If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll have seen this photo before. It’s my KAATSU leg bands. In the original blog post that I used the photo for, I was using them for recovery after my first bike ride of the season. Today though, I’ve been using them for a pre-kendo warmup.
KAATSU for Pre and Post Activity
One of the things I love about KAATSU is its versatility. In general, KAATSU is promoted as an excellent recovery, rehabilitation, and strength training tool. However, the things that make it good for recovery also make it good for warming up before an activity.
Think about what you’re trying to accomplish during a warmup.
- Increase blood flow to active muscles.
- Get heart pumping a little faster to prepare it for more activity.
KAATSU causes your heart rate to increase slightly. It holds more blood in the limbs temporarily when the bands compress. When the bands release, the additional blood flow “rushes” out, improving circulation. You can use KAATSU passively, but it is even more effective for warming up with some low intensity exercises like leg swings, lunges, jumps, or squats.
You can use KAATSU during your warmups, as part of a strength or skills program, and again during post-activity recovery. It’s been proven effective for all of these uses and it’s one of the reasons why we say that KAATSU goes “Beyond BFR”. We hope you’ll try KAATSU and love it as much as we do!