Saturday, September 18, 2010

Russian Sauna Contrast Therapy (Recovery Method)

This is a short video I shot while on vacation in Belarus a few weeks ago. I was enjoying the "Banya" which is basically a Russian sauna. You spend several minutes in a VERY hot sauna, splashing eucalyptus water on the hot rocks to work up a real sweat! Then you jump into the ice cold pool (or pond, depending on the location). It's pretty intense, but incredibly rejuvenating as well.





Contrasting or Thermotherapy (alternating hot and cold) is one of my favorite recovery methods, and can help improve circulation and flush out toxins (via vascular flushing), relax your tight muscles, cleanse your pores, and reduce inflammation.

A simple way to do this at home is to alternate warm water with cold water for 30 seconds each in the shower. The cold on the body sends blood to your organs while the warm brings it rushing back to your muscles, which will increase your circulation and boost your immune system.

Remember, if you train hard you also need to practice effective recovery methods, including rest, proper nutrition, adequate warm-ups and cool-downs, etc. Be sure to check out my blog posts on Dynamic Warmups, Core Activation, and the Upper Body Warmup for more information on how to help your body prepare for and recover from your intense workouts!

What techniques or methods have you used to prevent injuries and improve recovery? If you have any questions or comments I'd like to hear from you! Leave a comment below.

This was the last of my videos from Belarus... I hope you enjoyed it. Next week I have some practical fat loss tips to share with you. Stay tuned!

Stay Fit,

Josh

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