It’s that time of year when colds, flus, and allergies plague even the fittest, healthiest guys. So when we heard about a simple, natural way to relieve all those symptoms, we were intrigued. When we heard that it could also boost sports performance—and that Tiki Barber and Jets running back Chris Ivory were fans—we were really intrigued.
It’s called halotherapy—or salt therapy—and though it’s recently gained traction and become quite trendy, it’s not exactly new. In fact, its roots can be traced back to the 1800s, when a Polish physician set up the first "salt spa" after realizing that salt miners had healthy lungs.
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Now, salt spas are popping up around the nation—and we see the appeal. Spa-goers basically lounge in a recliner for 25 minutes (with their feet in the sand) inhaling microparticles of pure white salt. (Doesn’t sound so bad, even if health benefits weren’t to be had, honestly.)
The idea is that the salt has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties—and that inhaling it can do everything from clear up phlegm in your throat to enhance sport performance, say the experts at Breathe Easy, a New York City-based salt spa.
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Ellen Patrick, COO, says, “our mission is to provide a holistic, drug-free, natural therapy to adults and children to promote better breathing, healthier skin, sounder sleep, improved physical fitness and endurance, while increasing overall health and wellbeing.” (You can read more about salt therapy here.)
But if you’re the kind of guy who likes to kill several birds with one stone, you’ll be really pumped to hear you can now get your downward facing dog on while reaping the rewards of halotherapy. Talk about some serious bang for you buck (it'll cost you just $25.)
At Breathe Easy, Patrick (who also happens to be a yoga specialist) teaches Salty Yoga for Breathing, where she leads a class through Asana-style poses while instructing students on their breathing—thereby maximizing the benefits of halotherapy while reaping all the rewards of yoga.
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