My body doesn’t absorb shock well. I have high/stiff arches, feet/ankles that don’t pronate well, and hips that lack internal rotation. As a result, high impact activities like basketball cause a lot of knee inflammation. This inflammation can linger for up to several days, impact the quality of my lower body workouts, and hinder the production of my activities of daily living!
To aid in recovery efforts, I have adopted cold plunging as a staple in my weekly routine. I now cold plunge immediately after playing basketball or running mt roubidoux, and several hours after more intense lower body workouts.
I gotta say… I was skeptical about cold plunging at first. Based on the lack of research supporting the use of ice for reducing inflammation, I didn’t want to believe that cold plunging would help my knees, but it did… immediately! I typically get into the cold plunge about an hour after I finish playing basketball… and by then, my knees are already screaming at me. But after just 5-8 mins in my 45-50 degree inflatable tub, my knees feel immediately better… and the deep aching feeling associated with the inflammation does not come back until I play basketball again. And the beauty of it is that these results are consistent every time!
It just goes to show that the benefits of various rehabilitative or recovery strategies is both situational and individualized. What works for one person might not work for another, regardless of what the research says.
I do not routinely experience all of the other benefits that people do while cold plunging. I do not experience a dopamine rush, improved cognitive function, better sleep quality, or reduced stress/ anxiety, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t… And all of these other benefits do sound rather appealing, so ultimately it may be worth giving a shot!
Also note that cold plunging is not the only solution to fix my issue. In fact, the only viable long term fix for my movement based issues is movement itself. That is…restoring my foot and hips ability to pronate and internally rotate, respectively, through systematic and progressive mobility work. But improving mobility can take a while, so cold plunging is a good liaison to keep me moving pain free in the meantime!
If you struggle with similar pain patterns and want to give cold plunging a try, then make sure to consult with your doctor first, as certain health conditions may disqualify you from using various cold modalities.
COLD PLUNGING CONSIDERATIONS:
WHEN: a minimum of 4 hour after weight training workouts so that you do not reduce your body’s ability to build muscle; first thing in the morning to stimulate the release of dopamine to waken you up for the day; immediately after long hikes or impact-based workouts (non- strength training based) to reduce inflammation
FREQUENCY AND DURATION: 3-8 minutes daily (9-15 mins weekly), depending on the temperature of the water and the amount of your body that you submerge
TEMPERATURE: ideally, between 45 and 55 degrees. Colder is not always necessarily better, and may just reduce the amount of time that you can tolerate being submerged. I use a digital meat thermometer to measure the temperate of my water.
REPLACING THE WATER: if your unit does not have a filter, then replace the water in your tub every 2-3 usages, or no longer than once a week. Rinse off both before and after getting in.
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