Key Takeaways:
- Traditional recovery methods, such as ice baths or risky DIY setups, lack precise temperature control and active compression.
- At-home cryotherapy, or more specifically cryo-compression, is effective at reducing muscle damage and soreness.
- Aquilo Sports offers portable and easy-to-use machines to help athletes recover faster without the hassle or potential danger of other home options.
So, you’re home after another grueling practice. You just left everything out on the field or court, and your muscles and joints are screaming. In your head, you know the effort will pay off, but right now, you need some relief. What do you do?
Many athletes and weekend warriors fill their tubs with cold water, add in some ice until the water temperature is a cool 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 15°C), and then slowly lower themselves in, remaining for 10 to 15 minutes (or as long as you can tolerate it). Depending on the size of the sore area, you might prefer to use a Ziploc ice pack. These scenarios are often referred to as “at-home cryotherapy,” but is that really what it is?
At Aquilo Sports, we want to help every athlete and fitness professional (or enthusiast) reach their peak performance. That includes helping them move beyond ineffective recovery methods and showcasing what real cryotherapy and cold compression at home are all about.
The Hurdles of At-Home Recovery: Hassle and Hype
Home ice baths are OK when in a pinch, but they are not the most effective or efficient method for recovery. The main issue is a lack of temperature control. Without a dedicated chiller system, the temperature in a bathtub will continue to rise with your body temperature gradually, and as the ice melts. Sure, you can add more ice and cold water, but this sudden temperature change can cause shock. These are only mild challenges and slight risks when using a bathtub, but the issues only multiply with DIY ice bath setups.
Chest Freezer Cryotherapy
A common and growing trend for cryotherapy at home is to convert a chest freezer into a cold plunge bath, essentially creating Frankenstein’s version of an at-home cryotherapy machine. While the transformation can be cost-effective, the safety concerns, electrocution and contamination, are not worth the hassle.
Reality Vs. The Hype
Straight up, homemade conversions are rarely (if ever) as practical as real cryotherapy treatments. You see, the therapy is about precise temperature and active cold compression, two things you usually don’t get from DIY setups.
Some people don’t worry about temperature control, thinking the colder the better. True, colder temperatures can indeed reduce pain momentarily, but that might be because you’re going numb and exposing yourself to health risks like hypothermia and frostbite. Any useful version of at-home cryotherapy must focus on safe and precise temperature exposure; recovery isn’t an endurance test.
It’s also vital that an at-home cryotherapy machine contributes more to the recovery process than static cold immersion. See, active cold compression is a significant aspect of at-home therapies. It improves circulation and helps flush metabolic waste, both of which are essential to reducing soreness and inflammation.
The Aquilo At-Home Cryotherapy Solution: Science-Backed, Athlete-Focused
Aquilo offers a range of products, from cold-compression wraps to bags. All of our machines stand up to rigorous testing and are medical grade; that’s not hype, it’s reality. Ohio State University researchers found that targeted cryocompression systems reduced muscle damage, pain, and fatigue at 24 and 48 hours for athletes following a heavy leg workout. The results also pointed to a faster performance recovery.
All-in-One Portable Sports Recovery Units
Our FDA-cleared at-home cryotherapy sports recovery systems use a two-part process: targeted cold delivery and active compression. The cold temporarily relieves or decreases pain, and the compression, which simulates muscle kneading, temporarily increases circulation.
With our compact, portable at-home cryotherapy machines, you gain access to elite recovery everywhere you travel (not just at home). The system can travel with you on the road or stay with you at a hotel. The compact, patented design is lightweight, with only two main components: the control unit and the compression sleeve.
At-home cold compression is only one aspect of recovery, however. Our units can also perform heat therapy. The CCT1500 system combines hot and cold therapy with pneumatic compression for an all-inclusive treatment, especially when paired with the separate heater unit.
Faster Setup and Treatment on Your Terms
Look, cryotherapy at home doesn’t have to include lugging around huge bags of ice and waiting for large tubs to fill. Instead of waiting 20 minutes for your tub to fill (or longer for a chest freezer), you could have the CCT1500 or CT1000 up and running in as few as five minutes.
The unit only requires about 1.5 gallons of water, significantly less than the 35 to 100 gallons needed for a tub or freezer. Once filled, you connect the control unit to the cryo-compression wrap with the appropriate hose. That’s it!
Once up and running, our at-home cryotherapy machines, bags, and wraps provide targeted cold cycles. You no longer have to endure an ice bath, fidgeting uncomfortably, and counting down the seconds. You can chill on the couch or outside under a tree.
When the recovery session is complete, cleanup is a breeze (you can put that mop away). Simply disconnect the wrap, drain the small amount of water, dry, and store the unit until next time.
Invest in Your Recovery and Performance
When we created our at-home cold compression system, we had high-level athletes in mind. We now understand that our tools and mission to make cryotherapy available at home extend beyond professional and collegiate-level athletes. Our units cater to people of varying fitness levels, particularly those interested in enhancing their physical performance.
The Aquilo system is a direct investment in your body and athletic goals. It’s an investment that allows on-demand access to an elite recovery therapy. If you’re active, dedicated to athletic performance, and are tired of the hype around DIY and potentially dangerous recovery hacks, it’s time to embrace the realities of legitimate cryotherapy tools.
Whether you’re looking for wraps, sleeves, or combination hot cold therapy machines, Aquilo has you covered. Contact us to learn more about our at-home cryotherapy solutions for you or your athletes.
