If you’ve ever doubted that ice bath recovery is for you, it’s definitely time to give it some more thought and ask yourself some simple questions. Do you train regularly? Are you putting your body under stress whilst training? Do you push your body to its limits on gameday? Are you sore after competing or after training sessions? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should definitely consider that ice bath recovery could be just what you need.
Just for a moment, rather than thinking about elite athletes, consider all the weekend warriors out there. All the athletes who, sun, rain or shine, head off to train with their local club after a long day at work and put in 100 percent effort for several evenings each week. They do it to maintain their fitness, to participate in the sport they love, to spend time with friends. They give their all and put their bodies under duress week in and week out, particularly on game day.
They feel battered, bruised, spent and have to be ready to front up to work the next day and training again within a couple of days all with that feeling of an aching body and soreness that we’ve all experienced. But what if you could limit that feeling and help your body bounce back quicker than it would without any intervention? It sounds great, right and that’s because it is and that’s what ice bath recovery has to offer. We at Pride on the Line always reiterate the fact that ice bath recovery is not just for elite athletes because they’re not the only ones who push their bodies to the max.
In Good Company
The broad range of users of Pride on the Line Recovery Baths is testament to the fact that our ice baths are popular amongst athletes of all levels of competition and of absolutely all different sports. Consider the following:
- The amateur athletesfrom country and city leagues who are fed up with using makeshift products for ice bath recovery but recognise the importance of cold therapy in getting their bodies back to their best as soon as possible. These are the people who primarily play for the love of the game and have to be ready to front up to work in good physical condition daily.
- The semi-professional athleteson whom there may be added pressure to stay at their peak due to the financial incentives of being paid to play their respective sports in addition to also maintaining a career outside of sport. Ice bath recovery is certainly a standard procedure in many teams and clubs at this level of sport and athletes tent to take ice baths regularly after both training sessions and on game day.
- The tendency at a professionallevel is certainly to have regular ice bath recovery schedules involving ice baths after training sessions and after competing and at this level there is a generalised requirement to maintain this schedule regardless of where the athletes are. This means that if there are no ice bath provisions off site, ice baths need to be taken along with the team to ensure that the schedule is maintained.
- The use of ice baths by eliteathletes is well documented and well known and many people would assume that they are only undertaken in the confines of club facilities. Although ice bath facilities are provided and needs are catered for, there are many individual athletes who like to have access to purpose-built ice baths in the comfort of their own homes, hence another popular demographic of Recovery Bath users.
Still not Convinced that Ice Bath Recovery is for you?
Still not convinced that ice bath recovery is something that you’d like to try, well what if we mention that there is the possibility of reducing inflammation along with the body soreness that we mentioned earlier? What if you could promote neural recovery and muscle repair all by simply immersing yourself in an ice bath? At the very least you could give it a try and experience it for yourself first-hand. It’s understandable that there may be a fear of the unknown, hence the hesitation but the reality is that you don’t know what you’re missing out on!
We’ve all had that feeling at the beach or pool on a hot summers day when the water is a little (or a lot!) cooler than we’d like. Along with that feeling is the notion that once we’re immersed in the water it’ll be uncomfortable for just a little while but then the discomfort will subside and we can reap the benefits of the fresh, cool water. The ice bath recovery experience is much like this along with the additional benefit of providing a sore body with a means for recovery.
Further to this, if you’ve ever transitioned from a cool pool into a warm spa you’ll appreciate the overwhelming feeling when the spa water feels considerably warmer than it actually is. Similarly you may know the inverse feeling whereby going from a warm spa into a cool pool feels even colder that the reality. These sensations are much like those that you experience through contrast water therapy, introducing the repetitive movement from a cool to warm environment and the respective constriction and dilation of blood vessels.
Whichever option you choose, the important factor is having the courage to try a new experience with the ultimate aim of improving your recovery and getting you back on track sooner.