Have you ever been really sore a couple days after a really hard workout? Was it difficult to get motivated to push through another intense workout session? This soreness is likely the result of muscle fatigue usually due to lack of recovery time and proper recovery techniques.
D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) usually occurs 24-48 hours after a workout. Proper rest, hydration, and recovery, can help you beat D.O.M.S. Let’s take a look into one recovery technique, cold and hot therapy. There are benefits of using each technique separately or together.
COLD THERAPY
Cold therapy helps by reducing blood flow to a particular area. This reduction of blood flow can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling around your joints and tendons. Cold therapy can also help with pain relief of the muscle. You want to use cold therapy for about 10-15 minutes several times throughout the day. You should not go any longer than 20 minutes during one sitting. Below are some suggestions on different cold therapy options.
Ice pack or gel pack
Ice massage
Ice baths
Coolant sprays
Whole body therapy chambers
Do not put ice directly on the skin and do not use cold therapy on stiff or tight muscles and joints.
HEAT THERAPY
Heat therapy helps by improving circulation and blood flow to a particular area. By increasing the temperature when using heat this can soothe discomfort and increase muscle flexibility. While using heat therapy the muscle can become more relaxed and help with tissue damage. Heat therapy can be applied for a longer period of time ranging from 20 minutes to 1 hour depending on the type of heat therapy used. Below are some different types of heat therapy.
Dry/Wet Heating Pads
Hot stone massages
Hot Bath w/ Epsom salt
Hot Shower
In house steam room (Place a rolled up towel under draft space on door and turn shower on high heat)
Do not use heat therapy on swollen or bruised areas or open wounds. There are certain pre-existing risk factors that may cause complications when using heat therapy. Please contact your physician if you have questions on this.
Take the time out of your day to try one of these techniques or combine the two to help maximize your recovery time. Making sure to hydrate and getting proper sleep are also contributors to a healthy recovery. For additional info on good recovery habits, check out Gavin’s blog on foam rolling and stretching. For questions please email gbarrilleaux@teamexos.com.