Tired, achey muscles? Contrast showers can help.
I know I feel draggy and stiff the day after doing a new activity, or one I haven’t done in a while. I’ve been struggling with muscle soreness for ages, and the older I get, the more I seem to drag. Stretching, though integral to my health, has not been proven–either in scientific research or in my own experience–to relieve muscular discomfort from overuse.
Googling in frustration, I stumbled across a method used by professional athletes (albeit with more sophisticated equipment): contrast showers.
This method really works for me, and I am excited to share it:
While in the shower, turn the water to as hot as you can stand for 3 minutes. Follow that with 1 minute of water as cold as you can stand. Repeat to 3 cycles. Aways end with cold, and make sure to get as much of your body in the water as possible. If one area is especially sore, you can concentrate there.
During our week of learning spa modalities in massage school, we used contrast foot baths to much the same effect. Heat is relaxing and opens the blood vessels. Cold is stimulating and constricts blood vessels. With these powers combined, you can expect to:
- Increase blood and lymph circulation
- Increase removal of toxins and metabolic waste which result from the tension and soreness
- Increase metabolism
- Increase immune system response and healing ability
As for me, age 30 seems a bit farther off after these 12 minutes in the shower.