The viral video of Rich Strike galloping from the back of the pack to first place of the 2022 Kentucky Derby was goosebump-inducing-inspiring! There are many life lessons from a longshot-win story, but I was inspired by what occurred AFTER the race: a lesson about rest. So how does this relate to Ageless Fitness and Vitality Booth Wellness Center? Well, my husband and I will be offering a treatment that is also used by racehorses: halotherapy. There are similarities between us and our equine friends, and rest and recovery principles that are good for horses also benefit us!

Rest and Recovery

Instead of Rich Strike competing in the race following the Derby, the Preakness, as is typical of Derby winners, both the owner and trainer agreed to let the colt rest for five weeks. Owner, Rick Dawson, said it was important that Richie get the needed rest verses a quick, two-week turnaround. He said, “It’s very, very tempting to alter our course and run in the Preakness at Pimlico, which would be a great honor for all our group, however after much discussion and consideration we are going to stay with our plan of what’s best for Richie.” I think its impressive that the well-being of the horse was top priority and time was allowed for rest.

Don’t we all need to prioritize rest and recovery? Especially after working out. Tips for post workout recovery Most of us don’t have people like Rich Strike’s team forcing us to rest, so we must carve that time out ourselves. What I love about Ageless Fitness and Vitality Booth Wellness Center is that recovery modalities are in the same space as the workout rooms, making it so convenient to prioritize recovery. Services like cryotherapy, compression therapy, a hydromassage bed, infrared sauna, and red-light therapy will be offered along with dry salt therapy (halotherapy), also used by top horse trainers all over the world.

Equine Salt Therapy

In the world of horses, it is called Equine Salt Therapy and it’s used to improve the overall health and efficiency of the horse’s cardiorespiratory system, as well as many other benefits to their skin and overall recovery. The way it works is a halo generator grinds up pharmaceutical-grade salt and disperses the tiny particles into the air in a chamber to be inhaled (just like in our sauna and Vitality Booths), or through a portable hose and mask that slips over the muzzle. The salt is anti-bacterial and helps clear up mucus and decreases inflammation in the lungs and airways. Improving lung function and overall breathing is key to increasing a horse’s stamina and performance. Not only that, but it is very calming, and the horses love it!

Halotherapy History

So how did salt therapy originate? Halotherapy comes from the Greek word for salt: halos. It was discovered in the 1800s when doctors saw that salt miners in Eastern Europe did not suffer from respiratory and skin conditions as the rest of the people in their communities. And not only that, but the miners were healthy and rarely ever had respiratory issues, plus they looked good because their skin looked younger. Dr. Feliks Boczkowski studied these effects and founded the first health resort in 1839 at the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland.

Through the decades other doctors throughout Europe used salt mines and caves for the treatment of patients, mostly for respiratory issues. In 1985, a device was developed in Russia to recreate the salt mine environment; grinding and crushing the salt into micro-sized particles that get dispersed in the air. These machines, halogenerators, allow people everywhere to get the benefits of halotherapy without needing to sit in an actual salt mine.

Halotherapy Benefits (for humans)

Like horses, we humans experience lung and skin problems that can be helped with halotherapy. We are breathing in toxins from the environment, we have sinus issues, asthma, allergies, and many are recovering from a certain respiratory virus. We may also suffer with skin conditions such as eczema or rashes. When you sit in our Vitality Booth or sauna, the dry salt inhaled and absorbed through the skin is antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and helps remove mucus and pathogens from your airways and improve your immune system.

Relax and Rejuvenate

While so many conditions are helped by simply sitting and breathing in the salt (check them out on our symptoms page), there are also emotional benefits. The salt releases large amounts of negative ions and breathing them in helps to promote your overall mental wellbeing by acting as a sort of natural antidepressant. The negative ions neutralize the positive ions in the air and have a relaxing effect on the body and mind. Halotherapy has been found to lessen anxiety, improve mood, increase flow of oxygen to the brain, and release more serotonin resulting in mental and emotional calming and rejuvenation.

Just like a thoroughbred that has run a race needs rest, we should take time to rest, recover, and enjoy natural treatments like halotherapy that, as Equine Salt Systems says, “can make the difference between a winning horse and a losing horse.” And if it gives us an edge in our physical and mental endeavors and makes us feel better along the way, isn’t it worth it to try? All you have to do is sit, breathe, and gain the benefits.

In my next post, I’ll be focusing on the respiratory benefits of halotherapy, and how it helped unblock my sinuses after months of no relief. What about you? Are there any conditions you’d like to know if halotherapy can help?

Send us a message and let us know!