Any time I’ve injured myself, my doctor told me to put our leg up and rest an ice pack on it.
It’s more than likely that ice pack is actually the frozen peas that we’re going to use for dinner but then why do gym people go into the hot sauna after a workout?
So let’s break down the benefits. First, saunas.
Saunas reduce inflammation and increase red blood cell volume which increases the amount of oxygen carried to your muscles, ultimately improving your performance.
Saunas can also lower your blood glucose levels which reduce your risk of disease. They’ll also help lower your total cholesterol while also reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and replace it with the good cholesterol (HDL).
Cryotherapy refers to ice baths, or the modern cryo-chambers we see today. It reduces blood flow to your extremities, forcing your heart to work overtime to keep you warm so when you step out of the ice bath or cryo-chamber and start to warm up, your increased circulation speeds up your muscle and joint recovery time.
Less is known about the benefits of cold temperatures as it’s a newer therapy, but it helps to reduce muscle soreness by gives you a more instant relief in inflammation, however this is typically short-term recovery.
One of the ways that both hot and cold temperatures help the body is by improving hormone production, aerobic endurance and general immunity so even if you don’t work out, spending some time in a sauna or cryotherapy pod will be beneficial to you.
The verdict: Saunas seem to be the better choice as they provide long-term recovery while cryotherapy provides that instant but short term relief from muscle pain.
Personally I’d prefer to step into a relaxing sauna than shock my system in an ice bath, but that’s just me.
If you’d like to give cryotherapy a try, though, here’s a place to start.
Lead image courtesy of: Plus Life Health
