HO HO SNOW SEASON – PART 2
Those first few exhilarating sessions on the slopes after a long absence can leave you wishing you had taken it a bit more easy when the stiffness and aches and pains set in the next day. Wintergreen’s range of recovery products will ensure your body bounces back quickly and is ready for another day of action tomorrow!
Wintergreen™Hot Mustard Soak is a firm favourite for quickly warming up and relaxing stiff muscles after a day outdoors in cold or freezing conditions. With its powerful active ingredients – mustard seed powder, wintergreen oil, eucalyptus oil and camphor oil - soaking for 10 minutes or more in a warm bath with a sachet of Hot Mustard Soak will reduce inflammation and relieve aches and pains, leaving you feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and ready for an evening of Apres Ski.
The heat from this Soak, and its aroma, can be intense, but it greatly improves blood circulation and creates a sweat that eliminates toxins like lactic acid, which build up in muscles during physical exertion and cause stiffness. An added benefit is that Hot Mustard Soak is also a very effective decongestant, clearing blocked sinuses or a tight chest that may be exacerbated by spending a prolonged time outdoors in very cold conditions. If a bath is unavailable, you can still enjoy the benefits of Hot Mustard Soak just by soaking your hands or feet in a bowl of hot (not boiling!) water, with half a sachet of Hot Mustard Soak for 20 minutes. Make sure to keep yourself hydrated when using this Soak, and wash hands thoroughly after use to avoid getting it in your eyes.
For those who would prefer a less intense soaking experience, Wintergreen™ Magnesium Soak provides the same recovery benefits, but utilises the well-known properties of Magnesium, a natural muscle relaxer that relieves physical tension in the body and calms an anxious mind.
Wintergreen’s blend of Magnesium Chloride and Magnesium Sulphate, or Epsom Salts, is easily absorbed to improve circulation, reduce inflammation in aching joints and muscles, relieve cramps, and eliminate lactic acid. It also replenishes Magnesium lost through sweating. Magnesium Soak can be used day or night - in the morning a soak is a great way to feel calm and energised for a day on the slopes, while at night Magnesium helps to maintain healthy GABA levels, aiding a good night’s sleep. A full or half sachet of Magnesium Soak in hot water can also be used as a great anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving foot or hand soak if a bath is not possible.
For pro athletes, it’s best to use Hot Mustard Soak or Magnesium Soak after intense training sessions but not the night before a competition, as the body may still be detoxing the following day which can impact your performance, or use it after the competition to aid recovery. These products are not suitable for children under 12 years old.
If your body still feels like it needs some additional attention after your recovery soak, Wintergreen™ Arnica Oil is for you. The blend of Wintergreen, Arnica and Calendula oils help to further reduce inflammation in the muscles and repair micro tears in the muscle fibres, while Rosemary oil stimulates the circulation to eliminate lactic acid, and Lavender oil assists with cell regeneration and body relaxation. And if you have a pair of willing hands to give you a massage with Wintergreen Arnica oil, even better – Arnica Oil with its grapeseed base oil gives great slip for massage, while loosening up and elongating tight muscles, and releasing muscle spasms.
Please note that Rosemary oil is not recommended for use for those with high blood pressure or during pregnancy, and this product is not suitable for children younger than 12 years.
Magnesium is a key mineral for a healthy body and a healthy mind. It is vital for the proper functioning of muscles, nerves and bones, and for our mental wellbeing by reducing anxiety and depression, and improving sleep. After a day of physical exertion, once the adrenaline subsides, we may be aware that we have lost some magnesium through sweating by the way our body feels - muscles fatigue faster and in some cases may cramp. The fastest way to replenish the body with Magnesium is trans-dermally, as the Magnesium can be absorbed straight through the skin, without first having to go via the digestive system in pill or capsule form.
In addition, the alternating hot and cold conditions we experience while skiing or snowboarding, then returning to heated accommodation or Apres Ski venues, can cause skin to become dry and dehydrated, and it may need some extra help to stay moisturised. Magnesium Lotion absorbs quickly into the skin, making it a great option as a daily body moisturizer in the morning or before bed to help the body relax. By applying it after a shower or bath, when the body is warm and the pores are open, the added Vitamin E oil and Shea butter hydrate the skin and improve its appearance, keeping it toned and supple, reducing the effects of ageing and helping to repair sun damage.
The third benefit of Magnesium Lotion is that the combination of pure Magnesium, and Wintergreen and Arnica oils, penetrate deep into the muscles to further reduce fatigue, alleviate aches and pains, and minimise inflammation and bruising – this lotion is the ultimate multi-tasker and is a must-have in your kit bag!
Did you know ..
Though skiing has been around since the 6000BC’s, snowboarding as we know it was only invented in the 1960’s, when an engineer from Michigan, Sherman Poppen, tied two skis together and attached a rope to one end for control, while teaching his daughters to ski by gliding down a hill. He called his invention “The Snurfer” (snow and surfer), in so doing gave us the first version of a snowboard which he began to produce commercially in the mid 1970’s. Over time it was refined and adjusted to the boards we see today being used in an Olympic sport!
