Hydrotherapy is the area of therapeutics that deals with the curative use of water.
It offers you an easy way to apply hot and cold treatments to the body. Many ancient
cultures used hydrotherapy to promote health and well being.
While this article will discuss contrast baths for your hands by no means is it
limited to just the hands. I use contrast showers on a daily basis as they speed
up and aid in my recovery.
For the contrast baths you will need two buckets. The buckets don’t have to be special,
ideally just deep enough that you can immerse your arm up to your elbow.
One bucket will have hot water (approx. 105) and the other cold water (approx. 60).
The hot water will increase circulation (vasodialation) and assist in the removal
of toxins. The cold water decreases the blood flow (vasoconstriction) and aids in
the reduction of swelling. This will dramatically increase the blood circulation
to the hands.
Once you have filled the buckets with the water you will place your hands in the
hot water for approx. 3-4 minutes. Then you will put your hands in the cold for
approx. 1 minute. Alternate back and forth for 4-5 cycles ending with the hot water.
So a cycle would look like this:
3-4 mins hot, 1 min cold, 3-4 mins hot, 1 min cold, 3-4 mins hot, 1 min cold, 3-4
mins hot, 1 min cold, and 3-4 mins hot.
To aid vasodialtion, while your hands are in the hot water move them to stimulate
blood flow. You can see in the picture I have two golf balls in the hot water bucket.
I use these two different ways: I rotate them in my hand (pic 1-3) and also apply
pressure rolling it around on the hand (pic 4 & 5). The pressure of the golf
ball will aid in the release of the toxins trapped in the muscle tissue. You could
also try massaging your hands as this will also increase blood flow. In the cold
water keep your hands still.
Some important points to keep in mind:
• Although contrast baths will aid your recovery it is not a substitute for it.
Allow appropriate time for your hands to recover.
• It is optimal to do contrast baths at the end of the day or after your workout.
Your hands will be soft afterwards and will tear easily so don’t workout afterwards.
• As an alternative to buckets you could run the water over the hands in the sink.
Contrast baths are great for your hand health and I highly recommend them as a regular
part of your training.
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