Its clear to us all that the grind of working in wildland fire is rough on the body. There’s creaky knees, tight backs, saw claw, ankle issues, and just overall bodily bullshit. Then there is the mental stress. However, every morning you still manage to wake up, lace em up, and hike up the mountain or across miles of desert. But what if there were practices to change the way you feel, operate, and freely curb stomp up the steep hikes every morning. There are two things you must realize going forward though. First, to achieve “fuck yo’ steep hill” status it’ll take time. Secondly, you must be willing to invest in yourself.
People mix and match recovery methods like a toddler does socks, and that’s fine. You have to find the right balance and approach that works for you. I will go over some of the best recovery techniques I’ve found over the past few years. Some are traditional recovery styles while others may seem a bit extreme. But all have proven benefits for active people in mentally stressful environments.
I will start with the one that has reaped the most noticeable success for me and the people I know that use it.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy has been a life changer. Yes, you will have to step into a chamber that’s nearly -150 degrees Fahrenheit and use mental stamina to stay inside without panicking. Even a Polar Bear couldn’t survive this environment for a long duration. You must believe me however, it’s worth it. When you get to the ice chamber they make you put on mittens, ear muffs, slippers and socks to cover your Achilles, underwear, and a mask. Most Cryo places will provide headphones so you can listen to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville while you contemplate your life decision to climb into a room that looks and feels like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
I prefer the silence over music for an increased phycological exercise. The average session is three and a half minutes, and honestly its really not that bad after the first couple times.
Cryotherapy has a multitude of benefits. The most obvious is it can reduce inflammation and flush your circulatory system of lactic acid. Also, the freezing icicle room can cause physiological hormonal responses. It has shown in studies {here} that it can boost endorphins in people who use it. This can have an overwhelming effect on fire fighters experiencing mood disorders like anxiety and depression. This study {here} shows that it greatly reduces arthritic pain and swelling. Think saw claw… And finally, another study {here} shows that Cryo can boosts antioxidant levels benefitting the skin and overall health. After a long roll our skin, the largest organ of the body, needs all the help it can get.
It truly fells incredible.
But now we have to warm up.
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy was invented by Nasa to grow plants in space. They soon found that it helped astronauts heal wounds they received on the space station. Red light is an incredibly easy way to help yourself in between rolls. Mostly it focuses on skin damage and small wounds. But studies have also shown it can
Stimulate collagen production, which gives
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