“A relaxing peaceful evening at home is one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
If you’ve ever played a sport or completed an intense workout, you know that having a thorough recovery routine is crucial to your performance. There are a myriad of supportive treatments athletes can conduct to help improve their overall well being and traditionally they have turned to chiropractic care, a stretching regimen or physical therapy to help them stay in top physical form.
What is Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a medical physical treatment that exposes the body to extremely cold temperatures for several minutes with hopes to freeze and remove abnormal tissue. Moreover, the exposure also causes the body to go through a process called vasoconstriction and vasodilation – which means that the blood is more oxygenated and further purified and free of toxins. There are also studies that have shown how cryotherapy benefits can mimic the benefits of exercise. Cryotherapy can also cause the release of myokines – proteins that are released when muscles are stretched – making it a great option to consider adding to your recovery process.
Muscle Recovery & Injury Management
The main benefit athletes use cryotherapy for is muscle recovery, providing muscle rehabilitation and relief after intensive workouts. We’ve seen this through an increase in professional athletes using cryotherapy as it can soothe aching bones and relieve muscle fatigue, along with reducing inflammation and swelling. A few minutes of controlled chill can improve recovery, decrease muscle fatigue and delay the onset of muscle soreness to help athletes prepare their bodies to continuously, rigorously train.
Cryotherapy affects the body not only post workout but post injury and a few sessions can help with injury management. When there is a muscle or tissue injury, cryotherapy reduces blood flow to the injured area, reducing inflammation and aiding in muscle pain relief. It allows athletes the opportunity to heal and get back to their fitness routine faster than the regular time it typically takes to rest and recuperate.
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Improve Overall Athletic Performance
- Near the master bath or shower: No better place to have a sauna than in the privacy of your own shower. This will provide a tranquil experience for your bathing routine.
- Near the exercise station: Sauna baths are the perfect follow-up to an intense workout, the easy access ensures quick relaxation after some vigorous exercise.
- On the deck: The space available on a deck is well suited for a sauna and makes it a convenient and great location.
- By the pool or hot tub: this is one of the most common places to find a sauna and allows you to easily get to the pool right after your sauna session.
- On the rooftop: Many modern homes that have installed a sauna, place it on the rooftop – another great spot if you want the installation outside of the home.
- In the backyard: Many people prefer having their saunas in the backyard because of the open space.
Being an athlete requires a lifetime of dedication, persistence and a willingness to continually push the body beyond its natural boundaries. For the safety, health and wellness of an athlete, the rigor and physical hard work that goes into constantly exerting their bodies has to be combined with state-of-the-art, proven methods of healing and relaxation. And, since the condition of an athlete’s body is a determining factor in both their income and career longevity, finding ways to preserve their physical state is highly important. Adding cryotherapy as a regimen is a great option to help improve overall athletic performance.
CryoTherapy Outside Athletics
Many New York City health spas have begun offering cryotherapy services, not just to athletes but also to their everyday clients. They promise that the therapy will help them to improve their flexibility, boost collagen production, increase metabolic rate, burn calories, decrease inflammation, and provide acute and chronic injury relief. In addition, for individuals who are burnt out by the overall stresses that come with living in NYC, they declare that a cryotherapy sauna session will help your body to release endorphins that can increase your mental and physical energy and improve the quality and duration of your sleep.
Overall, a cryotherapy sauna is a great option to consider for your spa! Please get in touch with us at Ecotone if you would like to offer the benefits of a cryotherapy sauna to those who use your facilities.
