PICKLE JUICE
It may sound wacky, but fitness enthusiasts are drinking pickle juice as a post exercise recovery drink. It is believed to help with hydration and muscle cramp recovery after strenuous exercise. Pickle juice is high in electrolytes, which help to normalize the imbalances that occur.
Of course this doesn't mean that everyone should start downing jars of pickle juice. If you have heart disease, it would not be recommended, as anything that is high in sodium. But if you are a reasonably healthy individual, who has a steady workout regime, you might want to give it a go and see how it helps. Try sipping on a shot glass of pure pickle juice at the first sign of cramps, and work your way up to 2 to 3 ounces once or twice per week.
On a side note, this green liquid is also said to be effective in curing the symptoms of a nasty hangover and can even help with heartburn!
SENSORY DEPRIVATION TANKS
If you live in a big city, then we bet you have at least one friend who's hooked on deprivation tank therapy. It may sound like a fleeting fad, but the tanks have been around since the 1950's, and they've received approval by many behavioral health docs who affirm that the therapy helps to reduce the body’s stress response.
Sensory deprivation tanks are filled with salt-saturated water that allow you to float in a completely dark space. By eliminating sensory input, the brain experiences deep relaxation. Benefits range from pain management to heightened creativity.
FACE CRADLE PILLOW
Sleep is an invaluable recovery tool! But if you're an athlete who is taking the red eye flight home from an event, lack of sleep can be your worst enemy.
While this odd airplane pillow does look like a bizarre Medieval torture device, the proof is in the pudding -- people love it! And it must be better than accidentally falling asleep and drooling on the shoulder of the stranger sitting next to you.
As one smart Instagram commenter wrote under the caption of this photo, “One can’t be concerned with judgmental onlookers when they’re fast asleep.” So true!
CUPPING THERAPY
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps had a whole lot people talking, and not just about his freestyle. The record-breaking champ walked in front of a televised audience of billions, sporting odd-looking purple circles across his back. People were confused, but Phelps was simply practicing ‘cupping’, an ancient form of alternative medicine.
A flammable substance is put inside of a cup made of glass, bamboo, or silicone. When the flame goes out, the cups are placed open side down on your skin. The cooling air, trapped within the cup, created a suction on the skin.
While not always recognized by Western doctors, fans of cupping therapy swear by it, saying that it helps to decrease pain and inflammation, and increases blood flow.
GRADIENT COMPRESSION BOOTS
Technically called Intermittant Pneumatic Compression. After a tough workout, athletes can strap themselves into a pair of these big recovery pants, sit back and set the control to initiate "peristaltic pulses" which are made by air entering the various chambers of the pants. These pulse are intended to mimic the muscle pumping through the legs, letting the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems accelerate the removal of metabolic waste. In a nutshell, getting rid of lactic acid and thus speeding up recovery.
Though this technology has been around for quite some time, it has been traditionally used for medical conditions such as deep vein thrombosis.
