Author: Matt Parker

7 Health Facts You Didn’t Know About Fly Boarding in the Minneapolis Area

Fly boarding is a hybrid activity since it feels like it is a mix of water skiing, wake boarding, snowboarding, skiing and acrobatic diving. This unique mix means that it gives you the best of each sport yet while it might sound complex, fly boarding is actually very easy to learn.

Due to this, fly boarding has been strongly embraced by adrenalin junkies and water sports enthusiasts but this fun water activity does more for your health than just getting your heart racing. The best part is that fly boarding in the Minneapolis area has a number of different health benefits to offer and is definitely one of the best ways that you can pair your high energy with an intense workout.  

If you’re wondering what health benefits fly boarding has to offer, take a look at the following:

Burn Those Calories

If you’ve been chowing down on too much junk food and packing on the extra calories, fly boarding can effectively help to burn them away. Keep in mind that the calories you burn relies on the amount of time you spent fly boarding, your age, as well as your current weight too. You won’t see visible results the first time you try out fly boarding but it is estimated that you get to burn hundreds of calories with ease when you indulge in it. Overtime, you’ll begin to lose weight and really utilize all the extra calories your body carries.  

From Your Head to Your Toes

Fly boarding is an extensive sport that gives your muscles a work out from your head to your toes. Your back and abdomen muscles will get toned up while your arms and shoulders will also get stretched and exercised. Moreover, it engages the cores muscles in the body since you need to maintain proper balance. Legs, quads, calves and hamstrings are also worked out, since you’re in a half squat position. Let’s just say that you’ll be getting a high intensity workout when you go fly boarding in the Minneapolis area.

Positive Adrenaline Release

Release of adrenaline is good for the body since it not only makes the brain feel good, it is also helps boost the production of glucose. Used to make muscle, this boost also helps keep your energy levels high and keeps your brain stimulated and active. Adrenaline also effectively helps in reducing stress and anxiety by minimizing the production of cortisol. Time spent outdoors in the sun and sea also helps to cut down stress and reduce anxiety. Plus, the fact that it isn’t being offered in a crowded place can also aid in minimizing stress associated with being in crowded places.

Aids in Production of Vitamin D

It goes without saying that when you’re fly boarding in the Minneapolis area, you’re going to spend a lot of time in the sun. This also aids in the natural production of Vitamin D in the body which is needed by the body to aid in the absorption of phosphorous and calcium. Vitamin D also plays a vital role in the strengthening the immune system and can work wonders in improving the production of collagen in the body, reducing acne and minimizing the appearance of dark spots. You should still use a strong sun block since if you’re spending a couple of hours in the sun, it does increase the chances of getting a sun burn or developing skin cancer.  

Strengthens Your Immune System

Spending time outdoors in the sun and sea aid in strengthening your immune system since it boosts the production of white blood cells. Sea salt has proven to be particularly effective in this aspect and treading in the sea water has also shown that production of white blood cells gets boosted in the body. Since white blood cells play a huge role in getting rid of infections and diseases in the body, this is a particularly great benefit of fly boarding in the Minneapolis area.

Makes Hair Soft and Wavy

When you’re near the sea, constant exposure to the salty sea air is going to work wonders for your hair. Sea salt sprays are already is extremely popular and helps in giving you those boho-chic waves. Moreover, it has a wide range of essential minerals and vitamins, helping to effectively nourish, moisturize and protect hair too. Keep in mind that in the case of overexposure to sea-salt, your hair might turn dry and brittle so you’ll have to be careful to maintain a proper balance.

Makes Your Skin Happy

For dry and itchy skin, the exposure to sea salt while fly boarding can be extremely beneficial as it tends to soothe and relieve it. Certain conditions like psoriasis and eczema can also be alleviated with the help of sea salt. Sea salt helps to improve circulation, opens pores, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and it can even aid in balancing the production of oil. Paired with the sun, your skin will also get a glow that you can only get from having spent your time outdoors.  

Cleanses Your Lungs

Another benefit coupled with fly boarding is that the salt air can also be beneficial for lungs by helping to clear out the airways. It can improve lung function and also aid in minimizing congestion in the sinus, reducing the chances of getting short of breath due to problems in the airways. Many people have experienced these benefits first hand which is why people with breathing problems are recommended to go to the beach or be near an ocean.

With so many health benefits related to it, it’s no surprise that fly boarding is quickly becoming a favorite activity for people to indulge in. Moreover, while the learning curve for fly boarding is rather steep, it also varies from person to person with some showing a natural ability for it while others might have to take baby steps first before they can comfortably start fly boarding in the Minneapolis area on their own.

It Is Fun To Fly Like A Bird On A Flyboard

Ever seen how Iron Man flies around the skies taking a bird eye view of the entire world around him, breezing past obstacles in his fancy little suit? Even if we are not hardcore fans, many of us try to internalize how the man must be feeling inside; wishing to replicate the same feeling we tend to become envious of the man flying in his red suit. While it will take humanity probably another decade or so before something nearly as fluid and streamlined as the Iron Man suit can be invented, what we do have access to however is state of the art equipment that can arguably be called the next best thing after the Iron Man suit. What we’re obviously talking about is the flyboard, which is powered by the massive thrust provided by watercraft which they’re tethered against.

How a flyboard works

A flyboard is attached by a long, 35 to 40ft hose to a powerful watercraft such the jet ski or wave runner. When the watercraft traverses the sea at a certain speed, it forces the water to push through the hose at a turbulent speed which has a high enough velocity to send any human flying dozens of feet into the air. The person can control the direction, speed and power of the flyboard through certain machinations embedded in the flyboard equipment.

Safety issues

Even though cruising on a flyboard is an extremely fun, adrenaline filled activity, it does have its own plethora of safety issues which can cause tremendous bodily injury if not addressed before strapping yourself onto a one. For instance, the impact of crashing onto the waters from a certain height can hurt your head even though you might be wearing a powerful helmet. The depth of the water is also extremely important, and many flyboard rentals in the Minneapolis Area specify that the water should be at least 10m deep. This is critically important because when you crash into a shallow body of water, the chances of hitting a sharp rock or reefs dramatically increase. The result can be life altering accidents.  For this reason, most flyboard rentals require you to undergo proper flyboard training; only giving you access to the cool water toy after you have gained proper certification.

Acrobatics
The great thing about floating above water is that the impact of crashing on it is heavily mitigated. This allows users to perform a myriad of amazing, breathtaking acrobatic actions. The most popular of these is the dolphin dive; you dip down into the water and exit out of it upwards, making beautiful half-sin waves. Professional flyboarders have so much experience under their belt that they can even carry another person with them in a mighty show of strength and control which sends most spectators in awe.

How to properly use the flyboard
It is important for you to get access to proper gear. Start off by getting access to an isothermal pant and vest (optional). The next item on your list should be a coastguard approved lifejacket that can zip up properly to your body and not get disconnected by the tumultuous speeds of the flyboard; this is an obvious necessity if you don’t know how to swim. You should use helmets that cover your ear, if you don’t have access to such a helmet, the next best option is to wear ear plugs; you don’t want the water entering inside your ear.

Strapping yourself onto the flyboard
First thing you should be doing is place one of your feet (right) on to the center of the flyboard, follow it up by gently placing your left foot onto the left binding. Then follow it up by placing your right foot onto the right binding, safely accommodating your feet into both of the bindings. Now securely tighten the straps, starting from the top straps all the way to the bottom straps. This is extremely important because loose fittings will most certainly result in you flying out of the flyboard in a tangential direction—and not a direction of your choice either; you could crash onto solid surface which may cause serious accident and injury to you.

Next thing for you to do is get your hands into the arms of the flyboard, tightening up the straps to make sure they don’t move. Word of caution though, because too tight of a strap can result in you losing feeling in your wrists and hands. This is the worst possible thing that could happen to you while in the middle of the air attached to the flyboard.

How to operate the flyboard
You can launch from a beach or dock by jumping feet first into the water. Keep your legs straight and your head out of the water. Once the watercraft starts and the hose becomes completely taut from the power of watercraft, it is time to fly. Position yourself vertically under the water to allow you to actually start flying – it is essential for you to keep your legs as straight as possible. Your toes will play a crucial role in how you maneuver about the air. If you want to propel forward, position your toes in the forward direction. Positioning the toes up will allow you to gain height. To ride backwards, pull your toes up but have all of your weight shifted in the forward direction.

If you want to turn right, slightly bend your left knee and vice versa. It is important for you to balance yourself properly. Once you do get the hang of it, you will want to learn a couple of important navigational moves—these include doing the 360°, 180° and riding backwards. These three important moves will:

  1. Keep you safe from potential crashes
  2. Allow you to perform fancy acrobatic tricks in the air
  3. Prevent any damage from occurring to the rather expensive equipment

One more thing to watch out for is to limit yourself to a speed of 4500 rpm on the flyboard and not to exceed a height of 6 ft during your first tryouts. Once you become comfortable with this height, you can safely move to trying stunts at greater heights.

The Cool New Sport of Fly Boarding

One of the best things about the rapid progress in technology has got to be fancier toys! And by that, we don’t mean action figures. Fly boarding is a new sport that wasn’t around until a couple of years ago and has been welcomed by the masses. Men and women of varying ages are enthralled to take their self into the air with the adrenaline filled, easy to control fly boards. You’re not really a 90s kid unless you’ve imagined yourself riding a hover board like the green goblin from Spiderman or Marty from Back to the Future, at least once. It’s incredibly exhilarating just seeing people ride these jet powered hydro fly boards. Flocks of tourists are drawn into beachside areas where this technology is available for all. In fact, there are fly board competitions now being held where expert fly boarders showcase their finesse in controlling the powerful boards to execute the most impressive feats of personal flight maneuverability. These extreme shows attract many onlookers, but you know what’s better than watching fly boarders perform? Riding one yourself!

How it works

A fly board is basically a personal jet pack that is strapped in beneath your feet and is a creation of Zapata Racing in France. This fly board uses the power of propulsion to levitate in a controlled manner and take off the ground on your command. The water pressure is made from a personal watercraft that directs the high pressured water through a 60-foot pipe that is attached to the two propulsion nozzles beneath your feet. The nozzles are pointed downwards and throw water at a 90-degree angle from the sea surface, in the direction of the sea floor, to generate enough propulsion to lift you off the water surface. Think iron man, but with water for propulsion instead of the palladium made Arc Reactor power core.

Ease of control

One can assume this sort of technology requires hard training to get a hold of, but that’s not true. The fly board is a very easy to control and maneuverable instrument. After the user has been given proper instruction, it doesn’t take more than five minutes on average for them to take off and fly around hovering over the safe surface of water. If you’re a slower learner, there’s nothing to worry about.

There are two types of throttle control systems on the fly board. You can let your instructor power the throttles on and off, while you’re trying to get a handle on the controlling and basic hovering aspects of it. After you feel like you’re ready, step it up a notch, you can control the throttle yourself through the handholds on the fly board made possible with the electronic management kit installed on there.

Pro Fly boarder Trey Andrews said, “The learning curve is pretty steep, meaning it’s hard to start using the Electronic Management Kit but once you get the hang of it you will never want to be ‘driven’ again.” You basically control your direction by leaning towards the direction you want to go to. Tip your toes forward to go forward, and vice versa. Needless to say, it would be pretty exciting to pretend to be a superhero or a super villain riding on this fully controllable hover board. You can even do those cool dolphin dives in and out of the water with the jet powered boots you’re mounted on! Executing back flips or even front flips is always a fan favorite. If you’ve practiced enough, you can be creative with your maneuvers and tricks. The fly board is the perfect mix of water, extreme sports, flying and thrilling heights. Fly boarding doesn’t require a lot of strength. It can be a very relaxing and liberating experience.

A workout like no other

Fly boarding is the new favorite hobby for spring breakers because of how easy it is. Anyone can do it including you. Despite the obvious advantage of grasping the basics of fly boarding within minutes of the first session depending on your balance and coordination, fly boarding is a full body exercise. This unmatched workout experience can work your core, legs, and hips very well. Depending on your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, you can ride the fly board for as long as you can handle. Oh, and you definitely will feel the post-workout muscle soreness the next day, since it’s a workout that’s fun, safe, enthralling and one that you will not forget for the rest of your life.

How safe is it though

Those interested often speculate on how safe it really is, and they should too. The truth is, you’ll be in the safe hands of certified and experienced master pilot instructors guiding you and observing you, throughout the course. Additionally, the coast guard will also look out for you with eyes peeled. After your pre-flight instructions, you’ll be escorted in the water with a life vest and safety helmet. The instructors and experienced pilots are also trained in CPR and First Aid Certified programs. However, to make sure you stay within comfortable limits, do not fly at heights that you feel are above your skill level. Stay comfortable and enjoy the freedom in the air up there.  

Give it a shot!

Have you ever ridden a fly board before? If you haven’t, you need to try it and experience the closest thing to personal flight in existence which has been an ever longing desire of man. You don’t need to worry about buying the futuristic overly expensive equipment either. Residents of Michigan, you need not worry! You can rent fly boards in Gull Lake in Brainerd, Minneapolis area, Long Lake in New Brighton and Crosslake in Brainerd, MI. Come on down to get a taste of how it’s like to levitate on your own two feet off the grounds in complete control and make your summer break the perfect holiday.