When in Doubt, Float It Out

By Kathryn House

Anyone who runs knows the aches and pains that comes with the sport. From sore muscles and overuse injuries to rolled ankles and face plants, I am no stranger to the grittier side of running. So, what is a runner to do? Hanging up our running shoes is out of the question and running with injuries is every sports doctor’s and physical therapist’s worst nightmare.

The good news is every year we get more information on the best ways to reduce and recover from injuries and new tools, gadgets, exercises, and programs to make us healthier and less prone to injury. We are on a mission every month to find and test these options and give you the real beta.

Though it is not a new concept (originating in the 1950s), the float tank, also known as a sensory deprivation tank, is now a more-accessible tool on the sports recovery scene. According to Samana Float Center, with locations in Fort Collins and Denver Colorado, a float tank has mental, physical, and creative benefits. As a runner the physical benefits of floating piqued my interest. Is a float tank a good recovery tool for preventing injury and speeding up the often achingly slow recovery process?

According to Samanafloat.com, “floating helps eliminate fatigue and enter the flow state, improves sleep, speeds the body’s healing process, improves athletic performance, and increases motivation.” The website goes on to explain, “floating reduces blood pressure while improving circulation, allowing for increased recovery from injury or athletic training. [Floating] decreases the buildup of lactic acid to help eliminate muscle fatigue, and the near zero gravity environment relieves pressure from the back, feet, and joints.”

With my interest piqued, I booked a Saturday afternoon appointment at Samana Float to test the recovery after my scheduled 8 mile long run in the morning.

Orb Room – Dimensions are 5 feet wide, 7 feet long and ceiling height is 4.5 feet high

As someone who has never floated before I did not know what to expect going in, but the attendant explained the process to me.  First, I was to take a shower and “wash away the day”, cover any cuts with petroleum jelly, and use the provided ear plugs if I wished. Then, I would get into the orb, close the lid, and lay back to float. The water was only a foot deep but there was enough salt in the tank that no part of me touched the bottom. I truly was floating.

Floating is a surreal experience. I felt weightless and more in-tune with my body than I had in years. The only lights in the tank were the stars twinkling in the ceiling of the orb and the temperature of the water matched my skin temperature so perfectly that I often forgot I was in water. That nagging runner’s ache in my back was gone and even though I tried hard, I could not feel that persistent pain in my knee joints. Though I was expecting the salt water to anger my chafed thighs, the petroleum jelly Samana provided protected the raw skin and I did not feel a thing. During the 90-minute float, I reflected on my post-run body. Surprisingly, I did not feel sore. I did not feel tired. Floating weightlessly in the vastness of the universe, I felt strong, like my body could run another 8 miles. I felt proud of my accomplishments and all that I asked my body to do for me.

As someone who lives with anxiety, as I think many of us do, I wondered if I would feel anxious in the oval, almost claustrophobic or trapped.  However, during my tour of the float center, the attendant assured me that anxiety and stress relief were one of the many benefits a sensory-isolation tank provides, but Samana did have three other, larger float cabins with 8ft ceilings if I was too anxious and wanted to switch to the larger float tank option.  I stuck with the Orb and sure enough, at no time during my float did I experience an anxiety attack or feel the need to fill my brain with the white noise of social media (my usual go-to calm myself if I get anxious).  According to the Time Magazine article “Float Hopes” by Mandy Oaklander “many studies point to a decrease in the stress-related hormone Cortisol after floating.”.

Going into the tank, I thought an hour and a half would stretch out forever, but it ended not too quick and not too long. I was refreshed, my muscles now with gravity pulling at them, still did not feel sore or overly exerted.  I felt fully refreshed and calm, my sense of time a bit cattywampus.

Athletes have a plethora of recovery tools at their disposal, but none have worked as well for me as a float tank because a float tank is more than just a recovery tool –it’s an experience. It recovers my mental fatigue, it recovers my muscles, and it recovers my persistent injuries that, until now, have always lingered.

Disclaimer:  This is a personal review based on a personal experience.  This article is not meant to give medical advice.  Please consult with your physician before floating if you have medical concerns or conditions.