Recovery from injury in sports
In sports, athletic preparation is fundamental – which is why athletes train intensely every day. However, accidents are part of the game. Sometimes it only takes a wrong movement or an unlucky incident to end up injured. This forces athletes to suspend their athletic routine, for a period of time that may vary greatly depending on the injury itself. The recovery from injury requires time, discipline and a lot of patience from athletes. Indeed, only the synergy between these factors allows them to have good results and re-start training effectively.
When athletes go back to the game, it’s possible that they are not able to perform as they did before the injury or, worse, that they end up being injured again. When this happens, the reason is usually a fundamental step between the post-injury physiotherapy and the return to sports activity being skipped: that is athletic rehabilitation. Athletic rehabilitation is the last phase of the rehabilitative program. During this phase, the complete recovery of the athlete-specific conditional and sports abilities is achieved by making the most of the principles of athletic and mental training.
It is fundamental that both athletes and staff acknowledge these two critical and tightly intertwined aspects: the physical and mental impacts.
The impact on the body
Needless to say, injury affects athletes’ physical performance. The recovery phase has the purpose of reducing this impact to a minimum, allowing athletes to go back to their activity as soon as possible. Specific exercises, with the right amount of balanced work load, allows for the recovery of both muscle mass and performance. Moreover, it promotes the restoration of proprioception – which means, regaining confidence and body perception in space, as well as going back to activity with good reflexes.
The impact on the mind
As much as the physical side of an injury can be painful, it is the mental side that hits the hardest. The athlete goes from a “normal” and healthy life to not being able to do what they love in the blink of an eye. Frustration often takes over, together with anger, powerlessness and fear for the future.
Learning how to mentally manage the injury is critical in order for athletes to manage their emotions in a functional way, without denying them. Ultimately, athletes always have two choices: focusing on what cannot be done OR on what can be done. It’s about being able to turn the time of inactivity in a chance to work on some weaknesses that, once improved, will make the athlete better physically and more productive mentally.
The Dry Float Therapy to recover from injury
Science and technology, over the years, have been providing new methods and tools for an effective management of injuries. The dry floatation designed by Starpool is among these, undoubtedly. Let’s look at the benefits together:
Anton Bernard, captain of the Hockey Club Bolzano Foxes, uses Zerobody daily to manage adrenaline spikes and regain regenerating sleep.
It promotes rest
Rest is a fundamental element: it is the way in which our body regains energy to recover from an injury. Scientific studies and the collaboration with professional athletes have shown the positive impact of dry floatation on the quality of sleep: less time to fall asleep and longer deep sleep are exactly what the body needs to recover better and faster.
Stefano Migliorini, Italian CrossFit champion, during an ideomotor visualization session on Zerobody
It boosts visualization techniques
Stefano Migliorini’s experience has proven it. Thanks to the power of the Dry Float Therapy in inducing a state of deep relaxation and mental focus, Zerobody is the perfect ally for ideomotor visualization. It is thanks to these techniques that professional athletes can continue to repeat the athletic movement in their mind, so they don’t lose effectiveness once they go back to the field.
Gary Brown, former basketball player of the Aquila Basket Trento team, during a Mindfulness session on Zerobody to focus before the match
It promotes positive thinking
Zerobody is equipped with a software with audio guide mindfulness and breathing programs, developed together with neuroscientists and professional athletes. These are extremely helpful exercises to train positive thinking, awareness and the right approach to recover from an injury. It’s possible that the injury itself becomes a chance to go back to the field as prepared as ever, and not only physically, but also, and more importantly, mentally.
Martina Soracreppa, physical therapist for the Hockey Club Bolzano Foxes, during a manipulation made easier by the floatation on Zerobody
It helps with physiotherapy
Last but not least, the absence of points of contact in zero gravity, combined with a very easy method of use, offers athletes an effective tool to promote oxygenation and tissue regeneration, beside reducing the inflammation process on the muscles and joints.
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