Jogging on...
If you play sport, you’re likely to experience the occasional injury. If it’s a minor injury, rest might be all you need. Depending on the injury, treatment may involve hot and cold packs. Some experts believe compression treatment may supply significant benefits, hence the use of compression pants.
What Are Compression Pants?
Think of a pair of leggings – but tighter. They hug your body from the waist to the area just above your ankles. So, if you’ve injured any part of the lower half of your body (excluding your feet), they’re going to support that area.
Many people wear these underneath tracksuit bottoms or whatever else they usually wear to play sports. You can go for understated black or choose a brighter color if you wish.
Why Use Them?
Many injuries benefit from support. While rest is a sensible idea, you’re often still encouraged to use the area affected by the injury, albeit gently. This can prevent the area from stiffening up and stop muscles from weakening.
Let’s assume you’ve strained a leg muscle, for example. The recommended treatment for this is to rest it and use cold compresses to bring down the swelling. Once the first day or two are out of the way and you’re recovering and experiencing less pain, it’s time to switch to heat.
Wearing compression pants is a smart move at this stage. They supply several key benefits:
- The area around the injury warms up and stays that way
- You’ll receive better support throughout the affected area
- The tighter pants ensure better blood flow to help heal the muscle
- Pain levels may reduce further
- They feel more comfortable
The important thing is the pants generate heat by closely fitting your frame. They may not give as much warmth as a heat pad, but you’ll be surprised at how good they feel.
Of course, that heat stays with you for as long as you wear the pants, too. Heat pads or hot water bottles don’t stay hot that long.
Getting Back Out There Again
Whether you run, play tennis, basketball, or simply go on regular hikes or walks, getting back to your preferred sport after an injury can be nerve inducing. It makes sense to be careful. One way of protecting yourself is to continue wearing these pants.
All the features they offer, from increased warmth and circulation to better support and oxygenation of the muscles, put you in a safer place. Even if you ease back into your routine, you’ll feel different wearing these instead of going without them.
Preventive Medicine
Many athletes and sports people wear these garments to prevent injuries to begin with. Many people have niggles and twinges here and there when they run, walk, or play a match or game. Supporting those areas is crucial, and it could help reduce the odds of suffering injuries there in future.
Would you wear compression pants to support and encourage healing after a sports injury? Would you feel better protected if you did?
