It takes about two seconds of talking to me to realize that I’m a fitness nut. It’s a major part of my life and as such it’s difficult for me to take more than a day off a week. As important as it is to keep our bodies active it’s equally important for us to give our bodies time to rest and that’s something I try to remind myself…I’m not good at it! Unfortunately as a result of not resting enough I hurt my hip. It’s nothing serious (I’m a total hypochondriac so I feared the worst and convinced myself I had a stress fracture!), but I do need to take it easy on running and do some physical therapy. In lieu of traditional physical therapy however I wanted to give Pure Flow Fitness, a fitness/sports spa favorite by New York’s elite athletes, a try.
I did two treatments: Pure Pulsation ($200 per session, but packages of five or more are available) and Pure Oxygen ($125 per session, but packages of five or more are available). During the Pulsation treatment your legs are strapped to a bed with heart rate monitors attached to your body; the straps around your thighs and calves tighten and release in sync with your heart beat to accelerate your blood flow. This sounds scary, but it’s totally not! You hear the sound of your heartbeat in the room as well as the sound of the machine pulsating during the 45minute treatment. Your hands are free to read, listen to music, go on your phone…whatever, but I was so zen’ed out from the sounds that I fell asleep. By boosting circulation this treatment works to “increase energy levels, improve fitness, enhance mental clarity and build endurance while revitalizing and oxygenating the tissues.” On the left that’s me strapped down on the bed – doesn’t the lighting look zen!? I felt calm but energized afterwards.
Immediately after I did the Oxygen treatment. I was put into what look like a huge body bag so that my body could absorb pressurized oxygen allowing the oxygen to better bind to my red blood cells and for it to be more readily transported throughout my body. As a result this treatment “stimulates healing, improves physical fitness and recovery, increases circulation and boost energy levels.” Again it’s super relaxing and your hands are free to do whatever during the 40 minute treatment. Don’t worry if you’re claustrophobic either – the bag is huge! You could fit 5 people in it! (That’s me in it on the right).
Overall these treatments were an awesome experience. Unfortunately I don’t think they can replace traditional physical therapy or the private yoga I am doing, but if you’re looking to take your routine to the next level or give your body that extra boost before game day, I would definitely suggest checking out this place. However keep in mind that just like working out, doing it once isn’t going to make a major impact. You have to do this for a few sessions to begin seeing optimal results.
