Contrast Your Bath...or Shower

In continuing with the minor relief theme, I wanted to bring up a simple technique that can help relax the body, ease pain, and promote healing.  It is called a contrast shower.  In technical terms, it is called contrast hydrotherapy.  The concept is pretty simple: alternating between hot and cold water while you are showering to stimulate your body to heat itself up and cool itself down, in order to bring recovery.  Blood rushes away from the extremities to protect the heart and then rushes back.  It is similar to the concept of contrasting a sprained angle with a heating pad and ice pack.

Here is how I do it:

1. Get the water nice and hot
2. Get in the shower and warm up
3. Apply the soap and turn water to cold
4. Rinse off with the cold water and then turn back to hot
5. Put shampoo in hair and turn the water to cold
6. Rinse off with the cold water and then turn back to hot
7. Put conditioner in hair and turn the water to cold
8. Rinse off with the cold water and then turn back to hot
9. Shave in the hot water and then turn back to cold
10. One final rinse in the cold and then get out

When I get out out I feel relaxed and energetic.  For that reason, I like to use this technique when I am tired because I was up with one of the kids or sleeping in a hotel when on the road for business.  To focus on the energetic and get going with your day, end with the cold.  To focus on being relaxed and end your day or take a nap, end with the hot.

Like the Yamuna Foot Wakers, a contrast shower is something simple we can do everyday to promote healing and help our bodies recover.  Here are a few more resources to learn more:

http://www.vsnaturopathy.com/Shower.html

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/rehabilitation/power-shower/

For an even more extreme method, try an ice bath.  It's a little too much work and too extreme for me but some might like it.  I know the guys in the NFL do...

Thanks for reading...