In the realm of fitness and athletic performance, workout recovery is often overlooked. For that reason, I decided to write a follow on article from last week’s “workout recovery” blog post. This week, I want to emphasize the importance of reducing inflammation to accelerate muscle healing. Reducing inflammation plays a crucial role in enhancing performance, preventing injuries, and ensuring long-term sustainability in any training regimen. Among the various recovery methods available, infrared therapy has emerged as a promising approach, particularly for reducing inflammation. Of course, I am an advocate of recovery during your workout, not just after. The best way to experience effective recovery while working out is to train inside of an infrared sauna. HOTWORX pioneered the 3D Training Method that utilizes heat, infrared energy and exercise performed inside of an infrared sauna.
Understanding Inflammation in Recovery
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to stress, injury, or infection. It's a defensive reaction that's primarily governed by the immune system, which sends white blood cells to the affected site. Inflammation causes redness, swelling, fever, pain, and loss of body function.
While it plays an essential role in healing, excessive or chronic inflammation can hinder recovery, lead to excessive muscle soreness, and even result in injuries. For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, finding ways to manage inflammation effectively is key to maintaining a consistent training schedule. Reducing inflammation can keep you in the game!
What is Infrared Therapy? Infrared therapy involves the use of infrared light to penetrate the skin and promote healing at the cellular level. Unlike traditional heat therapy and traditional saunas, which can only warm the surface of the skin and the air around the body, infrared therapy penetrates deeper, reaching muscles, joints, and even organs. This deeper penetration can stimulate blood flow, increase circulation, and facilitate the removal of toxins—all vital components for effective workout recovery.
How Infrared Therapy Reduces Inflammation
1-Increased Blood Circulation: Infrared light stimulates blood vessels, enhancing blood flow to the affected areas. Improved circulation brings essential nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and helps remove metabolic waste products, which can contribute to inflammation.
Obviously, proper nutrition can lower inflammation. In support of this, a 2020 article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the review entitled, Strengthening the Immune System and Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress through Diet and Nutrition: Considerations during the COVID-19 Crisis, the authors highlighted the, “importance of an optimal status of relevant nutrients to effectively reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, thereby strengthening the immune system…” (1) It is important to effectively transport the right nutrition to your cells.
Heat Generation: The thermal effects of infrared therapy help relax tense muscles and joints. This relaxation can alleviate pain and stiffness, allowing for greater mobility and comfort during recovery while you workout.
Cellular Repair: Infrared light has been shown to enhance cellular function, promoting the regeneration of tissues. This is particularly beneficial for recovering from muscle strains or overtraining injuries and, thereby, reducing inflammation.
Reduction of Pain Signals: Infrared therapy can interfere with the transmission of pain signals to the brain, providing a soothing effect that can help ease discomfort associated with inflammation.
Incorporating Infrared Therapy into Your Recovery Routine
Infrared Saunas: Using an infrared sauna for recovery is not just a post-workout event. Infrared saunas, like that of the patented HOTWORX workout sauna, can be an excellent way to reap the benefits of infrared therapy for recovery during the actual workout. I call it a “recovery workout”. HOTWORX training sessions last 30 minutes for isometric routines like Hot Yoga and 15 minutes for HIIT routines like Hot Cycle. Post workout infrared sauna therapy sessions take at least 20-30 minutes anyway, so why not save the time and get your recovery done while you train!
Infrared Light Devices: Handheld infrared devices are also available for targeted treatment of specific areas. These can be particularly useful for localized pain or inflammation, such as in sore muscles or joints. Infrared wraps are also available and can be applied directly to injured areas, providing focused heat and light therapy.
***Here’s a personal tip. When I experience tweaks in specific areas of my body, I will use a tinge device and shock the area for a few hours before going into my infrared workouts. That combo of tinge and infrared training works like magic for me to heal specific pain areas.
Conclusion
As we continue to explore innovative recovery methods, infrared therapy stands out as a powerful tool for reducing inflammation and enhancing overall recovery. By incorporating this technology into your workout routine, you can support your body’s healing processes while you do the sets, reps, and postures. Lower your inflammation and reduce soreness, so you can get back to your training with renewed vigor.
In the quest for peak performance, remember: recovery is just as important as the workout itself. With the help of infrared therapy, you can kick out the sting of inflammation and give your body the care it deserves, paving the way for sustained progress and success in your fitness journey.
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