Recovery Keys: Using Heat Vs. Cold

As many of us get adjusted to stay home more than we’re used to, we here at Sports Academy have been bringing you workouts you can do in your living room, as well as nutrition and mental wellness tips. But there’s another major piece of the puzzle that we want to make sure not to leave out – especially if you’re working out at home: Recovery.

With that in mind, below, you’ll find some helpful fact about how to aid your recovery process – whether you’ve got tightness, swelling or whatever in between.

When to Use Heat:

• More often beneficial with chronic conditions like reoccurring injuries and tight muscles
• Purpose is to increase blood flow, providing oxygen and nutrients
• Apply to the area of pain for 20-30 minutes [use appropriate toweling to prevent any skin irritation]

When to Use Cold:

• More often beneficial with acute injuries like sprains or sudden pain
• Purpose is to reduce swelling and inflammation by constricting the blood vessels
• Apply to the area of pain for 10-20 minutes [use appropriate toweling to prevent skin irritation]

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