A lot of times when it comes to running training, you end up with sore legs. This is usually an indication that you are pushing way beyond what your body can do. While it is okay to do this from time to time, constantly getting sore is a detriment to your overall gains. Not to mention, it hurts!

If you develop sore muscles, the first thing you would want to do is find a way to alleviate the pain then help with its recovery. This is where hot and cold therapy comes in.

What is Hot Therapy?

The basic idea of hot or warm therapy is to increase the temperature of the affected area. This can be done using a warm compress, a heat pack, or anything that can direct heat onto the body part.

Essentially what happens is that this promotes blood circulation in the area. As such, it helps with decreasing the soreness of the muscles and promoting recovery faster.

What is Cold Therapy?

The exact opposite of the previous one is cold therapy where you decrease the temperature rather than increase it this time. You can use ice or anything that is cold to apply to the affected area.

What this does is that it contracts the blood vessels which can decrease swelling and inflammation.

Another effect of using cold therapy is that it can numb the area where it is applied which means it decreases the pain you feel which is always great.

How to Apply Hot and Cold Therapy

When it comes to hot and cold therapy, the basic principle is the same. You take a thing that can easily increase or decrease the temperature, such as water for example, and apply it to the affected area in a controlled manner.

In both instances, you can use a bowl of water and a towel as the simplest way to do this. Depending on what you want to do, heat, or cool the water then use the towel to soak it up and apply it to the affected area.

Another way to do a hot compress is to heat a damp towel while it is inside a microwave-safe Ziplock bag in the microwave. Keep the lid open though while heating it. Grab another damp towel to wrap around the heated Ziplock then apply it to the affected area.

While these homemade remedies are great, most running tips when it comes to dealing with injuries suggest purchasing gel packs in case you need to do hot and cold therapy.

What is a Gel Pack?

This is a specially created product for both hot and cold therapy. It is essentially a waterproof bag that has a gel inside. The gel can increase and decrease in temperature easily.

If you want a hot pack, you can microwave it. If you need a cold pack instead, you can place it in the freezer and wait a bit. This can be very helpful during your running training or on your recovery days so it is a worthwhile investment.

When to use Hot and Cold Therapy

Now that you know what hot and cold therapies are as well as how to use them, it’s time to distinguish when should you use one or the other.

Generally speaking, you would want to use hot therapy for sore muscles and painful joints. However, if there is swelling involved, then it is best to go with cold therapy.

When to Use Hot Therapy

As mentioned earlier, this is great if you feel that your muscles are sore especially due to overtraining. You normally would feel this 8 to 24 hour after intense activity and is best to apply hot therapy afterwards.

If you feel that your muscles are tight, this could be a good quick solution to that as well. Apply a hot compress on the tight muscle or tendon before your activity, training, or exercise. This should help loosen it up quicker.

On the other hand, though, DO NOT use hot therapy when:

• The affected area is already feeling numb, to begin with
• If there is an open would on the affected area
• The affected area is inflamed, reddish, or the skin is already hot
• If the person has a condition that makes him/her insensitive to heat

When to Use Cold Therapy

If there is swelling and the pain is unbearable, then cold therapy is the way to go. This is also best to do right after an incident occurs that leads to the injury. For example, if you twist your ankle and it starts to become painful, it’s a good idea to put ice on it immediately.

In doing so, it slows down the blood flow and prevents it from swelling too much.

This is also great for when tendons get irritated following a physical activity which is known as tendinitis.

Do not use cold therapy if there is a risk of cramping, the area is already numb, or there is an open wound.

Remember, when it comes to injuries, learn to listen to your body. If you feel like the hot and cold therapy isn’t doing what it is supposed to, stop and get it checked by a medical professional to ensure proper recovery.