Being a college athlete player puts a lot of wear and tear on your body. It's critical to take care of your body so you can perform to your highest ability the next training! Every time you step on the field is a chance to prove yourself, and recovering correctly allows you to do this. Click here to read my preferences and ratings of the recovery methods and devices I have used over the past 5 years and why I like them/how they help me prepare for the next time I step on the field. These are not ranked in order of preference because I think that each bring their own benefits and everyone's body demands different recovery techniques. And these are not the only methods and/or devices available, just some of the ones I prefer! 1. Firefly Recovery Device What it is: The firefly device is a portable stimulation device that is used on your leg, which activates key muscles that directly link to increased blood flow while at rest. This device stimulates nerves instead of the muscles so it avoids fatigue that often is attached with electrical muscle stimulators. This device decreased muscle soreness and improve muscle performance. Why I like it: It is portable and comes with knee straps! You can walk around while using this device! This is so important for me because I'm always on the go. Being a student athlete has you up and moving throughout the day, but Firefly removes the excuse of "I don't have time for recovery today." It's super easy to use and lasts for a while. You wear them for 2-4 hour increments and you get about 15 uses before needing to switch the device out for a new one. I've been using my Firefly devices for about 2 months now and I love them. I feel more ready to go the next day for training. 2. Ice Bath What it is: Probably the most common heard of recovery method (and maybe the most hated too)...ICE BATHS! Ice baths are pretty much what they sound like: hopping into a bath full of ice and sitting in it for 8-10 minutes. After a hard workout, practice, game, etc. ice baths help your muscles recover and prevent muscle soreness. It limits the inflammatory response, and therefore decreases inflammation to recover faster. Why I like it: You can take an ice bath literally anywhere. You don't need a fancy ice tub to take on your recovery. We used to do them in our hotel room bathtubs during club soccer with ice from gas stations. I love getting in an ice bath after workouts or a hard practice to cool down. I have been taking ice baths for around 10 years now and absolutely love them. This is probably one of my favorite recovery methods because it's easy and effective. 3. NormaTec Compression What it is: Normatec Compression is a compression recovery device. The boots that you slip on over your legs use pulsated, sequential compression to a large blood pressure cuff, highlighting five different sections. This is attached to a control unit and a pump, sending the compression to a specific area within the five sections. This enhances blood flow and fluid removal. Why I like it: My legs feel refreshed after using them. I struggle with having inflammation in my leg due to a knee surgery I had my junior year. NormaTec helps flush that out and prepare me to go again. Another thing I really like about this device is that you can use it before or after training. We have a lot of girls on our team who like to use it to prepare them before trainings or games. I like to use them when I get off a plane to get the fluid and blood moving in my legs again. 4. Hypervolt What it is: Hypervolt is a handheld portable percussion massage device. The purpose of using a Hypervolt is to relieve muscle soreness, pain, and/or tension. These kinds of devices provide relief in a different way in that they can reach both the superficial and deep muscle fibers. They also help increase range of motion. Why I like it: I like using the Hypervolt when I have a knot in my leg somewhere. It allows me to really dig at the area and release the tension that is surrounding the area. It doesn't take a long time and I can do it myself. I like products that allow me to be self-sufficient because our athletic trainer is already so busy, that taking up his time for recovery (while he is very willing to do it) isn't what I love to do. 5. Cryotherapy What it is: Cryotherapy is the use of extreme cold to treat muscles. Basically, the cold results in the vascular system to direct blood to your internal organs as a protective mechanism. It helps move flood flow away from the desired area, which limits how inflamed it gets. It helps with muscle and tissue repair after pushing them to an extreme limit. The cold compression helps alleviate the muscles that are sore or tight. Typically you stay in the extreme cold for around 2-4 minutes. Why I like it: I am extremely lucky to have access to a cryo-chamber here at Alabama, but I know that cryotherapy isn't always accessible or affordable. I like this method however because it's quick. It allows me to get in and out of the recovery area quickly but feeling good for the next day. Since I do have such a busy schedule, this method aids to that. 6. Foam Rolling What it is: Foam rolling is a type of self massage that helps relieve muscle soreness and inflammation, and it helps increase your joint range of motion. This method can be effective for either warming up or cooling down. Our team does this after every practice. It can be performed with literally almost anything, ranging from a traditional foam roller to a lacrosse or tennis ball to rolling stick. Why I like it: Foam rolling allows me to trigger point certain areas that are sore. We are a quad dominate sport, so foam rolling my quads after practice allows me to quickly get some muscle releases and blow flow to that area. I like foam rolling because you can really do this anywhere. You also don't need anyone to help you do this. You simply just start rolling. I like to spend 1-2 minutes on each area, and if I'm really sore then I will extend that time. 7. Gameready What it is: Gameready is a compression recovery device that sends 1 of the 4 methods to the body part that is targeted in the Gameready device. It can send cold, heat, contrast, or compression to a tightly compressed area. The compression sleeve connects to a core device and from there it sends the water and compression. The deep penetrating flow helps reduce swelling, joint and muscle stiffness, and increase blood flow. Why I like it: I like the Gameready because it gets deep down and helps with swelling. I like how cold it gets. It's like an intense version of sticking an ice bag on a specific area. I used this every day after my knee surgery and it allowed me to get moving again quicker. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!
Everyone's body needs something different, so every recovery method and/or device may not work for you. It takes trying them out to see what makes your body feel the best and when you should be using them! But ultimately recovery is so important to your success as an athlete! So make sure to take it seriously. Last, but definitely not least, I also want to give a shoutout to our athletic trainer, Jeff. He takes such good care of us and I'm so grateful for everything that he does for our program to ensure that we are feeling our best physically and mentally.
2 Comments
Anthony Kjenstad
10/13/2021 11:12:39 am
Glad you are on the firefly™ team!!! Great article. Methods is spelled wrong in the header😬😂
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Lauren Campbell
10/13/2021 02:27:44 pm
Fantastic article! Thank you for sharing all of your recovery tips.
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October 2021
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