NIFS Healthy Living Blog

So, if you’re like me and have been scrolling through the various social media outlets out there, you might have been seeing an uptick in a very niche fitness trend. Lately it’s all I see on TikTok, and I will admit it is intriguing watching these people on social media freeze their butts off in a cold tub of water. Often, the results are hilarious as people realize how unbearable sitting in a tub full of ice water really is. I mean look at this video and tell me whether you think this looks enjoyable. I think not, but watching these poor people suffer did have the gears turning in my mind about whether there is anything that can come out of subjecting your body to frigid temperatures, and maybe I should be partaking more regularly in these freezing experiences.

Cold Water Therapy Through the Ages

The experience of taking plunges into cold or even freezing water can be traced all the way back to nearly six millennia ago. Ice baths and cold-water immersion have been used for recovery purposes for centuries. Even as far back as 3500 B.C., the ancient Egyptian medical textbook Edwin Smith Papyrus (named for Edwin Smith, who purchased it in 1862), referring to using freezing water as a therapeutic modality. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C. wrote about the benefits of immersion in his work On Airs, Waters, and Places.

Looking more recently, in the 19th century, researchers looked at immersion to alleviate various ailments. Scottish physician William Cullen began prescribing cold-water therapy for patients with a wide range of symptoms including fever, inflammation, depression, and even insomnia. In the 1960s, D.H. Clark investigated cold-water immersion for post-exercise benefits. Throughout millennia and centuries, there have been numerous accounts of the benefits of immersion, both medicinal and therapeutic. But as with any modality, there is a delicate balance between the risks and the benefits.

What Are the Benefits?

Over time, a lot of work and studying has been done to investigate the benefits of cold plunges and cold-water immersion and a possible therapy for many different symptoms. There are a couple of things to consider when doing ice baths. To start, benefits of cold plunges have been studied thoroughly throughout the past couple centuries, and it has been found to reduce inflammation of sore and aching muscles, help sleep, and limit inflammatory response in the body. Anecdotally, many recreational and professional athletes swear by ice baths to help their bodies and boost their energy levels.

Know the Risks

But there are some key risks to keep in mind before plunging into freezing cold water. The biggest risk is the shock associated with plunging into cold water and the sensation that it “might take your breath away,” but a good way to combat this is focusing on breathing. Also, there is a risk for those with cardiovascular diseases as the cold water will constrict the blood vessels and create a risk for reduced blood flow. All these risks can be serious and should be discussed with a physician prior to cold-water immersion.

Something to Consider

With the introduction of cold temperatures to rehabilitate athletes and non-athletes, the benefits have proven to be significant and is something even the recreational athlete should consider.

This blog was written by Ricky Rocha, Health Fitness Specialist. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Daily, life provides countless learning opportunities that, if processed properly, can make us strong individuals capable of accomplishing extraordinary things. Some lessons stem from positive experiences in our lives, but I think the strongest lessons are derived from strife, hardship, and even failure. These lessons can hurt, and you can either live in the pain or learn from it. We are currently living a life full of learning opportunities that have and will continue to test our ability to grow.

I have learned so much during this time of crisis—about facets of daily life and of my profession, about myself and about people. In one of my recent posts outlining ways to “pivot” during stressful times, I encouraged you to write down and define a list of things you are grateful for. That same activity can be applied to lessons you learn each day. Take a moment daily, or weekly, to write down a few lessons that challenged you and how you learned from them. If you think about it, you should ink it for self-processing and to refer to later.

Here is a brief list of some of the greater lockdown lessons I have learned and have grown from.

I Don’t Hate Working from Home

In the past, I have always thought I would hate having a home office and not going to a physical place of work. Being in the people business and with the multitude of distractions that home life can add to your workday, I didn’t think I could be as productive, or that I would enjoy it. Now don’t get me wrong, I am counting the minutes until I can be back with people; that’s who I am. But I really don’t hate working from home right now. There is freedom in it, and it has provided ample time to really focus and get things done. It has helped harness my self-discipline, creativity, and a balance of work and life duties. I found some key behaviors to get the most out of your day working from home:

• Keep a schedule: The early bird gets the worm. This goes for eating, too.
• Dress up to show up: Get cleaned up and put on some proper attire.
• Designate a work area: That is where you put in work.
• Get up and move around often: I rotate work and chores to stay fresh.
• Work out: Duh, exercise is crucial no matter where you are working from.
• Don’t eat and work: Enjoy the quick break.
• Log what you do: Some people are required to do this, but I think it’s a great reflection tool as well.
• Shut it down: When your day is over, shut it down.

A New Appreciation for the Breadth of Social Media and Technology as an Educational and Behavioral Tool

I still consider myself quite the caveman when it comes to social media and all the technology that connects us as a community. But I have learned so much in a short time about so many ways I can affect others’ lives using many technological and media applications. From Zoom workout sessions to the many ways to post on all social media channels, there are countless ways to funnel information and great content to the masses. And although nothing can replace the feeling of connecting with someone in person, these tools provide a close second to reaching people. The strategies I have learned during this time using technology and social media will be used far after the lockdown is over and have made me a better fitness professional to serve people.

Great People Show Up in a Crisis

A crisis can bring out the best or the worst in people, but great people show up no matter the situation. Health care workers, first responders, and officials on the front line of the pandemic are owed our deepest gratitude for the work that they do. But I am also referring to coworkers, family members, and friends. Great people relish challenges and step up to provide solutions and take action to complete tasks and help others. I’ve learned a lot about many folks during this time, and that most people want to help as much as they can and find ways to do so. Your instructors and professionals at NIFS have answered the call and are proof that great people show up.

Fitness Matters

Once the stay-at-home order was set, it was amazing to see how many people were clamoring for ways to get their fitness fix. Fitness continues to be a huge part of so many lives, and as a fitness professional it was awesome to witness how important fitness and our industry are to people. Physical activity and exercise are still, and will always be, the best medicines to prevent and treat serious illnesses. I have seen so many stories of people who are healthy because of regular physical activity beat COVID-19 into submission.

Not only that, the response of so many people who wanted—nay, needed—to work out either virtually with others or family time fitness had been huge. Countless posts of people being active flooded social media, and folks flocked to virtual training sessions. It is not a new lesson to me that physical activity is the answer for so many things in our lives. It was great to learn that so many have heard the message and will do anything to get and remain active.

Adapt and Adjust

Don’t be that person who is the first to complain about a situation and the last to do something about it. We are going to encounter so many more challenges in our lives, both big and small, and the ability to adapt and adjust will be a lesson we use forever. Having the strength and grit to pivot and find ways to thrive during adversity are attributes that I believe are fortified during a crisis or negative situation.

The strategies and positive approaches you learn to implement during strife will pay huge dividends further down the road, whereas allowing the situation to consume you coupled with a negative mindset will lead to greater hardships even from smaller issues. Staying positive and taking time to think about how to adapt is how you learn to take on anything that may stand in your way. Taking action right away and not sitting on your hands waiting for something or someone to bail you out can be hard at times, but will be the only sure way to make it through and be a better version of yourself.    

School Is Always in Session

Last lesson: school is always in session, kids. Lessons can be found in any situation, and it will be those lessons that will serve you the rest of your life in great times and crisis. We will get through this; but “will you be new and improved because of it?” is the question. We will all need to learn a new way of living, at least for a little while. Find those lessons that are waiting for you and be a lifelong learner.

This blog was written by Tony Maloney, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Fitness Center Manager. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here. 

A common nuisance to almost all fitness enthusiasts is the overall lethargic feeling you get from being extremely sore due to a challenging workout. Sometimes this is a deterrent to those looking to develop a consistent workout pattern, and can be especially bothersome if you haven't experienced this phenomenon before.

Does being sore mean that you should take more time off from fitness to recover, or would your time be better used if you could minimize soreness through workout planning and management? Beneath all of the reasons to either work out or stay home is your desire to see results. So this blog looks at ways in which you can shorten your down time due to soreness and eventually soar to new heights with your workout programming.

Pre-Workout Rituals to Minimize Soreness

We all have been sore from working out at some point. Being able to get back to the gym and work out again is key to not only keeping on track for goals, but also to set important habits. Excuses for not being at the gym can vary and many may be valid, but being sore from a previous workout is becoming less and less common because of our pre-workout rituals, which now include, but are not limited to, the following:

• FMS corrective exercises (prescribed by a NIFS Health Fitness Specialist)
• Foam rolling
• Dynamic warmups (think about track stretches)
• Even the whirlpool and sauna

With proper usage, these tools are designed to make you not only better at all aspects of fitness, but also safer as you grow into your workout. At NIFS, one of our focuses is on being an all-around fitness center, which includes these aspects. Getting screened with the Functional Movement Screen and talking to a NIFS staff member about your goals is one step toward a better overall experience at the gym.

Planning Your Workout Program for Injury Prevention

Another area to consider is your workout program. Would your weekly times and days allow for a six-day workout split (for example, Monday is chest day, Tuesday is legs, etc.), or would another path that includes total-body workouts make more sense? The answer depends on several things, including your personal goals, your workout experience, previous injuries, and workout frequency allotted. What you want to steer away from is overtraining a specific muscle to the point where it potentially can become injured. This would be more likely if you were to max out on squats six days per week for the next month.

How to plan this program isn't a road you have to travel alone because NIFS offers workout plans (included with membership) to those looking to take their fitness to the next level. Set up a time to meet with a staff member to get started right away.

Take Advantage of Information and Resources from NIFS

In today's world of technology, information is now readily available at your fingertips. You might do an internet search for a TRX exercise and find tens of thousands of websites and videos. NIFS has you covered here, too, as a resource to help you become more engaged in fitness. Posting weekly, the NIFS social media team has not only videos, but also great blogs regarding how to effectively work out, but also how to recover from a tough exercise. If meeting a trainer is a little intimidating, social media such as Instagram and Facebook can be a great way to not only learn, but also get to know NIFS staff who are here to help you.

Now that you have some ideas to help you on your fitness path, there's only one thing left to do: get back to the gym. Meet with a NIFS staff member to set up your complimentary assessments (BOD POD, Fit3D, and FMS). Set up a workout plan that is based on YOUR goals, that makes sense for the amount of time you have to work out, and is centered on your starting point. Expect accountability, encouragement, and growth. Come to NIFS and SOAR!

This blog was written by Thomas Livengood, NIFS Health Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. To read more about the other NIFS bloggers, click here.