By: Stephen Smith

As a former bodybuilder and football player and as an avid snow skier now, I can attest to the importance of workout recovery time.  Anyone who works out, no matter what type of physical activity, should pay attention to workout recovery.  In an effort to make strength and conditioning gains, muscles need to be worked and purposely damaged in a controlled manner so that they can recover in stronger form.  Therefore, the shorter the amount of time it takes to recover from a workout, the quicker the progress.

I have found that the best recovery system for me from skiing or from my weekly fitness routine is a combination of infrared sauna therapy (the HBX isometric program allows to to workout while you experience recovery) and self deep tissue massage with a foam roller.  I actually use the foam roller inside of the Hot Box Detox (HBX)sauna so that I can receive the benefit of both at the same time. Time is money, right!?  Why not recover faster? 

Foam Roller, self “deep tissue” massage:   Give yourself a “deep tissue massage”.  You can use a foam roller for this. I prefer the rollers with knobby ridges that look like a motocross tire. You may prefer something different, or less intense. Self-deep tissue massage (also referred to as a self-myofacial release,SMFR) is the way to go to lengthen your muscles when they tighten.  Myofascial refers to the fascia  surrounding and separating the muscles.  The rollers will release all of the trigger points and increase blood flow which in turn accelerates workout recovery.

According to Dan Falkenberg, “deep-tissue massage and trigger-point therapy are the only true ways to remove knots from your muscles, and having a good foam roller handy keeps you from having to schedule a massage appointment after every workout.” 

Infrared Heat:  Why use infrared heat over traditional heat?  Infrared heat Penetrates more deeply into the skin than traditional saunas.  Traditional saunas heat the air which then heats the skin. Infrared saunas generate radiant heat just like the heat from the sun and the heat energy is absorbed readily into the skin.  This heat penetration can greatly Increase blood flow. 

Dr. Frank Lipman recognizes this and I encourage you to visit his website.  In one article he states, “If you’re troubled by muscle or joint pain, or more chronic conditions like arthritis, infrared heat from the sauna can provide drug-free pain relief, reducing stiffness and inflammation. In addition, it has also been shown to improve the functioning of the endothelial cells lining the arteries.” He encourages his readers to use infrared, “because it’s radiant heat is known to penetrate the skin more deeply than traditional saunas, better aiding in a number of restorative body processes. Here are just a few ways infrared saunas can benefit your body – and why I encourage many of my patients to make them part of their health-supporting routines:  http://www.drfranklipman.com/“.

Fitness expert Ben Greenfield is an infrared proponent as well.  He states that, “exposure of the body to infrared light sources has been shown to raise white blood cell count and enhance immunity, but can also heat tissue and increase blood flow to injured or recovering muscles (15).  Read more http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/06/how-to-recover-quickly-from-workouts/

When I began my Hot Box Detox (HBX) isometric weekly routine, I immediately noticed a huge improvement in my workout recovery.  This seems strange, I know, since the Hot Box isometric program is a workout, but I can attest that you will improve your recovery time while you workout with the program!   Adding the foam roller takes your recovery to an even higher level. I encourage you to practice hot exercise and self-deep tissue massage with a myofacial release foam roller while in the Hot Box Detox to accelerate your workout recovery!