I’m starting the week off with this tip about contrast showers, also known as hydrotherapy, because it is my favorite regardless of whether or not I am sore. I do these daily just for the invigoration! They really help get your blood pumping. The premise is simple - start with a shower as cold as you can stand it for 1 minute (30 seconds will do if you can’t take it), then alternate to hot water for 2-3 minutes, and go back and forth doing so a few time. I like to make sure I get at least 4 sessions of cold. It is important that the hot sessions are longer than the cold, and you should alternate the warmth based upon what sort of activity you were performing. For anaerobic activity, use hot water; for aerobic or long strenuous training, use warm. Some say you should end with cold, some say end with hot. I have found that it doesn’t matter and prefer to end with cold year round. After stepping out of the shower, rub yourself down with a coarse towel to stimulate your skin and help rewarm yourself. In the summer, ending with cold cools me down, and in the winter the drop in body temperature from the cold water, combined with improved circulation, makes the surrounding air seem much warmer for hours on end.
The way it works physiologically is simple: the cold water minimizes inflammation, and the whole process itself improves circulation, which helps move blood (and thus nutrients, etc.) to your muscles to encourage healing. There is a myth that it helps clear lactic acid from your muscles, but this is false. Lactic acid is a metabolite, and during strenuous activity builds up in your muscles faster than your body can reduce it. There is no way that I know of to speed up the process, it goes away through oxidation (citric acid cycle) or conversion to glucose in the liver during gluconeogenesis. It is not directly responsible for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is caused by tiny tears in muscle fiber.
You can also do this with single body parts such as the hands or feet by using a bucket of hot water, and a bucket of ice water. It’s great especially if you do a lot of gymnastic or body weight exercise where your hands get beat up.
Tomorrow’s tip: Self-massage
