Patrick
As fitness grows bigger and people get smarter more fitness related equipment and technology seems to be coming out by the day. One of which that seems to be getting more and more popular each year are compression boots.
Compression boots are a kind of often electric powered boot that covers the foot and not only part of the leg but some cover the whole leg. What do compression boots do?
Well compression boots quite simply compress your leg and they do this in order to increase the blood flow to your leg or legs. This is considered compression therapy.
What To Know About Compression Boots
How Do Compression Boots Work?
As stated compression boots compress your foot and leg or legs in order to increase rapid blood flow through compression therapy but how do they achieve this?
that use straps to tighten
Compression boots generally achieve this by filling up with air pressure until a maximal or desired amount of compression is achieved within the device. Although there are basic ones that simply use straps to pull tight.
The ones that use air are typically electric powered devices so require batteries or more commonly require to be plugged in a wall outlet for power.
What Are Compression Boots Used For?
Compression boots are used as a remedy for many different things and often prescribed as a therapy based treatment by doctors or therapists for a wide variety of issues.
They are frequently prescribed to manage vein related health problems, support ulcers in healing, prevent leg swelling and inflammation in sedentary people, and prevent blood clots after surgery just to name a few scenarios.
The most common use of compression boots from a medical standpoint is to prevent venous insufficiency, the weakening of your veins ability to deliver blood at an adequate speed and or volume.
How Do You Use Compression Boots?
If prescribed by a doctor or therapist you will be informed on what amount of compression to use as this can vastly change based on your medical problem.
You will also be instructed on the amount of time to use the compression boot at said level of compression during your daily session or sessions in order to achieve the benefits that may be crucial to your daily lifestyle and future.
Pairing small dynamic movements with the use of compression boots is often directed by doctors or done by people who just wish to reduce leg soreness and increase recovery as it is the most effective method.
These movements do not need to be demanding athletic ones as you are recovering so they are usually small slight movements along a range of motion that does not cause pain or discomfort.
Therapists may even recommend taking off the boot to do stretches during specific times. The extra stretch will especially help in preventing stiffness.
When you give your legs some movement while wearing a compression boot your leg muscles are activating pressing back against the boot which is already compressing your leg.
So instead of jus the boot just tightening in, your activated muscles in your leg are also pushing out against the boot.
This causes even further compression and when your leg returns to a relaxed state those muscles that were pressing out against the inside of the boot will stop doing so and in a way release some of the blood flow in your leg acting like a pump. Its double effectiveness in my opinion.
Are Compression Boots Good For Muscle Recovery?
So we’ve talked a lot about compression boots for medical and clinically prescribed use but what about the everyday person who doesn’t have any apparent medical conditions or issues with their legs? Or how about athletes for that matter?
Are compression boots good for muscle recovery? Yes athletes or even the everyday person can use compression boots in order to help their legs recover particularly from exercises such as those that are done in a brutal leg workout or after training for sports.
As we talked about the main function of compression boots is to promote healthy circulation. As we also talked about compression boots can be used to offer a reduction in soreness and swelling as a result of this healthy circulation.
Having sore legs from a workout is no different in this case and compression boots will work in the same way to help enhance recovery in your legs from the soreness you may be experiencing. It will help by flushing out lactic acid and reducing pain getting you ready for your next workout.
The circulation achieved through these boots can also speed up your recovery after a workout by delivering protein and other nutrients to your leg muscles through your blood faster.
The effect of this may not be at as significant levels as the reduction of your legs soreness but when talking about recovery every little bit that aids your recovery time is really useful.
