The Health Benefits of Wind Tunnels

A typical full day of skydiving may encompass a total of ten jumps at approximately 45 seconds each for a total time of approximately 7.5 minutes of freefall.  This happens over the course of the day as it takes time to repack one’s shoot and fly back up to altitude.  The amount of learning involved is tremendous to be sure and it will definitely leave one feeling absolutely fantastic and invigorated.  This is great and I highly recommend skydiving to anyone who has been curious about it.

For about the same cost of the entire day skydiving a skydiver or skydiver in training can spend twice as much time in a typical wind tunnel and still have time left in the day to do with it whatever one wants.  For this reason, the wind tunnel is a huge time and cost savings tool that can be treated as a cross training sport all in itself.  Naturally, this does not exclude the closeness of the sport for skydivers.  In addition, there is a much lower risk associated with body flying in a tunnel apart from skydiving.  The wind tunnel craze has not quite hit yet, but please mark my words that it is an up and coming sport that is still in its infancy.

One of these days, a company is going to incorporate the use of wind tunnels with a health and fitness facility.  It is a good business model that has much greater appeal than something that is used for simply birthday parties, corporate events, and skydiver training.  Spending time in a wind tunnel prior to a workout is most certainly more fulfilling an experience than running on a treadmill or stair master prior the working out.  I suppose that it will essentially come down to a single or a few entrepreneurs that decide upon key locations to get everything started.

Although I am entrepreneurially minded, I have not quite yet come up with a full business plan for such an idea; however, I think I would like to push for funding once the economy turns around.  I welcome comments from entrepreneurs on this concept as I am confident that there are many avenues for this to not only be a profitable endeavor but one that also takes the health and fitness industry to the next level.

Wind tunnels like the one in Eloy, Arizona are excellent cross training tools for nearly all sports.  The added health benefits of balance and body coordination are unparalleled in any other sport.  In order to reduce injury in sports many athletes participate in additional activities that strengthen supporting muscles and develop coordination that creates a secondary foundation for success.

Vertical Wind Tunnels provide an opportunity for fitness workouts that involve either no or very low impact.  The continual jarring of high impact workouts leads to sports related injuries that can negatively affect the overall performance of an athlete.  The vertical wind tunnel provides a venue for athletes to work on body coordination and an understanding of their center of gravity that cannot be found anywhere else.  Skydiving is a close second; however, there is a higher degree of danger associated with skydiving when the canopy opens as well as upon landing.  In addition, skydiving cannot replicate the sustained workout that is available inside a vertical wind tunnel.

For years many amateur and professional athletes have chosen activities outside of their sport to enhance their physical ability.  A classic example is the use of ballet that emphasizes strength, balance and grace.  The degree of fitness to be a skilled ballet dancer is unquestionable, yet it still does not make one as aware of the center of gravity as much as can be determined within a vertical wind tunnel.  Although vertical wind tunnels are often considered indoor skydiving there are some marked differences between the two sports.  For one the potential for death to occur inside a wind tunnel is far less than actual skydiving.  Therefore, the health risks associated with skydiving is mitigated through the use of a wind tunnel.

The intensity of a 15 minute workout in a wind tunnel is far more fun and in many ways more effective for a complete athlete than going to the gym to lift weights.  Additionally, the physical fitness necessary to fly in a controlled fashion is a full body workout.  The stress on the body is more even and helps to eliminate the risk of injury.

As you progress from flying on your belly, to flying on your back, to flying upside down more muscle groups are engaged causing greater overall strength and fitness.  Some day local gyms will pick-up on this phenomenon and we may see this sport truly take off.