In football, there is no doubt that it is a physically demanding sport. These professional athletes constantly take a lot of punishment week after week and continue to play, leaving many fans wondering how they recover from their games.
The majority of players take an ice bath after a football game. However, on Monday the players will not have to practice and will often take this opportunity to receive massages, soak in hot tubs or have ice baths.
Following a Sunday football game, it is common for NFL teams to not practice until Wednesday. For veterans in the league, Thursday is usually their first practice of the week.
The first few days of the week will be used by these athletes to let their bodies recover from their injuries. They face major injuries in their sport, as well as many minor but painful injuries.
These players are often covered in bruises after each game and have sore muscles. Most often, they rest their bodies by sitting in bed or falling asleep on the couch.
Players require different treatments after football games, and teams often provide different services to keep their players in good shape.
Massages
A massage is one of the most effective ways for a football player to recover after a game. On Monday mornings, the players usually arrive at the stadium to get a massage.
The players will work with a massage therapist to find the areas of their body that need to be worked on. Sometimes these players will receive several massages in a single day to help relieve their pain.
Despite the fact that massages like this are not able to fully recover players, they will be able to shorten the time it takes for the body to recover.
For players who want to keep their muscles loose, personal massage therapists arrive at their houses throughout the NFL season.
Hot Tubs and Ice Baths
Two other tactics used to recover from a football game include hot tubs and ice baths. Hot tubs allow players to loosen up their muscles and speed up recovery.
By constricting your blood vessels, ice baths reduce soreness and swelling by slowing down blood flow.
This is a very effective way for players to reduce their pain without resorting to painkillers or other medications.
Hot Yoga
Another strategy football players use to recover after games is hot yoga. This is usually done in the days following the game.
Yoga in a hot room makes stretching your muscles easier because of the high temperatures.
Hot yoga can improve players’ mobility and loosen up tight muscles that they build up during play.
Rest
Due to the physical nature of a football game, rest is an obvious yet sensible response.
Though there may seem to be a solution to every injury woe, oftentimes time is the most effective healer.
After a hard-fought football game, players sometimes spend a day in bed or on the couch. This is especially true if an injury is quite painful.
After a game, resting can often make the pain much more bearable.
There is no secret sauce for football players recovering from a game. Most of them simply use massages and stretching to help their bodies recover.
Many of these players must simply endure the pain and play out the season.
Take a look at some of our other articles on football players such as where do football players pee during a game or do football players wear jocks.