training

Right after a workout is not when we want to be cold plunging.

I'm sure you've seen images of football players jumping into cold tubs filled with ice after a steamy day at summer training camp. It's been the classic image of cold plunging forever but it's not the right image to portray.

When you hear someone refute the benefits of cold plunges they often pull on research that was done immediately post-training with runners and other athletes. The results show that the cold can blunt the adaptation response that causes muscles to grow bigger and stronger. You probably don't want that because getting results from your workouts are hard enough as it is.

Give yourself at least 3 or 4 hours post-training before plunging into cold water. This gives your body a chance to kick in the adaptation response to training before kicking out additional inflammation with the cold water.

There are much better times to cold plunge than right after your workout. If you're in the middle of a long weekend of back-to-back events you can use the cold water to blunt some pain and freshen back up but for your normal workout routine, save the cold plunges for recovery days and keep them away from your training.

Cold water it seems can be as effective as Advil at cutting down inflammation but we need that initial inflammatory response after a workout to signal muscles to grow bigger and stronger.

Reason #2 - You're Redlining

Have you ever felt like you were on the verge of having a complete meltdown?

Like if one more task hits your plate you'll lose it. This stressed-out state of "too muchness" for too long is how we reach burnout.

When we're redlining on the edge of burnout, our nervous system is already fried. Often when I see someone push themselves through cold plunging when they're already on the edge, the physical and environmental stress of the extreme cold is enough to reach the tipping point. People will feel depleted and run down if they don't have the extra capacity to handle a cold plunge from this state.

So don't cold plunge if you're already pushed to the limit.

How will you know if you're in this state?

If you're feeling frazzled and pushed to your limit, you're probably close enough to want to avoid cold plunging right now. You can also gain insight into the state of your nervous system with HRV or if your resting heart rate or breathing rate has gone up recently.

In this case, spend some time doing activities that promote more relaxation first without the intensity of a cold plunge, like float therapy.

Reason # 3 - You're Already Sick

Maybe you didn't heed the warning of reason 2 and now you're sick. This is definitely not a good time to cold plunge.

The stress of cold water on your system might boost your immune system but not when it's already worn down.

Cold plunging to boost your immune system happens best when you’ve already got a robust and healthy immune system. When you’re fighting off a cold or flu your body needs the resources to recover.

Don’t drain yourself further by plunging when you’re sick.

Now if there's one good reason I've seen to be a for sure sign that you should cold plunge it's this - you're scared.

The cold water may intimidate you. Don’t let it win. Most people may still look at you like you're insane if you willingly take the plunge but that's what separates you from 99% of people.

Bold choices will lead you towards bigger things in your life.

3 Strategies To Use To Float When You Can’t Get Your Mind To Turn Off

“There’s no way I could do that because I can’t get my brain to turn off.”

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard someone use this excuse for why they couldn’t float…

I’d have a lot of nickels.

You might be nodding your head in understanding, or you’re the complete opposite because you know how great it feels to float and let go of everything in your mind and body.

Even I experience this hesitation about settling in for a float on occasion so I wanted to share some thoughts and practices on the best ways to overcome this hesitation and dive into what is bound to be one of the most relaxing hours of your life.

Trust in your float facilitator and surrender to the feeling.

The value of having someone guide your float should not be underappreciated. Going into a float centre is trusting in experts to create the ideal float experience for you so that you have the best chances of escaping from the throws of time for a while.

Because I usually facilitate my own floats and get out on my own accord, I don’t experience this often enough. But I was just in for a float during regular hours for the first time in a long time and I was able to ask Josie to play the music when the time was up.

I knew I had more work to get done that day and a mid-day break like this was unusual, so trying to get my brain to turn off was hard at first.

There was a point I hit when I didn’t think I could wait any longer. I thought that maybe she got busy at the front desk and forgot about me. These are the normal feelings that lots of us go through when we’re detached from our anchor to time and constant connection to the world around us through our devices.

The funny thing is that just as I hit this breaking point, the music gradually started to come back on followed by the lights and the feeling of relief that washed over me as I was gently brought back into the world around me this way instead of just giving up and getting out was amazing.

It’s really hard to describe without experiencing the difference between a float where you set an alarm and get yourself out versus trusting in the facilitator to get you up when the experience is over.

I think the best way to sum it up is to surrender into the float.

Once you’re in the float sometimes the anxiety creeps in because you feel your mind racing. Here are some of the other strategies I use and recommend if you’re thinking of getting out.

The 10 Breaths

It’s incredibly hard to get through doing 10 deep breaths without losing track of the count with thoughts interrupting.

Anytime you feel the urge to get out of your float early or you find that there are too many thoughts jumbling your head, start doing 10 deep breaths while counting. The goal is to try to remain completely focused on your breath and the count alone without any other thoughts coming into your mind. When you lose track of what number you’re on or a different thought comes into your head, you start back over at 1.

It’s a great practice in focus.

And a hard one.

I think it can easily take ten or more minutes to achieve this and by the time you do, you’ll completely lose track of time again and have a much calmer mind to settle back into your float.

Don’t try to force the thoughts away.

Let them happen and they will start to settle down.

Thoughts don’t always have to be tamed.

One of my more frequently used analogies for floating is that it’s like a mental filing cabinet.

Driven, Type A people falsely assume that they “can’t” float because they can’t get their minds to turn off. That there are just too many thoughts always in their head.

We all have adapted the ability to focus and clear our minds of relentless thoughts because this is the gateway to the flow state and it’s evolutionarily adaptive for high-performance situations.

You are going to have a lot of thoughts in your head when you settle into your float.

We all do, all the time.

But as you start to let your body relax and loosen, your mind gets more space to relax as well. The thoughts in our head start to make more sense. They settle like falling leaves on a pond and soon the ripples stop reverberating.

The peace and tranquillity of this state is blissful. Especially when your brain typically goes a mile a minute.

This is the value not only in floating but in taking similar time each day to find a few minutes to become more aware of your thoughts and how your body is feeling. You can do this by leaving your phone behind as you go for a walk or by sitting still in a quiet place.

Training your mind to find more focus and to let go of intrusive thoughts helps in every aspect of our lives. Learning how to do this can be hard in our always plugged-in and distracted society but it’s well worth taking the time to work on.

The skills that we build in the float tank are highly transferable to everyday life and the more busy and crazy the world seems to get, the more important it is to practice these skills, even if you can’t get your mind to turn off.

Conquer Workplace Burnout: Actionable Tips for Recovery and Prevention

Burnout and workplace stress now cost the global economy $1 Trillion in lost productivity each year.

In today's highly competitive and fast-paced work environment, workplace burnout has become an all-too-common challenge.

Companies are increasingly recognizing the detrimental effects of burnout on productivity, employee engagement, and overall well-being.

As professionals who've grappled with and studied this issue, we're here to share insights on the recovery and prevention of workplace burnout.

1. Recognizing the Signs of Burnout:

   We must be vigilant and recognize the early signs of burnout in ourselves and our colleagues. Feelings of sluggishness, chronic fatigue, dwindling motivation, and a growing cynicism towards our tasks are common indicators. By acknowledging these signs early, we can intervene and prevent further progression.

2. Prioritizing Self-Care:

   A core principle we've come to embrace is the essential nature of self-care in preventing burnout. This means integrating self-care activities into our daily routines, such as exercise, meditation, and quality time with loved ones.

   Creating a clear boundary between our professional and personal lives ensures a balanced and healthier existence.

   Ever since the pandemic popularized using Zoom and virtual meetings for work, we’ve been trapped in the fear of needing to always be present and ready for a work call, even when trying to disengage from work during off-hours actively. This low-grade anxiety and distracted busyness state is known as “the zone of crap” and it means that you never get any resolution or relief from the stress that you chronically face.

3. Understanding Stress:

   It's essential for us to grasp the neural and chemical effects of burnout. This understanding equips us with both subjective and objective methods to measure stress, including tools like stress trackers and heart rate variability from apps and devices like Apple Watches and Whoop Bands. With this knowledge alerting us and informing us of our stress levels and trends, we can better assess our workload and seek support when necessary.

4. Analyzing Stress Trends:

   By examining our stress trends throughout the week, month, and year, we can pinpoint peak periods of strain. Tracking and understanding these patterns enable us to devise strategies to mitigate stress during crucial times.

   The more that we can proactively plan and predict high-stress periods and how they’ll impact us, the better we can get at preventing burnout for good.

5. Identifying Sources of Stress:

   We believe that understanding the root causes of our stress is paramount. By meticulously analyzing our daily tasks and interactions, we can identify the primary stressors.

   With this clarity, we can then develop solutions, whether through delegation, time management, or collaboration with peers.

   When you know what’s stressing you out the most you also are able to reframe your mindset on stress and practice focusing on what’s in your control.

   At the end of the day, all we have control over are our thoughts, attitudes, actions, and efforts. Letting go of clutching to control anything more than that will help you to take back power over a lot of what causes mental and emotional stress.

6. Creating a Supportive Work Environment:

   Fostering a supportive work environment is pivotal in countering burnout.

   We advocate for open communication, team collaboration, and an emphasis on well-being.

   It's crucial to nurture a culture where everyone feels safe expressing concerns and seeking help. By working on this with your team and also practicing the tips in this article, you’ll better recognize the signs of burnout approaching not only in yourself but also in your coworkers.

7. Practicing Mindfulness:

   We've seen firsthand the benefits of incorporating mindfulness practices into our routines.

   Simple acts like taking short breaks for breathing exercises or enjoying a mindful walk can significantly reduce stress levels and enhance focus.

   While meditation offers some seriously positive benefits for managing stress and preventing burnout, the skill of learning to refocus on the present moment doesn’t have to be accompanied by sitting still. For many people, movement works best as the way to get more mindful moments into our days.

8. Setting Realistic Goals and Boundaries:

   Burnout often emerges from towering work expectations and a lack of clear boundaries. We encourage everyone to set achievable objectives, communicate their limits, and manage time effectively. By doing so, we can all work towards minimizing the risk of burnout.

Workplace burnout is a multifaceted challenge that impacts professionals from all walks of life.

By recognizing burnout's signs, emphasizing self-care, grasping the nuances of stress, analyzing our stress patterns, pinpointing stress sources, cultivating a supportive atmosphere, practicing mindfulness, and setting realistic goals, we can pave the way for a more balanced and fulfilling professional journey.

Remember, self-care isn't a luxury; it's a vital component of sustained career success and personal contentment.

Is Floating Still Good If You're Already Very Parasympathetic?

Everyone has a natural tendency towards action or inaction in how they spend the majority of their time. You probably know someone who wakes up at the crack of dawn and is go, go, go until the minute their head hits the pillow at night. And on the flip side, there are the people in your life that move slower, talk slower, and embrace the pacing of themselves. If you're more of the former, these individually probably drive you crazy at times for not being fast enough.

This comes down to dominance in sympathetic or parasympathetic strands of the nervous system. We recognize that people who run through their days need to take the time to slow down and stop occasionally to avoid the risk of burning out but what about the parasympathetic ones? Are parasympathetic-dominant activities like float therapy beneficial for them or is there such a thing as too much of a good thing?

It first helps to understand more about these underlying systems and tendencies.

What do parasympathetic and sympathetic really mean?

The central nervous system (CNS) including our brain and spinal cord runs the whole show in our body. It's like the conductor of the train engine of our body.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are like control knobs that are dialled in from our conductor and are referred to together as the autonomic nervous system (ANS) because it was originally believed that we had no conscious control over our parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. This has been shown to not be accurate as research including that done on Wim Hof and groups of individuals instructed by him have demonstrated that they can control parts of the autonomic nervous system through breathwork.

Because of situations like this, there has been a recent scientific uprising on whether it's a misnomer to refer to these branches of the ANS as sympathetic and parasympathetic. The other reason is that the system exists on a continuum so we shouldn't think of it as all one way or the other. That's why the analogy of dials that the conductor has control over works well.

So if the idea of parasympathetic and sympathetic is not the ideal framing, what is?

The common terms we used to describe these systems are "rest and digest" for parasympathetic and "fight or flight" for sympathetic. These rhyming names can help to illustrate what's actually happening when each of these systems is engaged in a healthy and functional manner.

What we don't see, however, is what happens with the dysfunctional firing of the systems which we will turn to next.

Adaptive and Maladaptive ANS Responses

There is not only the consideration of which branch of the ANS is predominantly firing but whether it is doing so in an adaptive manner.

Many of us think of fight or flight as a bad thing, but it is an essential part of our survival and evolution. When our body goes into a heightened sympathetic state, it's because of a perceived threat. Perception is important to point out because so many of us react to things in the modern day that aren't directly threatening us which can lead to conditions of chronic stress.

Chronic stress is one of the maladaptive responses of the autonomic nervous system in which our fight or flight and rest and digest systems are no longer working together in a productive fashion.

But we can also see maladaptive responses due to natural tendencies, like being sympathetic dominant or parasympathetic dominant without practicing becoming aware of our tendencies and working to resolve our maladaptive responses.

things like numbing out for example. Many of us have reached our limits by feeling stressed and overwhelmed and have resorted to moving past fight or flight because we are depleted and into freezing or fawning. We submit to our stressors either because of the natural tendency to be more inclined to the slower approach or because of being way over our limits and frozen.

When to include more parasympathetic if you're already dominant in that state?

If you’re already in an immobile state, should you still be practicing yoga nidra, float therapy, and other techniques for increasing parasympathetic activity?

As humans, we’re meant to move and be active, so you will benefit from more active and engaging practices in your leisure time but there’s also no detriment to doing deep health-promoting treatments like floating.

There’s a vast difference between finding stillness deliberately in a healthful way and the numbing out that leads to our body wanting to be parasympathetic-dominant.

In these still activities, like floating, massages, long stretches, and restful yoga, we can explore our deeper health and build self-awareness to what’s the root cause of our maladaptive coping mechanisms.

When coping with stress, it's important to consider individual tendencies and the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in the autonomic nervous system. While some individuals may already lean towards a parasympathetic-dominant state, it doesn't mean that practices aimed at increasing parasympathetic activity, such as yoga nidra and float therapy, are unnecessary.

Even if you're naturally more inclined towards a slower pace and tend to embrace stillness, incorporating active and engaging practices into your leisure time can still be beneficial. Movement and physical activity are essential for overall health and well-being. However, engaging in deep health-promoting treatments like floating and massages can provide additional benefits.

Being Aware Of What You Need Most

These still activities allow us to explore our deeper health and build self-awareness. They provide an opportunity to delve into the root causes of our maladaptive coping mechanisms. By intentionally finding stillness and engaging in restful practices, we can better understand and address the underlying factors contributing to stress.

It's important to note that there's a distinction between deliberately seeking stillness in a healthful way and engaging in numbing behaviours that may lead to an excessive parasympathetic response. Numbing out or submitting to stressors without addressing them can hinder our ability to effectively cope with stress. By actively participating in practices that promote relaxation and self-reflection, we can develop healthier coping mechanisms and achieve a better balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.

Even if you're already parasympathetic-dominant, incorporating activities that promote relaxation and self-awareness can be beneficial for stress management. These practices allow for a deeper exploration of our well-being and can help address underlying issues contributing to maladaptive coping mechanisms.

What Are The Benefits of Infrared Sauna?

Using an infrared sauna has many benefits, including improved circulation, reduced stress, and a deeper, more restful sleep. When the weather is cold and you want to stay cozy and warm, there’s nothing better than relaxing with the penetrating heat of an infrared sauna. And there are a lot more benefits that come from using the sauna that you might not know about.

Improving Circulation

Using an infrared sauna can be incredibly beneficial for your health and well-being! Its ability to increase circulation helps reduce pain, inflammation, and fatigue and improves overall skin health by delivering oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells. On top of this, regular infrared sauna use can help clear toxins from the body and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines for a glowing complexion. Plus, infrared heat can help to boost your immune system - keeping you feeling strong and healthy.

Reduces Stress

Using an infrared sauna can provide numerous benefits and help reduce stress and anxiety levels. This is because infrared saunas can increase dopamine levels in the body, which is the chemical associated with mood regulation.

In addition to this, infrared saunas can help the body to stimulate endorphins, which are the hormones responsible for the feeling of happiness and well-being.

Regular use of an infrared sauna can also promote relaxation of the muscles and joints, helping to reduce tension and stress in the body Incorporating an infrared sauna into a regular wellness routine can have a positive impact on physical and mental health.

Sleep Quality

Using an infrared sauna can help improve the quality of sleep by providing a gentle, relaxing heat. The sauna's warmth helps relax tight muscles, reduce tension and stress, and can even help relieve common aches and pains. By promoting the body to relax, an infrared sauna can bring a deeper, more restful sleep, allowing the body to restore and rejuvenate itself. One of the factors that signal our bodies to fall asleep fast is a drop in body temperature which can be enhanced by relaxing in a sauna in the evening to trigger deeper sleep. With regular use, an infrared sauna can help improve the quality of sleep and help provide a more restful night's sleep.

Experience The Benefits For Yourself

Using an infrared sauna has many benefits, such as improved circulation, reduced stress, and a deeper, more restful sleep. At Flow Spa, we offer sessions for individuals and 2-person sauna sessions, as well as packages for anyone looking to make sauna a regular part of their wellness routine.

You can find out more about the options we have available here:

Does Athletic Taping Work For Recovery?

The world of sports is something amusing. Different athletes from around the world get paid millions of dollars to play competitively, and in order to do that they must prevent themselves from getting injured. From LeBron James to Lionel Messi, these athletes train and do whatever it takes to improve their performance and body.

Unfortunately, some things in life are inevitable, whether it be bruises, burns or even major injuries like dislocations or fractures, everyone at some point in their lives has gotten injured or has at least felt some type of pain before. Sports competitors usually try to prevent injuries from occurring or from getting worse by applying athletic taping. NBA players, soccer stars or volleyball athletes tend to use these special types of taping to improve their workout, rehabilitate and avoid injuries.

What is Athletic Taping:

Athletic taping is the process of applying tape directly to the skin in order to decrease swelling and pain by helping increase the amount of blood flow to the injured area.

Kinesio-type tape (KT) adjusts to the skin and accommodates movements. As you can see, there are different kinds of taping, people can use, it really just depends on what they prefer. We have all seen athletes on the court, field or pool wearing stripes of coloured tape that are not even wrapped around the limbs or muscles like an elastic support bandage.

Instead, it is a long tape is applied to the skin and sticks on, so what type of athletic taping do athletes use?

As we are talking about athletes, the taping that would be best for them is Kinesio-type taping. Physical therapists use it to treat pain from sports injuries and boost athletic performance, among other things. Sports and Medical Orthopaedists Dominic King, DO explain how KT tape is different than the others, by saying “It’s different than your standard athletic tape, which is used to immobilize a joint. Elastic therapeutic taping has the benefit of being stretchy. When you apply it to a joint, it helps to act almost like a rubber band, supporting muscles and tendons, and taking a little stress off the joints. It also can help relieve swelling in certain areas”. Most notably basketball star James Harden, who is known as a great scorer and known for staying healthy. He is always seen regularly with a sporting KT tape on his right shoulder, and even though he is not injured, he is taking the right measure to make sure that his muscles and joints are behaving the way they should.

Houston Rockets’ Head Athletic Trainer Jason Biles commented “I’ve been in the NBA now eight years, and I’ve been using it probably seven or eight years, right when I came in. I like the KT Tape specifically because it promotes a sort of natural healing response, helping with swelling reduction, encouraging optimal movement and proper movement, and the appropriate alignment of the joints. It gives the athlete great feedback of where their body is in space — we want them to be aware of if they’re in a vulnerable position, or if they’re in the proper position they can move optimally from… So, it’s the tape that we use for those things and also just to sort of encourage the movement that we would like. So, if a joint tends to want to, say, become maligned, then we can apply some tape to encourage the proper movement to achieve what the athlete needs on the court”.

James Harden uses it mostly as injury prevention and having the tape placed on his shoulders says it has helped him mentally as well “Whenever I’m sore, whether it’s my knee or my shoulder, putting the KT Tape on gets the blood flowing and circulating around my body… I’m able to go out there and play free, not really thinking about injuries. It just gives me that confidence. It gives me the confidence to go out there and not worry about getting injured. If you’re playing free and you’re confident, great things are going to happen on the court”.

Additionally, this method can help keep muscles or bones in a certain position in order to prevent an injury from occurring. For this to happen, athletes must put the athletic taping near the joints like the ankles, wrists, and hands for added support due to the elasticity of the athletic tape. It naturally returns to its original position, which alleviates some of the athlete’s muscle strain, which is one of the benefits of the tape; however, Dr. King explains that people report feeling a little more comfortable with the tape, and it seems as if it gives them some added support, and with backed up research, it also shows that people experience short-term benefit from using the tape. “For the short term it actually can help with some joints that might be painful, for a couple of hours or maybe for a day; but it doesn’t really have that type of long-term relief, where this is going to be the only thing, you’re going to need in order to take away all of your joint pain,” he says” Dr. King explains, as research indicates that Kinesio tape may help alleviate pain for individuals who suffer from persistent musculoskeletal pain, it is in no way superior to other treatments. In addition, he asserts that there is no scientific evidence that Kinesio tape can lessen disability among people who suffer from chronic pain.

Some other short-term benefits that KT taping provides are that it helps with stabilizing ankles, supporting knees, solidifying shoulders, opening elbows, supporting weak or injured muscles, improving muscle contraction, and preventing overuse.

Finally, King goes on to mention that the tape should only be used as part of a program that also includes physical therapy to treat muscle soreness as a last resort, nor are there any long-term benefits from Kinesio taping.  

Why is Athletic Taping Important?

Taping makes life easier for athletes as it can be effective for rehabilitation. Even though athletic tape can help prevent injuries brought on by exercise, accidents do still happen as it is expected to happen. Athletic tape might be the solution you need when they do. When limiting the range of motion for particular joints and muscles with conventional athletic tape, the body may heal more quickly than if the movement were unrestricted. It can also be used as a splint for sprained joints, which expedites the healing process. Traditional athletic tape can help reduce swelling by compressing the muscle, which can reduce pain and prevent further injury.

The reasons for using elastic therapeutic tape are the same but in different ways. Athletic tape reduces swelling and reduces pain by helping to increase blood flow to the injured area. The elasticity of the athletic tape can also provide the affected muscles with support. It naturally returns to its initial position, alleviating some of the athlete's muscle strain. The tape can help protect the previously injured area from re-injury and reduce pain when the athlete is well enough to resume their sport or activity.

Additionally, the athletic tape can assist in correcting any form of issues caused by injury or other conditions. A trainer can do a runner's analysis to apply the tape in the best position for their injury, which will help them fix their form and stop them from hurting themselves again. Again, Athletic Taping is more beneficial short-term than long term and shouldn’t be depended on without addressing injuries.

How can athletic taping help you?

Whether you’re a competitive athlete or just want to stay healthy, KT taping can help you to reduce injuries and feel your best.

And we offer sports taping at Flow Spa.

Flow Spa is the premier float therapy and sports recovery centre in Peterborough, Ontario.

Our centre focuses on helping people deal with stress and pain so that they can recover and feel better.

We ensure that we make our customer’s experience better than any other float centres. As a team, we provide the customer’s needs and wants and deliver phenomenal services.

Our mission is to provide the ultimate relaxing and rejuvenating experience to help you ease your stress and pain.

Flow Spa has the best tools and treatment options available: float therapy, massage therapy, reflexology, reiki, infrared saunas, cold plunges, contrast therapy, Normatec compression therapy, and health coaching.

KT Taping can be included as part of your massage therapy session. Book your appointment online and mention you want taping done or give us a call at 705-230-8575.

When Will I Notice A Difference With Floating?

When will I notice a difference from float therapy?

Right away, although 3 is the sweet spot for most people to really see a difference.

Like anything new, the first float is filled with excitement and anticipation.

You wonder what the experience is going to be like. Especially because it’s so hard to describe an experience that’s like no other.

There’s also the anticipation. How will you feel after?

Research on floating and from our own experience here at Flow Spa, you’ll feel very relaxed after just your first float, and most people really start to notice they can relax deeper And fully experience the benefits of floating after 3 floats.

The research-backed benefits for reducing anxiety, decreasing stress hormones and relieving back pain comes from just one 60-minute float session. And they improve even further with subsequent treatments.

This 60-minute length of time is important to point out because people often wonder how long they should do for their first float and we like to encourage people to relax into and get used to floating for an hour with their first visit.

30 minutes is possible and also very relaxing, but because of the newness of the float experience, it takes time to get settled in and situated.

Letting the music gradually fade out, even for longer than our suggested 10 minutes at the start can help in the first float, but many people are ready to completely let go and escape.

And because 3 floats is an ideal starting point to see if floating is a therapy that works best for your needs for stress management, relaxation, and recovery, we do offer a 3-float package which is $195 - new customers can get it for $165.

You can find that package available in our online store, or talk to the front desk at the spa

You Need To Recover Up

Train hard. Recover hard. Recovery is the next hottest wave in fitness. It's what keeps professional athletes, professional athletes. It's a must-do for both extreme fitness types and sports enthusiasts of all varieties, from runners to yogis. Now, for those who strive toward the seven day, power-packed workout schedule, but instead spend a few days each week in reality-stricken guilt...recovery is the best trend to happen to exercise since smoothie counters.

Recovery: It's not what it sounds like, exactly. After a training session or intense workout, recovery is the process of your body restoring (healing) itself — muscles receive the nutrients they need to reenergize, hormones rebalance and the central nervous system gets a moment to repair. Active bodies need to focus just as much on recovery as they do training, not just for relaxation, but also for endurance and injury prevention. Side note: recovery does not mean mere downtime; it means efficient downtime.

For ages, athletes have been using the perks of infrared therapy as a secret recovery weapon. Not only is it an oh-so-soothing, mind/body experience, but it's also a great way to maximize downtime between workouts. Infrared light waves heat the body directly (unlike a traditional sauna that heats the air) and increase your body's core temperature (which increases circulation and blood flow, so it's like working out — without working out).

First off, there are two types of recovery: one that puts you at a standstill under doctor's orders, and one that restores your body. Even though sometimes, after a feisty-fitness session (like when you wake up the next morning with concrete legs and an appreciation for the elderly climbing stairs), you might feel like passive recovery is the best option...it's not. You move a little, you feel a lot better.

Passive Recovery.Is what helps repair certain types of injury. It's when the body is resting, which includes sleep, a healthy diet, and applying compression. It involves doing almost nothing.

Active Recovery. Helps the body flush out and release the nutrients it needs to repair itself, as it gently gets your circulation going, without loading your body with resistance or impact. So, walking, stretching, Frisbee, some light dancing, infrared-sauna-ing...

A DOSE of Recovery

.        Passive & Active Are Both Welcome. Infrared therapy both heals and prevents injury.

.        Just heat it (heat it)! Infrared saunas enhance blood flow, delivering nutrients to the body, without over-challenging the muscles that need a little rest.

.        Clean Up After Yourself. In a sauna, with blood moving and sweat excreting, your body is releasing toxins (that could be impeding your overall performance gusto).

.        Loosen up.FYI, muscles and joints love circulation. Give them circulation and a moment of rest, now that's a relax and repair win-win.

Let's take another tip from the pro athletes. Those who sport-a-living, literally, also favor infrared sauna use because it leads to an increase in HGH. What is HGH? It's the human growth hormone, naturally produced by the body in the pituitary gland, and, as its name suggests, it's responsible for cell growth and regeneration. An increase in HGH is beneficial for many reasons including repairing tissue, healthy organs, and skin — a.k.a. it's a look good, feel-good hormone everyone wants more of.   

While an injured athlete may be restrained from activity, infrared saunas boost HGH, which not only stimulates recovery, it releases endorphins — a way to avoid workout FOMO. In other words, say you're a runner and you can't run for injury reasons...infrared saunas give you that runner's high, while also burning calories, while also helping your body heal.

Good recovery, good recoup. Infrared provides hyperthermic conditioning, which is a fancy way of saying that infrared exposure helps you stand the heat, so you don't get stuck in the kitchen. By acclimating the body's core temperature to feelin' hot-hot-hot, you prep your physical endurance later on...for say, a sweaty summer marathon, or an outdoor, asphalt-grounded basketball game.

Book a HigherDOSE sauna after, before, or in-between workouts. Oh, and try these everyday recovery tips, too.

About Balance. Always plan recovery into your workout schedule, as a part of your workout schedule, to keep a healthy balance.

Break or Risk Breakage. Allow 24-72 hours between intense training sessions, focusing your workout on other areas of the body, and implementing proper downtime.

Zzz. Lack of sleep reduces tolerance, affects your mood, and increases both physical and mental fatigue.

Cheers! Hydrate. There's never a better-yourself list that doesn't include proper hydration.

On The Inside. Diet. During recovery, good nutrition is required to properly rebuild muscle tissue and rebalance enzymes and hormones.

You've Got Options. Ice baths, cold showers, cryotherapy... Don't let the wellness lexicon fool you, recovery doesn't have to be redundant.

Bodywork.Getting a massage helps optimize recovery and relieve pain where it's needed, and so does osteopath and acupuncture (yeah, it's a tough life).

Roll Out. You know when you pull a thread on a sweater, and then suddenly, half the sweater just bunches up into nothing? That same thing can happen to our bodies (thanks to factors like stress, dehydration, injury, and repetitive activity, etcetera, etcetera.), like when you feel pain in your knee but actually, your shoulder is injured. Myofascial release techniques target and smooth out those small-yet-unexpectedly-impactful tensions. Go for the foam form — using a foam roller is a great form of self-myofascial release.

Article Originally Published at HigherDose.com

Cover Photo by Dylan Sauerwein on Unsplash

Use These Strategies to Properly Return to the Gym While Recovering Your Best Post-COVID-19

For many of us, our training has been off of peak for months now. What’s going to happen when the gyms reopen?

I have a thought that we may see an increase in sports-related injuries and rhabdomyolysis as people get back to their routines and feel the urge to push as hard as they were used to before COVID-19 and gyms closing. Rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo) is the breakdown of damaged muscle that can occur in athletes who overtrain by doing too much work without adequate recovery. It’s a dangerous condition because it can lead to kidney damage in addition to the effects of overtraining syndrome.

As gym goers return to their fitness centres, we need to remember the importance of adequate recovery and training programs that are designed for making progress over time.

Here are some ways to approach getting your grind on responsibly once back in the gym.

Listen in to this discussion on the FlowCast

Ramp up your volume now.

Knowing that gyms in Ontario are gearing up for re-opening soon, the first thing that I encourage anyone who is camping outside the gym with their Zubaz pants and fanny pack to do is start to increase the volume and intensity of your home workouts now. Do more bodyweight workouts and incorporate the exercises that you don’t like because they hit your weak points. If you’ve been sticking to a program consistently throughout the last several months, try to do whatever you can to increase the intensity by adding weight to the movements. Throw on a backpack loaded with books if you need to.

If you’re stuck on what you can do to ramp up the intensity right now, it’s the perfect time to support a local personal trainer and get a sensible training program for returning the gym designed for you.

Start slow - you’re not going to be at your best immediately

So your local gym has announced that they’ve reopened and day one looks like the onslaught of people who’ve made resolutions at New Years to get in shape.

Everyone is training like it’s the zombie apocalypse and the only suitable soundtrack to fuel such intensity is an 80’s Training Montage a la Eye of The Tiger.

This is where we will see the risk of overtraining and potential injury run at a fever pitch in the oncoming months.

In the training world, we talk about having true one-rep maxes and training maxes. And this is the time to be extra conservative with the percentage of your one-rep max that you use. A typical training max is set at 95% of your true one-rep max so that you can continue to make progress without getting stuck at a plateau and also for reducing the risk of injury, which is especially important for training athletes.

It would be wise to consider working off of 90% of your true max or even 85% when programming your volume and intensity at least for one training macrocycle of 4-6 weeks as you get back into the gym.

After your muscles and nervous system have re-adapted you can start to resume a little more of your normal training, provided that you keep in mind the need for recovery and balancing the stress that isn’t going away anytime soon.

Implement proper recovery now

Many of us use the gym as a way to “de-stress” so we often forget that it is imposing additional stress on our bodies.

Training too hard - non-functional overtraining - is one of the most common sources of stress alongside things like poor diet and breathing patterns as well as relationship and work stress. In normal times we don’t have this additional burden of the anxiety surrounding the global health situation and recessions which only further stoke our stress levels.

Before you get back into the gym and start training hard again, identify the ways that you like to recover and restore your body so that you can plan it into your schedule. This is just as important for peak performers as the training itself and is one of the strategies that separate the world-class from everyone else.

If you are training hard and working hard, there should be recovery time included in your daily schedule with longer sessions in which you treat yourself with doing the things that help you relax and enjoy at least once or twice per week. This could be spending half an hour in the sauna after one of your workouts or going for a float to unwind and decompress.

If you spend a lot of time at a desk, your recharge time may look like getting out to golf or going for a lunchtime walk through the local trails.

The more that you see this as part of your job in staying healthy and well, the better you will be able to perform and fully engage in the other areas of your life.

Join Peak Performance Monthly Coaching

This month’s peak performance training was on functional overtraining and HRV tracking for peak performance. Visit the Flow Academy if you want more advanced training on recovery for training and performing your best.

Getting Back On Track After COVID-19

It has been over 100 days since Canada was struck down by COVID-19 and the world changed forever. Things are different now, the new normal, as it has been known means a lot of different things to a lot of people but the one consistent thing is that we have to adapt to survive and thrive.

Admit it, there were times over the last several months that were not very productive for you. Tiger King ate up a weekend here, TikTok an hour at a time there, and throughout it all, there was an impending sense of doom weighing on your chest.

As dramatic as this all sounds, it has been the reality for most people that I've talked to and coached through this time.

But the past doesn't have to dictate the present, nor the future, and if you are looking to accomplish your Dream Goals, you will more often than not have to face things in just this way.

So how do we return to performing our best and being productive again? Or if you recognize that you aren't the best as productivity, then how can you use the past several months are fuel for living a more meaningful life?

Watch The Video Version Here

Reflect on what you've learned in the past several months

The first thing that we must do is set aside some time to reflect on what we've learned during the past several months. Make this tangible for yourself. I use an hour or so Sunday morning every week to reflect and review each week and then on a monthly and quarterly basis, I do an even deeper reflection that often lasts several hours. Right now I want to you schedule an hour for reflection into your calendar this Sunday morning - or another time if it works better for you but do it now. Don't leave it unscheduled and expect it to get done.

The power of reflection is not to be underestimated when it comes to holding yourself accountable, learning to overcome obstacles, and making progress.

We've all been through incredibly difficult times in the last hundred days. Businesses are hanging on by a thread and a prayer, our friends and loved ones have become sick and died, we've been disconnected from the social bonds that keep us sane, and our financial turmoil has stressed us.

This is not meant to be a doom and gloom message to you though. Yes, it has been hard, but what have you learned from this? If you're reading this, it means that you're still breathing and you've still got access to one of the most powerful technological advances humans have ever created with the internet.

During your reflection, you can write about what you've learned from the negative but also look at the positive things you have learned or experienced.

• Who have you been able to connect or reconnect with?

• What interests or actives have sparked creativity and passion in you?

• What have you created or what did you hope to create during this time?

Instead of getting down on yourself, look at what you want to accomplish next in your life.

As I mentioned in the introduction, most people have not used the extra time on their hands to accomplish anything very meaningful during the COVid-19 quarantine. But don't get down on yourself about it. The stress and anxiety of the times were physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining and did not make it easy for anyone to have the desire to pump out ideas or create the next great tech platform.

Let's look at what you can do to move forward from here and accomplish next in your life.

Did something spark your interest and passion? Of course, one of the most common plans of all is that maybe you want to exercise more and get in better shape. It could be that you wanted to create a side hustle that you're more passionate about than the work you currently earn a living from, or you want to connect better with your loved ones and friends.

Whatever ideas came to mind that you've reflected upon are great and meaningful to what you want to work on accomplishing next in your life.

Now the trick is to create simple steps to build momentum.

Don't try to pile too much on your plate.

Maybe work is also picking back up now or deferred bills are coming due. You've got to look at your Whole Life to know how much more you can handle.

Building momentum from zero to one hundred takes time. If you overdo it you'll run the risk of burning yourself out and I think that's going to be a particularly prevalent concern in the coming months as we enter this New Normal.

Start with a modest amount of change in your schedule. If you're looking to include more exercise, build up and start slow. It's going to depend on your current fitness and capabilities but even starting with three 1-hour sessions per week is great. Then build up your capacity from there. The same thing goes with starting a business on the side. Focus on the steps that are going to get you to making money from it and validating the idea. Start lean and don't waste time on things like designing logos or upgrading to fancy software if you haven't validated the idea first.

You want quality output from the time you put into it. Believe it or not, something that we do as peak performers is generating more quality work in a single 90-minute block of time than most people can complete in a full workday. If you structure your time and intention in the work that you do for your side hustle in the same way, in no time, those last three months that felt like a waste will become a valuable time where you let your ideas percolate.

Respect the need for recovery.

Everything has to be rebuilt slowly as we are all still facing stress and uncertainty. So be patient with yourself and remember the journey.

If you didn't take care of your recovery as well before COVID-19, now is an excellent time to consider how you can do better with your self-care and recharging regularly. Grinding through every day and week is not the path to peak performance. Much like how REM sleep fluctuates on a 90-minute cycle through the night, our energy oscillates throughout the day in 90-minute segments as well. We can use willpower and discipline to push ourselves from 8 am to 10 pm every day but this drastically affects performance throughout the day and the stress that builds up from the schedule leads to burnout, much like how an athlete that tries to perform in the same fashion without recovery will overtrain.

Each individual requires different needs for recovery, but just like how you're going to add in modest amounts of the Dream Goal projects that you're working on into your schedule, add in your self-care and recovery routines.

Hopefully, you spent some of the quarantine time getting a restful holiday but if you didn't, it's important to note that quality recovery includes things that you enjoy, getting into nature, sleeping more or doing other restorative mindfulness practices like meditating but does not include watching the blue light screens of TVs, tablets, or other tech devices.

Often your most ideal recovery activities will be the opposite of the style of work you mostly do. If you're at a desk job most of the time, recovering with something physical can be very beneficial and if you've got an active job, de-stressing with more creative and calm activities might be best for you.

Most importantly, do the things you enjoy.

Schedule your work into 60-to-90-minute blocks of time throughout the day, include time for refuelling and re-energizing, and block off at least 2-3 blocks each week to do your deeper recovery activities. Also make sure that you're getting the right amount of sleep that you need, typically 7-8 hours every night. This is what maintaining a balanced and productive schedule as a peak performer looks like.

We all go through adversity on the journey of life, but if you're going to be the hero of your story you've got to reflect on what this last chapter taught you and what's coming in the next chapter of your life. Start the process slowly and build up momentum. And remember that we all need to prioritize recovery even more than ever to keep our immune systems healthy and balance the stressors in our lives.

To learn more about how you can perform your best in this next phase, check out the free webinar on peak performance and the new normal.

Creating Balance With Your Weekends

You’ve Got To Make Time To Recharge

The concept of burning the candle from both ends embodies the trendy term called work-life balance, or lack thereof as seems to be more and more the case. If you are in a hard and stressful job but also spending your weekends staying up late and partying or neglecting sleep for Netflix binges, the wick that is your lifeforce is getting burnt out from both ends.

Thanksgiving long weekend just passed us and usually, long weekends give us respite from the ‘always on’ mentality that we live with today, as businesses also closed for a day of rest and give us all the chance to pause. However, long weekends are also filled with family gatherings and times of celebration which can mean late nights, good food, and plenty of drinking. All of this is great when it means reconnecting with friends and family spread near and far to create lasting memories but recognizing its impact on your nervous system and stress levels is valuable for avoiding a state of full-on burnout and keeping your training or business progressing if you are involved in any sports or entrepreneurial endeavours.

My Thanksgiving weekend this year was the aforementioned kind as I was attending my best friend John’s wedding in Toronto and I knew that I would have to find balance in other parts of my life and throughout the weekend in order to not crash after the wedding.

This is what a few busy days and late nights can do to your recovery. The following data from my Oura ring display from Saturday morning and Sunday morning on Thanksgiving weekend tells you all you need to know.

Knowing how various factors impact my sleep quality helps me to make choices to regain balance or simply know that I may wake up feeling less than optimal after a busy weekend like this and that I should go light with training to avoid pushing myself into a deeper hole or risking injury.

The value in knowing that a few nights short of optimal sleep combined with busy and active days crushes your recovery and readiness for training extends to general exercise as well as sport-specific training. If you like to work out just to stay healthy, following a busy weekend like the one I had, you may want to consider doing light weight training only or avoiding it altogether and just doing some low-intensity cardio, yoga, and stretching until your body is more fully recovered.

In addition to considerations with how your workouts are designed to create balance, do what you can to mitigate stress at work, and find other parasympathetic activities to include while you are returning to normal. For me this included getting some extra rest with an hour-long float session once I returned home, getting outside for a quiet walk, and getting extra sleep for the following few nights.

Most often the choices that help us regain balance aren’t the most fun or easiest options (but they will make you feel better) which is why you need to make the conscious choice to improve your recovery and reduce chronic stress levels.

Tips For Regaining Balance

• Adjust Your Workout Plan Until You Are Better Recovered - don’t tax the nervous system with high-intensity weights or cardio.

• Eat healthy foods - this is completely subjective to you and your goals but you probably know when you’re making the right choices. Use a food tracker like MyFitnessPal for a bit if it helps you get back on track.

• Forest bathing - getting deep into nature has restorative effects on your mind, body, and soul.

• Get extra sleep - turn off your devices and go to bed early to catch up on some Zzz’s.

• Go for a float - find a float centre near you and get into a state of deep parasympathetic rejuvenation.

• Reduce caffeine - when your body is reaching its limits you may be reaching for that extra cup of coffee to keep going. Avoiding doing that will limit further contribution to adrenal fatigue and stress.

• Plan in advance - if you know you’re coming into crunch time at work or in training, prepare ahead of time with all of the above tips so that your competition or all-nighter at work doesn’t grind you into the dirt.

There are many ways to return to optimal functioning but it all starts with awareness which we intuitively know when we’re approaching burnout and overtaxing ourselves. We don’t always have the luxury of stepping on the brakes and settling down - there are seasons in our lives when we have to go full-tilt forward. But when you can it’s best to slow down and keep balance in place.

If you’re unsure of what this feels like in yourself or if you want even more details, a device like the Oura ring, Whoop, or other HRV tracking tools can help you to quantitatively measure your recovery to keep track of trends. Intelligent use of your own recovery trends will allow you to push yourself harder for longer without getting sick, injured, or burnt out and is a critical factor in the success of many world-class performers across all fields of business and sports.

When you’re stressed and overworked, proper recovery isn’t just going to come to you; you’ve got to create time to regain balance.

Make Time To Recharge Today

Cryotherapy For Recovery and Pain Relief

I first drafted this blog post as I entered the final week of preparation for the Canadian Strongman national championships a few weeks ago. The context as I had written it was perfect so I didn’t want to change anything up in that regard even though the competition has been over for about a week and a half.

There are countless factors in the world today that contribute to what amounts to a chronic state of inflammation for most of the population. Giving your body the chance to literally chill out is paramount to wellness and keeping inflammation under control.

While I don’t often galavant around with my training for strongman, I’ve come to realize that it’s of interest to our Flow Spa audience, a group that includes many athletes both past and present who are seeking to recover and remain pain-free. 

Research has supported a lot of benefits to cold exposure - often known now as cryotherapy - and at its core, it comes down to three main benefits:

• Eliminating inflammation.

• Reducing pain and boosting feel-good hormones norepinephrine and dopamine.

• Increasing blood flow and circulation.

I recently talked about a couple of the keys ways that I use floating for recovery from heavy training, as it positively impacts the physical beat down of heavy weightlifting along with the nervous system overload.

Something that is not just present and pervasive in heavy training athletes but most of our society is a problem with inflammation. Our gruelling exercise regimes contribute to this issue but so does our less than ideal diet, sleep patterns, long work hours, and constant exposure to the blue light of buzzing devices. 

My absolute favourite method of immediate sports recovery is contrast therapy which utilizes hot and cold tubs or sauna combined with cold exposure to induce a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. 

This method of recovery does take more gumption than going in for a relaxing float and so it’s not suited for everyone but the research on the anti-inflammatory effects of cold exposure certainly makes this therapy compelling. Runners who immersed their legs in cold water immediately after hypertrophy-stimulating workouts inhibited that muscle growth compared to runners who did not use cryotherapy. This research has led experts to agree that the best time to include contrast therapy or cryotherapy is not immediately post-training like the football teams of old.

Instead, it’s best to do it on days off or as far away from training as possible.

So if you were to train in the morning, it would be best to do your contrast therapy recovery at night. This consideration is most important when you are trying to stimulate muscle growth or strength gains with your training. If you are just working out for health, it won’t be as big of a deal for you. Another caveat is that I consider it a positive to include contrast therapy to reduce the turnaround time between events placed closely together, like when an athlete has a weekend full of tournament games to play and needs to be fresh for the finals. 

When it comes to general pain and inflammation these powerful effects still apply, acting like a natural dose of ibuprofen to kick out inflammation and reduce pain. The circulation effects are also very beneficial for those who gradually increase their tolerance and exposure to contrast therapy so as to not shock the system too severely. While soaking in the warm water of the hot tub, blood vessels dilate and then when moving to the cold tub the autonomic response of the nervous system is to constrict the blood vessels to keep the core temperature up.

Moving back and forth from hot to cold therefore acts like and additional pumping mechanism to move the blood through the circulatory system. Increased circulation through any mechanism has been associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease and the incidence of a heart attack. 

The other benefit of cold exposure in keeping the body and core temperature warm is that it activates a special type of fat in our body called brown adipose tissue (BAT) which is metabolically active, unlike typical fat stores, and increases in BAT activation is associated with weight loss. Another cool effect (pun intended) of cold exposure is that has been confirmed in the last couple of decades is that we can overtime increase our stores of BAT which was previously thought to be impossible and this can lead to consistent increases in our metabolism over time. 

Finally, both the shock of heat and cold lead to euphoric sensations and increase our mood. You may have heard the old story of how Van Gogh was subjected to daily ice baths as a way to control his mercurial mood. Our bodies are incredibly adept at staying in a happy norm but when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone, there are interesting reward mechanisms in place in our bodies. Both heat exposure and cold exposure that leads to an initially uncomfortable feeling in our body lead to the release of a hormone called dynorphin. It’s a kind of protective mechanism in our body that tells us we’re in a situation that we need to be vigilant of and get away from. But when we maintain conscious control to keep ourselves in an uncomfortable situation and literally push past that metaphorical comfort zone, there’s a subsequent rise in endorphins to balance out that dynorphin release, along with a boost in dopamine and norepinephrine which lead to euphoria and a clear focus. 

If you ever do take the plunge and try an ice bath, getting out of it you feel incredibly refreshed and focused. I liken it to a cup of coffee without any hint of anxiety or jitters to go along with it. 

Any hot or cold exposure can also help us sleep better as one of the primary sleep-inducing signals to the body is a drop in body temperature which can come from either getting really warm and letting your body cool back off before bed or literally plunging yourself down in temperature with cold exposure prior to sleeping. Either way leads to deeper and more restorative sleep. 

Reach Out If You Want To Learn More About How Contrast Can Help You

World Sleep Day and Recovery

This week’s blog features an audio companion for anyone who prefers to listen - check out this week’s FlowCast here.

Today is world sleep day and with daylight savings time just passed last week, it’s an important time to think about sleep and getting yourself reset this weekend.

Daylight savings time has become a hotly debated issue because it forces us all to accept a lost hour of sleep when we spring forward and for many of us with already full schedules this means we end up losing that hour altogether.

It may not seem like a big deal but from Matthew Walker’s research which is covered in-depth in his masterpiece on sleep science “Why We Sleep” we don’t properly catch up when we’ve accumulated a sleep debt by sleeping more later.

Sleep is an essential part of the circadian rhythm and as such requires diligent daily, not weekly, attention. Something astounding that Walker talks about in his book is that the incidence of heart attacks skyrockets the Monday following the spring forward in DST and plummets when we get an extra hour of sleep when we fall back an hour.

This doesn’t automatically mean that you’re going to have a heart attack because you lost an hour of sleep last weekend but from many people I’ve talked to this week, the change affects us all in subtle ways. The sudden shift in when the sun rises and sets, the sense of feeling the need to catch up all week, it’s kind of a funny feeling.

So what can we do about it?

Matthew Walker might suggest that we can’t make up for a sleep debt but getting an extra hour of sleep or recovery time for World Sleep Day or anytime this weekend can help to get you back on track still in my mind. Take a nap, spend an hour recharging in a float tank, get outside for a quiet walk in nature, turn off all of your devices and go to bed an hour early.

The quick transition of Daylight Saving’s Time is additional stress on all of us. Life is a constant balance of stress and recovery, sympathetic and parasympathetic - yin and yang. Out of respect for World Sleep Day, if you didn’t spend the March Break somewhere relaxing, take an extra hour to do something rejuvenating this weekend and perhaps start to make it a routine - but that’s a whole other topic for another day.