Altitude Training is gaining popularity in the fitness industry
This is a great way to boost fitness, train for sporting challenges, lose that excess weight and even improve your stamina while you sleep. And it’s as simple as breathing!
Altitude training was commercially available from 2013, and it’s being used by everyone from elite athletes to ordinary fitness enthusiasts. Some fans even reported that it improved their skin tone and helps them feel younger! — we’ve heard it all before and we have already discussed the benefits of altitude training on our blogs in the Website.
Altitude training is a proven method of enhancing fitness. How? You ask,
By improving your body’s ability to take in and deliver oxygen. Oxygen is the fuel that powers your muscles.
It’s perfect if you’re a cycle racer or preparing to compete in an endurance event such as the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc — the ultimate runners’ challenge.
But if, like me, you’d just like to boost your fitness level and get ready for the beach, adding an altitude-training session to your routine will certainly improve your general health and sporting ability.
So how do you train at altitude without climbing a bloody great mountain?
I first tried it out at a specially designed heated altitude chamber in Dublin — Altipeak Studios. Here you can do a spin session on stationary bikes with other high-altitude trainers in the 15pc oxygen level — equal to being at 8,500ft (2,590m). Normal air has 21pc oxygen — that’s at ground level.
This rating puts you as high as some peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
Altitude training is gaining a popular following because it improves your health faster than training at sea level, says Noel O Brien, CEO and Head of Altipeak International.
So how does it feel? Tiresome at first, but soon you’ll start to reap the benefits, and you have to work harder to reach the running or cycling pace you normally achieve.
The lower level of oxygen is making your heart and lungs pump faster, says Paul Gilson, a part-time fitness instructor at Altipeak Studios who keeps a watchful eye on your progress through a polar strap attached to your body.
A two-time Olympic athlete, Griffin used to travel abroad twice a year so he could train at altitude. And he’s not alone — many international athletes head to the high ground when they’re preparing for competition.
Why is it good for you? Because training at lower oxygen levels means you have to work harder to achieve the same results — so it makes you stronger.
And if your work commitments and wallet don’t permit a trip to the Pyrenees or the Rift Valley every week, there’s always the option of a hypoxic chamber. This is a specially sealed room in which the oxygen content of the air is reduced to simulate being at altitude. If you don't have an Altitude studio in your city, then the best option is to get yourself an Altitude Training mask. I am not talking about a training mask that makes you look like bane. I am talking about an actual Altitude Training Mask. The video below shows the CEO of Altipeak International talking about the Altitude Training Mask.
If you’d like to try it out before purchasing it, they let you rent your own portable altitude mask, or set up an altitude tent at home. An altitude tent is a big see-through plastic dome that fits over your bed. This is very thoughtful of them, right?
“It’s for every level of fitness, not just elite athletes,” he says. “It makes you look younger, improves your skin tone and helps with weight loss.”
Griffin certainly looks a lot less than his 31 years, so maybe there’s some truth to this!
If you are an entrepreneur looking for opportunities in the fitness industry, I highly recommend starting an Altitude training fitness studio in your country! You may be the first and Altipeak International will help you set up the studio. The revenue generated from Altitude training is staggering and it is always a houseful session, always!
Check out their Instagram page. To contact them!
