CrossFit Boston

The best drug in the world is incredibly cheap.  It has pain relief and anti-inflammatory properties without side effects to the stomach, liver, and kidneys.  It will not increase your risk of stroke or heart attack.  It is not addictive, and won't make you sick.  It does not cause cancer.  It is good for most acute injuries and post workout recovery.

Ice.

There is no billion dollar ice company.  You will not see an ice commercial every thirty seconds on tv, or an ice advertisement on every other page in newspapers and magazines.  You are lucky if your doctor recommends it or even mentions it at all.

Ice is not perfect.  It is not a "cure all".  It is not recommended for areas with poor circulation.  It can give you frostbite.  And it won't fix a crappy diet or make up for lost sleep.

If you have reached a plateau in your workout results, try using ice in your post workout recovery.  Here are three different tried and true methods:

1.)    Big, flexible gel pack.  This should set you back about $10 bucks at most stores with a pharmacy/ first aid section.  I recommend using these for 20 minutes at a time, and then 40 minutes off.  Do this once or twice for post workout recovery, or more often for acute injury.

2.)    Ice massage.  Fill a small paper cup with water and set it in the freezer.  After it is frozen you can peel off a strip of paper around the rim of the cup to expose the top surface of ice.  Use this area to rub on any sore areas.  Keep the ice in motion, and do not use for more than five minutes at a time.  This is better for small areas with acute injury.

3.)    Cold shower.  Run cold water on sore arms and legs after a workout for a few minutes.  This one is the best kept secret in post workout recovery.