Issue 166
Team Quest grappler Pat Healy has a secret weapon heading into his Strikeforce lightweight title matchup with Gilbert Melendez – he floats about in a plastic coffin!
Isolation tanks are nothing new and have been around since the 1950s, with their therapeutic benefits really emerging in the early '80s. And over the past three decades its relaxation benefits have been well documented.
However, aside from Joe Rogan actively owning one up until a couple of years ago and former Strikeforce champ Gegard Mousasi using them too, sensory deprivation tanks have not been a part of your usual mixed martial artist’s fight camp. But all that may be about to change.
Healy set himself up for a crack at Melendez’s crown with a gutsy performance against Japan’s former Sengoku and Deep champion Mizuto Hirota, coming through via a unanimous points victory. And afterwards he revealed his stint in confinement helped him focus on the task at hand.
"It's hard to explain, but, man, you really come out of there feeling relaxed," said Healy, after revealing his heart was "pounding out of his chest" before he stepped into the tank the morning of his fight. “You can really focus your mind in there.”
For Healy, at least, his trip into isolation certainly worked, but what other forms of therapy treatment could help a fighter focus their energy on the morning of a big fight? Here's a handful of the world’s leading therapy sessions which could well hold the key to turning nervous energy and fear into a winning combination.
1: ISOLATION TANK
With a proven MMA track record thanks to Healy and Mousasi’s previous usage, the sensory depravation tank is not just for stoners and dreamers and can help you compose yourself before the cage door closes.
What is it? A lightless, soundproof tank filled with a couple of inches of heavily salted water at skin temperature.
Where is it? Everywhere. For details on an isolation tank near you, visit floatation.com.
FACT: An isolation tank can have up to 200lb of water and 800ls of salt inside to ensure you don't sink whilst you're trying to relax.
2: MANAKA TAPPING TREATMENT
We’ve all heard of acupuncture, and this is basically the same thing – without the needles. Due to the hammer and steak nature of this treatment, it’s probably best avoided by nervous vampires.
What is it? During the treatment, a wooden hammer called a manaka – used in Japan as far back as the 16th century – is employed to gently tap wooden pegs placed along your body’s acupoints. The tapping, done rhythmically to the beat of a metronome, provides the same benefits as acupuncture: balanced energy, and relief from both general stress and specific bodily pains.
Where is it? Not so easy to find outside of Asia, but is available at The Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas.
3: HYDROGLASS
Talk about a lazy shower experience, the big fear here, whilst you're drifting off into a soggy wonderland, has to be the fear of drowning before you fight!
What is it? The basic framework is what's known as a Vichy shower – a multi-headed monster that is used in wet room therapy treatments with high-pressure water massage. It also has a heated aquabed, warm water mattress and a base that is a tranquil fish tank.
Where is it? HydroCo products can be found in luxury spas the world over, although you will have to check prior to booking to find the HydroGlass system.
4: ARCTIC ICE ROOM
Ideal for homesick Scandinavians, like Alexander Gustafsson or Martin Kampmann, the ‘chiller’ at Caesars Palace takes hot and cold treatment to a whole new level.
What is it? An anti-sauna, basically. Heated benches, infused air chilled to 55°F. You can watch as ‘snowflakes’ (actually crystals made from soap and water) fall from the ceiling. The indoor snowstorm is merely to provide ambience, but believers say that a shot of extreme cold – especially after a stint in a hot tub or sauna – helps reduce hypertension and tightens pores.
Where is it? Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, or, take things to the next level by visiting The Hotel de Glace on the shores of Lac-Saint-Joseph, Quebec, Canada.
5: ALPHA OXY-LED LIGHT SPA CAPSULE
A treatment perhaps only suitable for non-claustrophobes, this contraption right off the Starship Enterprise claims to promote weight loss and soothe aching muscles.
What is it? A full-body capsule resembling a tanning bed on the space station. Once inside, your body is painlessly blasted with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that give off deep heat, resulting in heavy sweating, which is then combined with a vibrating mattress (to “exercise muscles”) and super-oxygenated air (to “speed metabolism”).
Where is it? Surprisingly more places than you might imagine. Most major cities across the US and Canada feature spas with this technology. But if you’re in Las Vegas, then check the one out at the Bellagio.
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