Ultimate Guide to Rest & Recovery Days
What’s your first thought when you think of rest & recovery days? Do you look forward to days off from your workouts? Or is your workout routine so engrained in your daily routine you find it challenging to hit pause for a day or two? We all know the importance of movement and working out but current research emphasizes the need to incorporate rest & recovery days. As diligent as you are with your workouts, it’s equally important to allow your body time to rest & repair.
Today I’m sharing my next-level recovery day experience, when I dropped by Restore Hyper Wellness + Cryotherapy. This spin on recovery was completely new to me. I definitely believe in recovery days, and incorporate 2-3 rest days per week, and that usually looks like a walk or foam rolling. I’ve heard of cryotherapy, but I had never actually popped in the machine before! So my experience & insights come from someone with wide open newbie eyes. Per the Restore team’s recommendation, I paired cryotherapy with PBM therapy, the infrared sauna and compression therapy. If you’re like me, and you’re adventurous and up for trying new things, but like to have an honest opinion and semblance of expectations going in, you’re in the right place. Below I share the science behind each treatment, along with my candid experience & results. I hope this encourages & inspires you to branch out and experiment with new restoration options for your body!
Don’t forget to read to the bottom to learn about the special discount you can receive as a member of the Deconstructing Wellness community!
Cryotherapy
Recap: At only two and a half minutes, whole body cryotherapy is quick & effective! This treatment reduces inflammation, boosts endorphins and decreases joint & muscle pain - all in under 3 minutes! It’s a great way to sneak in a recovery treatment on a day you don’t have time to spare.
Experience: Stepping into the unit in tall black socks, slippers and gloves is a humorous experience to say the least, giggling at the absurdity of the attire can shake any small nerves that may arise. The time passes super fast as the technician rotates you every 30 seconds and talks you thru the process. About a minute in, I started shaking from the cold but was never uncomfortable. I learned the areas that feel coldest are often where inflammation is the worst. Personally this ended up being my lower legs, which were shaking like a leaf by the end. The goal of the treatment is to bring your body temp as close to 45 degrees as possible, and I ended up at 48; a successful two and a half minutes.
Result: The dramatic lowering of the body temperature puts the body into fight or flight mode and increases adrenaline. I felt a boost of energy and was amazed how quickly my body warmed back up. I felt ready to tackle my day, far more than I had 3 minutes prior.
Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy
Recap: PBM treatment uses near infrared and red light therapy to reduce pain, inflammation and speed up the recovery process. This therapy works at the cellular level, fostering cell repair and function.
Experience: This was the treatment I was most unfamiliar with going in. I had no expectations, so simply soaked in the experience. It’s very simple, you stand between two panes of red lights and let your body soak in the rays. It’s relaxing, completely non-invasive and a nice time to zone out for 10 minutes.
Result: I walked away overall feeling super relaxed, and all warm and fuzzy. This treatment is nice a short and you don’t sweat, so it would be an easy one to sneak into your work day.
Infrared sauna
Recap: The infrared sauna is similar to a traditional sauna, but the difference being that the infrared light heats you from the inside out, instead of heating the air around you. Essentially your body is heated from the inside out, and you’re detoxified from the inside. Excessive sweating will rid the body of toxins, aid in better recovery and build endurance.
Experience: Truth be told, this was my favorite treatment! I’m a big fan of saunas, and rarely get to go in them, so this was incredible. For 45 minutes I sat in the sauna surrounded by 145 degree heat and let my body pour out sweat. I took advantage of the sauna’s bluetooth and took the time to enjoy several longer guided meditations I never seem to fit into my day. It was an amazing time to connect & focus inward while sweating it all out.
Result: Walking out of the sauna I felt energized, lighter and felt an amazing sense of freedom. During my sauna time I listened to abundance meditations, as I poured out sweat could feel a true release. The experience was incredible both physically and psychologically, and if you share my love of saunas in general, I’d highly recommend taking it to the next level with the infrared sauna. Be warned though, this picture was taken before, I’ll share with you my after photo, but lets just say it’s good I work from a home office!
Compression Therapy
Recap: The compression therapy unit that Restore uses moves thru three different massage techniques to speed up your body’s recovery process. Benefits include increased circulation and faster recovery.
Experience: I chose to have hip compression therapy, so the system basically looks like a large inflatable diaper covering the upper thighs & lower back. During the 30 minute treatment the pressure comes and goes, similar to having blood pressure taken. I could feel my pulse in the compressed areas, and overall the areas felt like they were getting a tight squeeze. It was not uncomfortable, simply restricted and heavy pressure that came & went.
Result: As someone who does a lot of squats and lower body focus in my workouts, having compression therapy on my hips felt incredible. I walked away with a sense of freedom in my lower back, and an overall sense of freedom in movement. The process only took 30 minutes, and I felt the positive effects after the one treatment. Also worth noting, compression therapy is also available for legs and arms.
As an active person who prioritizes moving my body and working out, this is a great way to recover in an efficient and effective way. Overall I walked away with an increased sense of calm, relaxation and release. I felt lighter and more free, all after a short period of time. Now to be fair, fitting in four treatments and taking two hours isn’t exactly real life, but I would highly recommend pairing one or two treatments for maximum benefits, which could be done in 15 minutes. The crew at Restore are wonderful at recommending options based on your needs and desired outcome.
If this blog has left you inspired to explore more recovery practices, check out Understanding the Power of Disconnecting where you’ll learn the top 5 benefits of disconnecting, with simple action steps you can put into place today!