Recovery Month, Week 2: Time To Get Cold
June 14, 2022 | Words by Gabe Yanez
Recovery Month, Week 2
No matter what specific fitness goal you’re chasing, proper recovery is something you simply cannot ignore.
Whether you’re trying to build lean muscle, burn fat, or improve your athletic performance, RECOVERY matters more than you think.
This is why we’re dedicating the entire month of June to breaking down four different topics that will help you recover better so you can reach your goals that much faster.
If you missed last week’s write-up, you can find it on the NCFIT blog by clicking the link below:
Ice, Ice, Baby!
A lot of us probably recall the RICE protocol for dealing with injuries — Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. Well, it turns out that this approach to acute injuries is actually pretty outdated and not the type of cold we’re talking about today. You still want to rest and elevate after an injury, but icing it is actually up for debate.
But what about deliberate, full-body cold exposure via cold air, cold shower, or full-body immersion?
It turns out that cold exposure has many benefits that tie back to optimal recovery! When your body is exposed to extreme cold, norepinephrine will flood your brain, boosting vigilance, focus, attention, and mood, all while also reducing pain and inflammation. The norepinephrine spike from cold exposure delivers what is often called an endorphin rush — natural pain relief and an enhanced sense of well-being.
Your lymphatic system is also activated by cold exposure, helping speed the clearance of toxins from tissues throughout the body.
Think of it as a simple way of speeding up a lot of the processes necessary for recovery. But of course, simple doesn’t mean easy. Cold water can be an uncomfortable and daunting experience, but if you’re looking to optimize your recovery, it’s well worth giving it a shot!
One Thing to Try This Week
There’s so much to gain from doing things that make you uncomfortable. If you’ve been thinking about deliberate cold exposure but haven’t been able to work up the courage to give it a shot, then this is the week it happens.
Cold showers are a great place to start. If you want to ease into it, 3 cold showers this week is a good goal to aim for. All you have to do is end your shower with the water on its coldest setting for 3-5 long, deep breaths. The breathing is key here. The goal is not to hyperventilate or grimace through the cold for as long as you can bear it; the goal is to use your breathing to relax in the face of a little discomfort.
If you feel like you have more in the tank, stay for a bit longer, but remember, this should ideally be a gradual process.
If you already have some exposure to this type of cold and are ready to take the next step, or if you’re the type of person that goes all-in, then you have got to check out our friends over at The Cold Plunge.
When it comes to having access to a quality cold plunge that is easy to use, these guys do it right. There’s even a version that converts into a hot tub.
Check them out here and, if you’re ready to take the full plunge, use code JASON150 for $150 off your purchase!
ONE THING TO DO THIS WEEK
We all know someone that could use a little advice on how to recover better, so forward this email to that friend and they will surely thank you later.
You can also send them directly to THIS LINK or, even better, sign up for them if you know their email address.
