The Health Benefits of Wind Tunnels

The third time I went to the wind tunnel I decided to go with my girlfriend so we could share 30 minutes of time together.  We decided to get a DVD of the experience so we could see what we were doing later on and maximize the benefits of this wonderful sport.  It was late at night possibly 9:00 pm mid-summer in Arizona so the temperature outside was somewhere in the high eighties to low nineties.  When we arrived, I was like a kid in a candy store.  They had music blaring in the wind tunnel facility, which only served to get me all the more pumped up for the workout that was about to be undertaken.

Although we were both in respectable health, I had some allergies that were acting up making my pre-flight fitness feel a bit less than normal.  The instructor was extremely well mannered and respectable.  I was able to build on the control I had gained from my previous experiences and work on more of the basic orienting movements.

The instructors at the wind tunnel are more like fitness instructors than simply a basic instructor.  They have no easy job as they are there to not only train the individuals inside the wind tunnel but they also have to make sure the people are safe no matter what trouble the student gets themselves into.  They are almost like referees of a boxing match and it is impressive as to how quickly they can step in and remedy a situation.

My girlfriend had a little more difficulty adjusting to the wind tunnel, which was strictly based on her experience level.  She kept fading to the side of the tunnel requiring the instructor to reposition her many times.  By no means does this mean that she is an uncoordinated individual as she was a top ranked gymnast back in the day along with being an avid sports participant.  Any second I figured it would just click for her and I would be the one trying to figure out how to catch up with abilities.

It was only the two of us in the queue so it was basically three minutes on and three minutes off for thirty minutes.  Life does not get much better than this.  By the end of the session, my girlfriend had pretty good control but was becoming fatigued after letting her fitness go for several years.  This disrupted her ability to learn a bit as the focus went from trying to do what the instructor was trying to get her to do to just trying to survive the final two three minute rounds.

Additionally, it seemed like the flexibility that she had gained over her sports career served more as a hindrance than help by the end of the session.  Her shoulders and back are so much more flexible than mine that it required continual muscle strength and endurance in order to hold the basic position.  Although I have essentially played every sport that has come my way, I was never very flexible.  I could essentially relax more muscles and still hold the position because my back and shoulders do not bend back as far as hers does.  In all of the sports I have ever played this was the only one where I found it advantageous not to be flexible.  My lack of flexibility was finally an asset.

When we were finished we were both so hungry that we joked about wanting to eat an entire raw Buffalo on the way home.  It was a great bonding experience and we talked the experience all the way home to Tucson, Arizona.  We were both sore the next day and we loved it.

The second time I visited the wind tunnel I decided not to do the introductory thing and spend 15 minutes in the tunnel with an instructor.  It is amazing as to how healthy the instructors are not to mention their fitness level.  They obviously spend much more time in the wind tunnel than the students.  I bet that they sleep incredibly well at night.  I decided to take my girlfriend along as well with me to watch.

The skydiving championships were going on that weekend in Eloy, Arizona and I happened to be grouped with three other people who just happened to be some of the judges of the competition.  The competitors were restricted from using the wind tunnel during the event so it was kind of nice.  I did not know that the people watching on the outside of the tunnel were judges as well.  My girlfriend is extremely personable and engaged them in conversation while they were critiquing us in the tunnel.  I had only a few jumps under my belt and was definitely the novice in the group.  There were some encouraging comments that were made about my body positioning, which is always nice to hear.  In actuality it does not really matter to me as other’s opinions do not really matter because I was having so much fun.

The skydiving sports competition was an international event and the judge from France was found to be a really nice person.  I ended up seeing her a few days later in the wind tunnel and her skill had improved by leaps and bounds from when we shared time together.  It was her first time in the wind tunnel and it was obvious that the next time I saw her that she had spent much more time in the wind tunnel over the next few days.

I realized what the instructor was trying to get me to do in the wind tunnel on my way home.  He wanted me to bring my arms in closer to being in front of me rather than out to the side.  Communication in the wind tunnel is not easy as everything is based on a unique version of sign language.  I learned sign language as a kid and strongly feel that someone that actually knew how to sign would be a great benefit to have in the tunnel.

We sat in a queue in the wind tunnel staging area and took turns every three minutes until the hour was up.  The degree of physical fitness required to stay in the wind tunnel much longer than three minutes at a time is more difficult than one might expect.  One typically gets about 45 seconds of freefall time during skydiving so the difference in physical health required for the three minutes is analogous to a runner transitioning from a 10K run to a marathon.

We all stayed on our bellies while flying around.  I realized the next day from muscle soreness how much effort it really took, my level of fitness was not quite where it needed to be.  Do not get me wrong the soreness was the pleasurable kind and I am definitely not complaining about my health as you never know what muscles one has until they are used in new ways.  Although I have been in sports all of my life, the wind tunnel was the best 15 minute workout of my life.

The next day I found myself at work imagining that I could fly around various people’s offices, which was kind of fun.  All I wanted to do was to get back into the wind tunnel and practice some more.

The first time I went to the wind tunnel was in Eloy, Arizona.  I was amazed as to how many people were there to give it a try.  It was like a public wind tunnel tasting.  There were healthy people young and old all there to give the wind tunnel a try.  It was not really a training session per se as each person stood in line and each got a couple of minutes each.  We all went into a room for basic positioning instruction and then it was into the wind tunnel.

There were a few instances that were noticed during this trip.  Another couple had gone to do the wind tunnel as well.  It was quite obvious that the healthy looking couple were on their first date.  It was a complete disaster.  The guy was having a great time and absolutely loving the experience as was everyone else in the group outside of his date.  She was too scared to let go and give it a chance.  It was a terrible site to witness as she wanted to fold-up into a fetal position and was literally petrified with fear.  Oddly, the way she moved did not even seem human.  Granted the wind tunnel is not necessarily the safest place on earth but her reaction was a bit over dramatic.  I felt terrible for them but it definitely did not ruin my day or anyone else’s except for perhaps the woman’s.  After we were out of the wind tunnel the gentleman was absolutely pumped-up and completely satisfied with the experience while the woman had to collect herself and faded away a bit.  It would have been nice if they could have celebrated the experience in a more mutual way.  I suppose the wind tunnel could even be used for a test of relationship compatibility.  I am glad that it did not ruin his day.

There was also a seven or eight year old girl that was there with her parents.  She did a great job and when we got out of the wind tunnel she kept asking her parents if the wind tunnel could be her new sport.  I completely understood where she was coming from and was quite proud of her.

The wind tunnel is not for everyone and there are some weight restrictions to 250 lbs, which I believe can be bent a bit based fitness level.  I suspect that a fit 250 lbs plus individual would be just fine in the tunnel, whereas someone that is in poor health and over 250 lbs would have a high risk of injury.  I have seen up to five or six skilled people in the wind tunnel at the same time so it has plenty of power to support someone over 250.

I had gone skydiving a few times prior to going to the wind tunnel so I sort of had the positioning down a bit better than most of the people there, however, I was amazed as to the lack of control I had initially.  Please do not think that this is a bad thing as I absolutely love challenging body control activities when it comes to sports and fitness exercises.  Afterward, I felt great and only wanted more.

My girlfriend loved it as well although she was having body positioning issues.  She was not new to sports as she was an accomplished gymnast.  Her flexibility was quite apparent as her body position was almost that of a “U” while she was on her belly.  For some reason she would be let go in the center of the wind tunnel and then she would make a beeline for the wall.