Living with muscles soreness, pain, and swelling might seem like it’s inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be. Sure, some of this pain is natural whether you’re recovering from surgery or even your training regimen. But pain doesn’t have to be permanent. In fact, there’s something out there that you can use right now to remedy these issues.

Ice baths, cryotherapy, stretching, massages… what haven’t you tried for recovery? The options are truly endless. And it seems like every day we’re learning a little more about the best recovery methods for those of us living the everyday athlete life. If you’re ready to get serious about your recovery, then dynamic compression, a.k.a intermittent pneumatic compression, is an option worth exploring. 

Compression therapy via recovery boots and dynamic compression, is a way to maximize each moment of your recovery, using a specialized system to stimulate both superficial and deep veins in the lower extremities of your body. This increases blood flow and targets areas that otherwise don’t receive a lot of attention. Just 30 minutes of using intermittent pneumatic compression is equivalent to six hours of natural recovery. 

Hoping to cut your recovery time in half after you’ve just completed another tri? Compression therapy can help. Living that work from home life, but not loving the side effects of sitting in a chair all day? Yep, a compression system will help boost your recovery, too. 

If you’re interested in taking your recovery to the next level, and letting go of those aches and pains,  then you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned for all the details on using dynamic compression, whether or not it’s right for you, and how to integrate it into your life the right way. 

What is Dynamic Compression Recovery?

Compression therapy using a pneumatic compression device (i.e. compression boots)  is a fantastic recovery option that requires very little effort, but the impact is huge. Blood flow is not only important to your athletic performance, it’s literally what keeps us alive, right? The overall goal here is to get blood flowing back to the heart- while there are multiple ways of doing this, using a compression system is hands down the fastest. 

Massage therapy as a means of speeding up recovery through boosting flow has been on the recovery radar for awhile, but we now know there’s something even faster and more efficient… enter dynamic compression recovery. 

A compression system, usually worn on the body’s lower extremities, the blood vessels are constrained at just the right frequency to prevent any swelling while sending blood all over the body. Without compression recovery, the body is responsible for doing this all on its own, at its own pace, so using a recovery system to do this for you gives the blood vessels a little encouragement to get the job done faster, and more efficiently. 

Gently compressing veins at a controlled rate also prevents them from expanding and contracting on their own, which over time makes the walls more thin, causing future blood flow issues. 

Compression therapy has been around for some time, but until recently it’s been mostly in hospitals as a post-surgery means of recovery. Now there are recovery systems available for use in your own home, so you don’t have to be recovering from major surgery in order to reap the benefits. 

Here’s just a quick breakdown of what exactly compression recovery can do for you:

• Reduce your pain level from muscle soreness and stiffness.
• Increase overall flexibility. 
• Cut your recovery time in half… if not more! That means more time for the good stuff.
• Prevent lactic acid and metabolic waste from building up by promoting circulation- less toxins sitting in the blood is always a good thing. 

Basically, you’ll notice a change for the better after adding a recovery system to your daily routine.

Compression Socks vs. Dynamic Compression

It’s worth noting here that there are multiple types of compression therapy out there, one of them being compression socks. This might be one of the most common methods of compression therapy, as it’s so widely available and easy to find. 

While compression socks do add an extra level of support by encouraging blood flow, they don’t have the same benefits of compression boots, or a compression system. 

Who Should Use Compression Systems

A compression system is really for anyone in need of recovery from something. Whether you’re a triathlete looking to get your body to bounce back after an event or you’re experiencing poor circulation from an illness, dynamic compression recovery can help. 

Chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, happens when the walls of veins become weak. This leads to all kinds of health issues, some of which are very visible (oh, hello, varicose veins) while others are harder to find until they’ve caused other issues. Decreased blood flow to any part of the body is incredibly dangerous, and not worth the risk.  

Using a compression system helps prevent this sort of health issue before it becomes a problem. Being proactive with your health is always of the utmost importance. 

At any time, 3-11% of adults are experiencing some sort of complication as a result of CVI- sometimes it’s in the form of skin discoloration, other times it’s swelling. But most of the time, these issues are the result of a more superficial CVI issue, not one that’s buried deep in the veins. Therefore using compression therapy is a great remedy, or preventative tactic, for keeping these issues from arising. 

Here are just a few folks that might benefit from dynamic compression recovery systems:

Any athlete or active person looking to restore their body after an event, like a workout competition or race.

People experiencing CVI in the form of venous ulcers or reflux.

Those with lymphedema, or a blocked lymph node. 

Individuals recovering from surgical procedures when swelling of the lower body is a risk, or anyone that’s post-op and already experiencing swelling. 

By slipping on a specialized boot that targets the legs or hips, a compression system is able to slowly inflate and deflate, encouraging blood flow, and sending anyone wearing it down the path to a faster recovery. Using an external compression system can also help reduce future injuries through increased flexibility and circulation. 

How to Integrate Compression Therapy Into Your Recovery Routine

Once you’ve discussed compression therapy with your doctor and decided it’s the right option for you, then you’re ready to get started. Compression therapy is a relatively easy way to recover, all you have to do is sit back, relax, and let your recovery system do the work. 

Choose a Pneumatic Compression System 

This is the device that will be responsible for all of the work, so choose wisely. While these are a pricey investment upfront, they’re well worth it. The second your blood flow regulates and you reap the benefits, you’ll be happy with your purchase! 

Here’s what you should look for in a recovery system:

• Correct sizing: make sure the system you choose comes in sizes that will fit you properly. There’s no one size fits all here. Proper width is extremely important in order to achieve the proper compression. There has to be enough space for the air pockets in the garment to fully inflate, enabling full compression. 
• Adjustable  settings: the device should have multiple settings, so you can adjust accordingly. You have to be able to adjust the pressure according to the day, your activity, and which muscles are needing attention.  

Quality material: the entire system should be built to last, but also for comfort. The fabric of the boots that house the system should be easy to clean.

Easy to reach customer service: you’re about to purchase a serious piece of equipment, make sure you’re able to easily reach the customer service department with any questions you might have. And, they should be happy to chat with you! 

Warranty/return policy: your recovery system should come with a warranty that addresses any possible issues you might encounter. Make sure the company you purchase from is confident in their product and willing to back it up with a solid warranty. 

Why the Speed Hound Pro Performance Recovery System is a Great Option

Not all compression therapy devices are created equal, which is exactly why we considered each and every element listed above when coming up with the design for our Pro Performance Recovery System. 

We consulted with experts, asked the pros, and considered what you, our everyday athlete, wants and needs from a recovery system. Then we came up with a design that’s inspired by the best compression systems on the market, only better. We weren’t going to settle for a product that did the job, we wanted our recovery system to stand out in the crowd, rise above the trends, and just be all around better. We did our research, and created a highly adjustable, quality system that functions with complexity and accuracy, with a simple, easy to use interface. The system itself should be the only thing doing all the thinking. You already put in enough work, your job from here should be to sit back and recover. 

So let’s cut to the chase. We know our recovery system is a fantastic option for anyone interested in a faster road to recovery, from a health perspective as well as an improved athletic performance perspective. 

But how do you know it’s worth it for you? Don’t worry, we made a list of all the reasons:

• The boots for our recovery system are offered in multiple sizes- two different lengths and three different widths . Tall, short, wide, or thin, one of these is the best fit for you. Not only are we available to chat and help you navigate your way to a proper fit, we’ll also be happy to exchange your boots for another size, if you find they don’t fit just right. 
• Our recovery system has settings that allow you to customize your compression. We feel that it’s important for you to be able to adjust the settings according to your goals for each session, from various speeds to even targeting certain areas of the lower body. The settings can be adjusted for warm-up or recovery, and it’s 100% dependent on what your body is telling you. 
• Quality material… check. When we created our system, we considered the fact that not everyone has time to isolate in a room while they recover… i.e. accidents happen. Which is exactly why we used lightweight materials that are super easy to clean, but also materials that are in it for the long haul. 
• The Pro Performance Recovery System is FDA approved, after rigorous testing for safety, efficacy, and quality. We approached this testing from every angle to ensure we’re putting out a product that we use ourselves, and we’re proud to share with others. 
• We actually care about your recovery, and want to see you love our system. We’re a small company that’s built around people like you. We’re here to help ensure that your hard earned money is well spent, and that you’re satisfied with your purchase. So sure that we’ve slapped a 45 day return policy on this system, without adding a beefy restocking fee that other companies charge. 
• Each of our recovery systems comes with a 2 year, IRONCLAD protection policy. See? We really do want this to work for you! 

Final Thoughts

So now you have a pretty good idea of what exactly dynamic compression is, and whether or not it’s right for you (hint, hint, it is). If you’re ready to order, you can check out our Pro Performance Recovery System.

If you have additional questions, or you’re still on the fence about committing to a compression system, we’re here to chat. We’re just a few clicks or a phone call away, ready to share all we know with you!