I love potato chips. Small batch kettle-cooked chips are particularly amazing. They’re light and crispy and crunchy and oh, so satisfying – when you eat just the right amount.
KAATSU pressures are kind of the same. The “right” amount of pressure depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Just like you might not enjoy the consequences of eating a full bowl of potato chips, the highest pressure settings in KAATSU are not always the right choice.
Recovery: Go Low and Slow
For those wanting to use KAATSU to recover from any kind of physical exertion, stick with the low pressure range on Cycle mode. It is the KAATSU Cycle that makes KAATSU so effective for recovery, essentially enhancing the body’s ability to pump blood and thereby helping to flush lactate and metabolic waste from the limbs. But, why low pressure ranges?
Think of what you’ve just done. The physical activity you’ve just done has stressed your body. When you’re recovering, you don’t want to add lots of additional stress. The KAATSU Cycle on the low pressure range is easy on the body and helps it recover from the exertion you’ve put yourself through.
Strength & Rehabilitation: It Depends
Higher pressure ranges aren’t the best choice for everyone. Those with underlying medical conditions, folks who are older, people who are deconditioned or who have little KAATSU experience should stick with low pressures. As one gains more KAATSU experience, one’s vascular elasticity will gradually improve, making it possible to use KAATSU for longer durations and eventually, use higher pressure ranges.
If you’re young and athletic with no underlying health conditions, you’re going to be able to manage higher pressure settings sooner. Even then, it’s not necessary to use the highest pressures available through KAATSU. The pressure you choose will depend on the activity you’re doing, which mode you’re using, and how long you’ll be doing it for, among other factors such as your overall physical condition at the time you’re planning to use KAATSU.
If you’re in rehab, there are more things to take into consideration, such as how much time has elapsed since your injury or surgical repair, your age, medications, what condition you were in before your injury, and more. In general you’re going to want to stick with low pressure in Cycle mode. Some get concerned that they don’t feel much, but your vasculature does! Even at low pressure ranges you are working out your vascular tissue, improving its elasticity and contributing to your overall healing. There may be a time to work with higher pressures, but that will likely be later in your rehabilitation. Always listen to your rehabilitation team to use KAATSU in ways appropriate to your condition.
Sometimes high pressures are appropriate. Sometimes they’re not. Sometimes you eat the whole bowl of chips, but most of the time you don’t. The best KAATSU pressure is the one that’s most appropriate for your body and your activity. If you need more guidance, please call us at KAATSU Canada and we’ll be happy to assist!