One of the pillars of Dana Perri’s SHIFT method is the Olympic-rated spring floor. It’s the only floor of its kind in the world and adds tremendous benefit to the SHIFT experience.
The floor is 25ft X 25ft and is a one of a kind hybrid that Dana created. It contains more than 400 individual springs. When you’re exercising on the floor you can see it move up and down under people’s feet as they exercise. The floor doesn’t bounce back too quickly however. It’s stabilized and absorbs a maximum amount of shock as a foot hits the floor. The impact of any exercise is dispersed through the series of springs and the bounce is dissipated.
One of the primary benefits of SHIFT’s spring floor is the lessening of impact on the joints. People often have joint problems in the knees, back, and ankles. Feet problems are often aggravated with high impact activity. This unique spring floor absorbs the shock and transfers the impact from the joints to the floor. Students who have known joint issues are able to exercise several days a week on this floor without aggravation.
Creator and founder Dana Perri herself suffers from severe scoliosis and kyphosis. Because of the spring floor she’s able to teach several classes a week without the excessive pain associated with her disorders. In fact, because she can handle high performance exercise, her muscles, joints, and connective tissue are strengthened and protect her spine more effectively.
Another major benefit of SHIFT’s spring floor is how it strengthens and enhances the core. The core is the group of muscles stabilizing and moving the spine. The inner core are muscles including the diaphragm and transverse abdominus that engage during movement or breathing. The outer core are muscles including the abdominals and lats that stabilize and protect the spine. According to Dana, the spring floor causes instability so the smaller muscles work to stabilize. The larger muscles work because of the spring in the floor. During every class, the floor is engaging the entire core. It’s an added dimension for each exercise.
Because of the added core work to stay stabilized on the floor, students burn more calories. The floor engages more muscle activity requiring more energy. Over time the caloric burn adds up. Creating a calorie deficit through exercise is the best way to burn fat and not lean muscle.
The spring floor also helps building and maintaining bone density. Bone is living tissue that responds to the demands of exercise by becoming stronger. Workouts on the spring floor are weight-bearing which helps increase lean muscle mass and improve bone density. Bone mass peaks during early adulthood. If you’re over 20 years of age, working out on SHIFT’s spring floor can help your musculoskeletal system and improve your balance and coordination.
