Stop Icing and Go Get ICED!

December 11, 2014 | John Paul Catanzaro

Many health and fitness misconceptions exist. For instance, we’re told to eat a high carbohydrate breakfast to fuel up and kickstart the day with plenty of energy. Unfortunately, for many this leads to a midmorning slump, extreme cravings and hunger throughout the day, and a layer of fat around their midsection that seems to persist no matter how much exercise is performed.

And when it comes to exercise, most people start a workout with some aerobic activity followed by static stretching to warm-up thoroughly. Yet, this often results in less strength, speed and power, and ultimately performance suffers. To make matters worse, this practice may actually increase the likelihood of injury!

And if an injury does occur, what’s the first thing we’re told to do?

Rest it and ice it.

Well, if you read Gary Reinl’s latest book ICED!, you won’t be so quick to follow tradition. You may, in fact, do the opposite! Reinl does a superb job exposing the harm of icing an injury and lays out a revolutionary plan to expedite the healing and recovery process. The bottom line if you want to heal quickly and efficiently is don’t interfere with the body, and that’s exactly what icing does!

ICED! is a great book. I highly recommend it to every strength & conditioning coach, personal trainer, and fitness instructor. It will change the way you think about injury management.

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