Benefits of Blood Flow Restriction Training

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR), AKA Vascular Occlusion, is a training method that restricts blood flow to the working muscles by using BFR bands or other similar devices. This training is designed to safely and effectively increase the muscles’ strength, size, and endurance.

There are many benefits to Blood Flow Restriction training. This article aims to provide an overview of the most well-researched benefits of this type of training and how it can help you reach your fitness goals. Stay tuned to find out more!


7 Reasons Why You Should Try BFR Training

Blood Flow Restriction training has shown to be an effective training method for a variety of people, including but not limited to:

  • Health and fitness enthusiasts

  • Professional and amateur athletes

  • Bodybuilders

  • Older adults

Here are 7 reasons why you should give BFR training a try:

1. Build Muscle and Strength

Vascular Occlusion is an effective training method for building muscle and strength. BFR causes muscular growth by stimulating fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. This training is useful for those looking to gain strength but may be unable to lift heavy weights due to injuries or other limitations.

2. Improve Muscle Endurance

Blood Flow Restriction training can also help improve muscle endurance. This happens because it increases the time muscles can stay contracted, leading to increased endurance.

3. Burn Fat

Wearing BFR bands increases the amount of time your body is in a state of thermogenesis, which is when you burn calories. In addition, BFR training has been shown to increase the release of growth hormones, which helps you burn fat faster.

4. Enhance Recovery

BFR training enhances recovery by increasing blood flow to the muscles. This high blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, allowing them to heal faster.

5. Improve Joint Health

Joints are always under a lot of stress, especially during high-impact activities. Blood Flow Restriction increases the production of collagen, which is the main structural protein in joints. This allows the joint to withstand stress better and improve overall joint health.

6. Reduce Risk of Injury

Since Blood Flow Restriction training helps build stronger muscles and improve joint health, it also reduces the risk of injury by building a stronger and more durable body.

7. Improve Overall Fitness

In general terms, Vascular Occlusion improves your physical condition by helping you build muscle, burn fat, and improve your endurance. Blood Flow Restriction training is a great way to improve your overall fitness levels and enhance your quality of life.

As you can see, Blood Flow Restriction training is a safe and effective training method with multiple benefits. Many experts recommend BFR as a powerful tool for health and fitness enthusiasts of all levels.

Trust The Best Physical Therapy Clinic in Bozeman, MT

Now that you are aware of the powerful benefits of Vascular Occlusion, it’s time to start your training! If you are looking for a physical therapy clinic in Bozeman, MT, that offers this type of training, look no further than Great Northern Physical Therapy.

Our team of highly skilled and experienced physical therapists will help you safely and effectively reach your fitness goals. We have many years of experience in physical therapy. Our programs are planned to help our patients recover from injuries, improve their overall fitness, and reach their full potential.

To learn more about our BFR training or schedule an appointment, contact us today!

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Breathing and Your Pelvic Floor

The pelvic floor is certainly a hot topic of conversation for many men and women. Specifically, people begin to focus on their pelvic floor when they are having incontinence, urgency/frequency, prolapse, or pain associated with going to the bathroom or having sex. These are all issues related to pelvic floor dysfunction. But, what many don’t realize, is that your pelvic floor is also integral in one of our most basic functions: breath.

The diaphragm, our respiratory muscle, is located at the bottom of the ribcage. At rest, the diaphragm is a domelike shape, and with inhalation the diaphragm muscle contracts and drops downward toward your pelvis. This downward motion is followed by a shifting downward of internal organs, into the pelvic bowl. The pelvic floor muscles and fascia make up the bottom of the pelvic bowl. So, with this downward force during inhalation, the pelvic floor muscles also descend or stretch slightly downward. Immediately following inhalation and pelvic floor descent, is exhalation, and similarly, the pelvic floor follows the diaphragm as it rises upward to a resting position. This synchronous rising and falling of the diaphragm and pelvic floor is often referred to as the “piston effect”.

Not to be left out, the lower abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis) also contribute to this synchronous movement pattern. Working together by relaxing and stretching with inhalation and a “belly breath”, and tightening and drawing inward slightly with exhalation. In this way, the diaphragm, abdominals, and pelvic floor make up an abdominal cylinder that modulates intra-abdominal forces and pressure changes.

When this cylinder isn’t coordinating well together, or if there is tightness or weakness within the system, we see common musculoskeletal complaints: low back pain, SIJ pain, poor stability through the back and pelvis, hip pain, pelvic pain, incontinence, urgency/frequency of urine or stool, prolapse, poor posture, balance issues, and intolerance to exercise.

Our pelvic floor physical therapists can help evaluate these movement patterns and coordination of these systems, and create a treatment approach specific to you and your individual challenges.