Hot Summer, Cool Muscles

Many dancers swear by recovery ice baths, while others just shiver thinking of the cold. But as the summer temperatures heat up, you’re likely to look for some cool relief soon after leaving the studio. A study recently published in 
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 
found that you don’t have to fight the frigid temperatures of an ice bath in order to promote muscle recovery and reduce soreness. The research team found that
 soaking in a tub of 46-degree Fahrenheit water for just 10 minutes speeds up muscle recovery. How does it work? Scientists believe the cool water helps reduce inflammation by lowering the temperature of deep muscle tissue without constricting too much blood flow. And even if 46 degrees sounds too cold, slightly warmer water—up to 71 degrees—will still help speed up muscle recovery, but just to a lesser degree. 
Now that’s cool.