BeFIT Resources

Ice Home Remedies

When you’re injured, ice is like gold. In fact, it is an essential treatment for most fitness-related injuries, for both kids and adults. It is one of the key ways to reduce the inflammation that occurs when you have some type of muscle tear, tendonitis, sprain or strain. Always consult your health care provider when treating injuries, but when ice is recommended, here are a few tricks to try:

The Bucket
Fill a bucket with ice and water. Plunge the injured area into the ice-cold water. Hang in there for 2 minutes and the initial chilly sensation will fade into a numbing feeling. Soak for at least 15 minutes, but never more than 20 minutes. An added bonus is that the added water pressure will also compress the area, which is another excellent way to treat sports injuries.

Vegetables, Anyone?
Place a bag of frozen vegetables on the injured area. The tiny vegetables are very flexible and wrap around the injury quite well. The choice of veggies is up to you, but be sure that if you use a bag more than once, don’t prepare those for dinner.

Fruity Alternative
This is great for the feet and leg injuries. Simply place a can of frozen juice concentrate on the ground and roll your foot over it. This can help soothe plantar fasciitis and other injuries to the arch and heel.

The Slushy
You can make your own flexible, frozen gel pack just like they use in physical therapy – by filling a freezer bag with one part rubbing alcohol and three parts water. Seal the bag and put it into another sealed bag to prevent leaking. Freeze, use and reuse. Repeat. The slushy compound can be molded to fit your injury.