National MS Awareness Month: Staying Active with Multiple Sclerosis
For many, March simply means the end of winter, the height of college basketball season, or the beginning of Major League Baseball. However, our third month of the year is also used to commemorate certain occasions like National Women's History Month, or bring awareness to important issues like National MS Awareness Month.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system. It can directly affect an individual's ability to navigate through daily life, and impacts those who have it on a physical, mental, and emotional level.
While there are treatments and therapies designed to limit the effects of the disease, there is no known cure, which makes National MS Awareness Month so important to the people who live with it and their families.
While many people find ways to cope with the effects of MS in everyday life, trying to stay active while having the disease presents a different challenge. As the nervous system is affected by MS, it can be difficult to maintain sufficient energy levels, body temperature, and even body movement in general. While Dr. Cool's chemical-free cooling products can help solve some of the overheating issues that athletes with MS deal with, they still face challenges when trying to do the things they love.
However, there are many people with MS who choose not to give up. They realize their challenges and push their limits, and even though they have MS, they refuse to let it stop them. At Dr. Cool, we're incredibly honored to have three such people on our team of ambassadors.
Runners Marisol Beigert and Cheryl Hile, along with mountain biker Lindy Haaglund all battle multiple sclerosis. This March, for National MS Awareness and Education month, we sought their help in understanding what life is like as an athlete with MS, and how they resolve themselves to accomplish their goals while dealing with the disease's effects.
Stay tuned for more posts with insights from Cheryl, Lindy, and Marisol, as we celebrate our ambassadors and all others who find the strength to overcome their multiple sclerosis diagnosis!
4 Things Every Runner Needs This Spring
Spring is here, and for many, that means easier outdoor runs. For the treadmill-intolerant, spring is perhaps the best time of year for race training—no more sloshing through snow and ice to meet your goals, no more fear of slipping on hidden patches of ice, and no more loading up on layers just to get outside.
As race season approaches, the temperatures will only rise from here. It's important to have the right gear for all four seasons so you can comfortably stick to your training regimen and prepare for your 5K's, 10K's, half marathons, or even full marathons. So the Dr. Cool team got together and made this list of essential springtime gear for runners!
1. Long Sleeve Running Shirt
Yes, spring means warmer weather, but the lingering cold and wind from winter may stick around for the first month or two. Because of this, many runners seek a balance between lighter summertime gear and something insulated that protects against the elements. For us, long sleeve running shirts fill this void.
A long sleeve offers the freedom of a t-shirt as well as the insulation needed for your arms (or even your hands). At Dr. Cool, we've taken that delicate balance one step further with our long sleeve cooling shirt—warmth when you start your runs, then a cooling sensation as you start to sweat to avoid getting too warm. The result is a top that's perfect for outdoor running in spring or fall.
2. Fitness Tracking Technology
Many predict 2016 is going to be the year of wearables in fitness. Some even say that nanotechnology implanted in your clothes (a little crazy, if you ask us!) is going to be popular. For those training for a race or another kind of event, it's crucial to chart your progress and make adjustments as necessary.
Luckily, there are several solutions out there! Fitness tech products like FitBit wristbands and Garmin vivoactive watches will help you track useful statistics like distance, speed, heart rate, and more.
3. New Kicks
Every runner needs to take care of their body. Improper or old gear can lead to injuries like plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinitis. Shoes are the most important in this regard, as they're the first line of defense against the high-impact exercise of running.
Spring can be a good time to make an upgrade in the shoe department, as many popular brands often release new products as runners return outside. Shoes like Brooks' Transcend 3 and Topo's Tribute are receiving huge amounts of praise right out of the gate, and are guaranteed to give you the comfort and stability you need this spring.
4. Ice Wraps
As your training increases—especially on hard surfaces like pavement—injury prevention is vital. Training too hard can be rigorous on your body, and the last thing you want before a race is a nagging flare up of runner's knee. Listening to your body and getting the appropriate rest are good solutions, but there is an even better one.
Dr.Cool ice wraps are made to treat common running injuries like those mentioned in this blog post. While they're ideal for recovery, World Marathon Challenge champion Becca Pizzi used them to prevent injuries during her training to run 7 marathons in 7 days. Simply wet, freeze, and wrap, and you'll be giving your body the treatment it needs to stay healthy until race day!
What gear do you plan to stock up on this spring? Let us know in the comments!
YOU vs. The Heat: The #1 way to battle the hottest year in known history
“The first six months of the year have been the hottest since global temperature records were compiled 136 years ago.”
-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Now that’s a way to start a conversation! It’s true 2015 is panning out to be the hottest year on record, at least since we’ve been taking records! Heavy rains have plagued Turkey and the Ohio River Valley, and there has been soaring temperatures in usual places such as Alaska and Spain. The world is experiencing a heat wave making this the hottest year and it’s accompanied with extreme weather like no other.
To help battle these unusually hot months, take time to keep yourself cool! With more and more hot days it’s important to be prepared for the changing weather, especially for people who are active outdoors!
Cooling shirts and other accessories can be a huge asset to help fight against the heat. Dr. Cool chemical-free cooling shirts take your sweat and circulate it throughout the shirt helping to cool it down (up to 30% cooler than your skin temperature!). How does Dr. Cool do it? The chemical-free moisture and sweat activated material delivers three distinct functions – wicking, moisture circulation, and regulated evaporation – to reduce the fabric’s surface temperature by up to 30%, and since they’re chemical-free, the cooling benefits never wash out. In addition to cooling shirts and accessories there are other important tips to follow:
- Drink lots of water and/or natural fruit juices, even if you don’t feel thirsty
- If you don’t have air conditioning, keep drapes drawn and blinds closed on the sunny side of your home, but keep windows opened slightly
- Fans alone may not provide enough cooling if temp is too hot
- Go to air conditioned places such as malls, libraries, community centers or a friend’s house with air conditioning
- Spend time near water (pools, lakes or waterfront where it is cooler)
- Wear loose fitting, light close
- Keep lights off or low
- Take a cool bath or shower to cool down
- Avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee or soda – they often cause dehydration
- Avoid going outside in the sun. If you must, seek shade
- Avoid heavy meals and using your oven
- Avoid intense or moderately intense physical activity
- Never leave a child or pet in a parked car or asleep in direct sunlight
1
As the world heats up, follow the tips above and remember that Dr. Cool has you covered with cooling apparel and accessories to help you stay cool and comfortable during every activity. Dr. Cool has integrated our chemical-free cooling fabric into a variety of shirts and accessories for all of your activities. We have polo’s and hats, which are great for golf or tennis, tanks and headbands for the gym and yoga, and shirts for runners and hiking! Stay ahead of the game and wear the coolest!
1 Toronto Public Health and the Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Knee Injury Treatment and Prevention!
Knee injuries are some of the most dreaded injuries to an athlete. From runners’ knee to ACL or MCL injuries, the results can be devastating to any workout regimen. Even more daunting is when these injuries begin to interrupt your everyday life. It is extremely important to take care of your knees. Whether you are treating an injury or preventing injuries, check out these tips to make sure your knees are always walk, run, jump, and climb ready!
Many of us ignore injuries and take the ‘walk it off’ approach, but this can aggravate a knee injury and turn something small into a bigger problem, if the right amount of rest isn’t given. Luckily, most injuries can be treated by the R.I.C.E. method! For minor injuries that don’t require a doctor’s visit, combine Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation to help ease pain and heal an injury. Luckily, Dr. Cool ice wraps provide ice and compression therapy in one convenient, flexible, chemical-free ice wrap that goes everywhere you go! The ice wraps are available in three sizes to work on any body part, and come in 11 fun colors.
Keeping your body healthy and injury free means continuing a constant balance between pushing forward and not pushing too hard. Many athletes neglect important steps such as warming up before a workout or stretching after a workout. Also paying attention to the wear and tear of shoes and keeping them up to date. Try these tips to avoiding injuries.
- Do some pre-season conditioning for your sport or activity. Get strong. Become flexible.
- Make training changes gradually instead of all at once.
- Always warm up. Between 5-10 minutes of light cardio and stretching.
- Start your first practices or workouts gently and slowly. Work up gradually to more aggressive play or training.
- Use proper equipment in good condition.
- Learn and practice good technique.
We can’t stress the importance of taking care of injuries and taking steps in the future to avoid them. Ignoring minor injuries often turn into much larger ailments that can persists for years. Be kind to your body and remember Dr. Cool Wraps have you covered for all of your recovery needs!
Fabric Tech Explained!
Have you ever wondered how the Coolcore Technology in Dr. Cool Wraps, Cooling Shirts and Accessories work, and why they are the only cooling fabric to receive the Innovative Technology award from the Hohenstein Institute for “Cooling Power”?
First let’s back up and talk about moisture-wicking performance fabrics. Check out this video put out by Hip Science which explains the technology of moisture wicking in a fun and informative way! The process of wicking draws water or sweat away from the body by the process of capillary action. Capillary action is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is common among plants. This action is used to draw water from the ground up through the veins of a tree, flower or any other plant. The video uses a common science experiment of watching water with blue dye in it being sucked up a celery stock. Once the water reaches the top of the plant or its leaves, the water then evaporates to keep it from flowing back down the plant. For capillary action to work there must be cohesive forces and adhesive forces. Adhesive force is when one thing is attracted to another and capillary tubes are hydrophilic which means water loving. Because of this, water adheres to the inside of the tube basically sucking the water up. The cohesive part happens in the water around the capillary tube when the water molecules begin to stick and travel together creating a steady flow.
This process works in moisture wicking clothing by drawing the sweat away from your body toward the outer surface of the fabric. Once the sweat reaches the top layer of the t-shirt, it begins to evaporate quickly. The shirt does this by containing fibers that are both hydrophilic (water loving) and hydrophobic (water repelling), while also creating pathways in the fabric construction for the moisture to move.
Rather than a simple wicking technology, our chemical-free Coolcore fabric delivers three distinct functions – moisture wicking, moisture circulation, and regulated evaporation – to reduce the fabric’s surface temperature by up to 30% lower than skin temperature. Instead of the one-way street, like the celery stock sucking up water and then the water evaporating at the leaves, Dr. Cool Cooling shirts use a proprietary construction to circulate the water throughout the shirt. By moving the moisture throughout the shirt, Dr. Cool uses your own sweat to get the Dr. Cool shirt up to 30% cooler than your skin temperature. Most importantly, we are chemical-free, so the cooling performance never washes away!
Other shirts might keep you dry but dry does not mean cool! Dr. Cool technology goes beyond just moisture wicking. We’ve taken it to a whole new level so that not only is your sweat wicked away but your body temperature is regulated. By doing this Dr. Cool helps keeping you going longer through every game, workout, or simply while you’re running errands around town!
Check out our video showing how Coolcore technology works
Don't Let Injuries Stop You
The alarm goes off, you lace up and you’re heading out for your morning run, like you do every morning. You’ve got a good tempo going, playlist on point but then something happens! The dreaded bump in the road, stray twig or pot hole! Doesn’t matter, you rolled your ankle and now you are 2 miles away from your house and stumble all the way back home.
We’ve all been there. In fact, 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain everyday. It happens at the gym, running outside, during that oddly intense yoga class or even at work. What do you normally do after that? Head for your usual injury wrap concoction, a mix of compression wraps and ice packs to help get the swelling down and reduce the pain. Ice packs can be messy and keep you in one place. On average, injuries take 7.3 days of recovery with ice and 10.2 days of rest without ice. This can be a huge problem for the on the go people.
We made Dr. Cool Wraps to make life easier by combining ice and compression. You still may need to take some days off, but Dr. Cool Wraps makes the recovery process easier and can even go anywhere you go! Let’s face it, we can’t stop the injuries from happening, but with Dr. Cool Wraps, we can take the hassle out and help you stay moving!
Click below to see some interesting statistics from Dr. Cool
Powered by Coolcore Technology
Dr. Cool's chemical-free cooling shirts use a patented cooling material, designed by Coolcore, to keep you up to 30% cooler. Traditionally, cooling has been achieved a number of ways such as, ice packs and fabrics covered in chemicals that wick away sweat to keep you cool and dry. These previous methods don't necessarily cool and will degrade over time.
Coolcore technology keeps you cooler, drier, and more comfortable without relying on chemicals or polymer crystal treatments. Our chemical-free cooling shirts go beyond traditional evaporative cooling technologies or moisture-management systems to give you chemical-free comfort for maximum performance.
The video below explains the science behind our Chemical Free Cooling Shirts
Taking On New Challenges!
The beginning of the year is a time that most people decide to make a commitment to health and fitness, but really anytime is the best time to start! Pick a time when you know you can dedicate the time and effort without being over whelmed. So don't wait until next year, begin a new challenge today! Many people do not prepare correctly or set their goals too high and quick early on. So we have a few tips to help you succeed and achieve your goals when you’re ready!
- Prepare!
- Make sure you are ready! If you are looking to give up a certain food, make sure it isn’t in your house. If you want to work out, buy yourself a new comfortable workout outfit like one of our new cooling shirts to keep you cool while you burn some calories! Check in with yourself and make sure that you are ready to take on a new challenge for yourself, if you aren’t then wait till you are ready! You can start a new challenge at any time.
- Break it up!
- Don’t try and jump right into running a marathon or losing 30lbs in the first week, make a plan and take it in realistic steps. If you want to run a marathon but haven’t ran a 5k yet start one mile at a time! Break up your big goal into week by week smaller goals. This is more realistic and you will be more likely to achieve what you set up to be!
- Be flexible!
- Be kind to yourself! You are making a decision to challenge yourself, so if you hit some bumps don’t give up! You can do this! Just keep on keeping on and stay positive! Life is unpredictable and plans change so take everything as it comes and do your best.
- Buddy up!
- Don’t think you can do this on your own? Grab a buddy! Having someone else to hold you accountable can make the world of a difference. Plus, you’re in it together which makes everything easier! Don’t have a buddy? Don’t worry about it! Social media is another great way to be held accountable. You can post your progress and use relevant hashtags to find others who are working towards the same goals!
- Have fun!
- Making a positive change in your life should be exciting and fun! It isn’t about punishing yourself but about lifting yourself up and achieving a goal for yourself! Enjoy every step of it! Make it fun! Reward yourself as you make steps towards your goals.
Make your commitment to living a healthy life a happy one! Make it fun and make it about you! You deserve it!\
How To Wrap Your Knee With Dr. Cool Ice and Compression Wraps
Knee injuries can occur during a range of activites from marathon runnning to simply walking down the street. The usual recommended treatment is to use an knee compression wrap and ice.
The Dr.Cool wrap replaces traditional bags of ice and combines cold therapy with compression that can help to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-workout. Dr. Cool wraps can be used dry as a regular knee compression wrap to support and protect various body parts during activities, or frozen as a knee wrap to combine cold and compression to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-activity.
View our video below of how to wrap your knee with our Medium Dr.Cool Wrap
Workout Of the Week: Swimming!
The holidays are over and the dreary mid-winter days are now upon us. For those who love the winter months there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy and keep in shape, such as skiing/snowboarding, ice skating, snow shoeing and more. Of course, not everyone though loves to spend their time in the frigid air. For those who aren’t fans of the cold this can be a tough time. If you are one of those people longing for the warm months to return we’ve got a workout of the week for you! We’re talking about an icon of summer, tied together with childhood nostalgia! Swimming! Now I know if you are like us in New Hampshire the idea of swimming when the temperature is a chilly 20 degrees or worse seems pretty ridiculous, but we aren’t trying to get you to jump into frozen rivers. Many towns and cities have indoor pools at local gyms and we encourage you to try it out.
Swimming is one of the best workouts for the body and is beneficial for pretty much anyone. Swimming is especially good for those who are recovery from sport injuries or those who have physical limitations such as arthritis. Swimming is a full body workout that works every major muscle group in the body. It is also both a cardiovascular and strengthening workout, which is a combination that is hard to find among any other exercise. The best part of this workout is that with all of these benefits it is also considered a low impact workout. Swimming has the ability to work out your body without the harsh impact. This means it isn’t going to put stress on your joints like the impact of running does. This is why swimming is the perfect activity for those with ailments such as arthritis or weight limitations, athletes rehabilitating from an injury or those who just want to try something different. Recover without stopping!
New to swimming and not sure where to start, don’t worry about it! For beginners the freestyle stroke is where you’ll want to start. It’s simple and not as strenuous as the aggressive butterfly stroke! You may notice Olympic swimmers doing flip turns when they swim but you don’t need to do then on your own free swim. We advise just touching the side briefly with both hands, turning, and kicking off with your feet instead. This way you save yourself from the risk of bumping your head against the wall! Another fear many people have are the dreaded speedos and swim caps. Don’t worry, if you aren’t comfortable you don’t have to go out and get the tightest speedo around, a normal bathing suit will suffice, and for women consider a sports bra top or a one piece. Also, it is totally up to you if you want to wear a swim cap. Speaking as someone with long hair that gets tangled easily, I like them and it’s easy to pick up a cheap one at a sports store. Most importantly don’t forget goggles, those are necessary to keep that chlorinated water out of your eyes.
Swimming can be both an incredibly fun and relaxing workout. As we get older many of us get stuck in boring gym routines running miles on the treadmill and neglect to switch things up. This can leave many of us loathing workouts or quitting all together. Make working out fun again! Another big change swimming brings is a relaxation factor. Many people find the absence of headphones and loud music replaced with rhythmic sounds of each stroke matched with breathing to be relaxing.
So this week we challenge you to try out something new and head to your local swimming pool! Always remember to keep your workouts fun and enjoyable! Check out the links below for some tips of strokes and water workouts!
Freestyle tips:
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/beginners-guide-swimming-freestyle-stroke-6947.html
Water Workout:
http://toneitup.com/2014/10/lets-go-for-a-dip/
How to Wrap an Ankle with a Dr.Cool Ice and Compression Wrap
Ankle injuries are incredibly common and can happen even while doing a simple everyday activity, such as walking. The usual recommended treatment is to use an ankle compression wrap and ice.
The Dr.Cool wrap replaces traditional bags of ice and combines cold therapy with compression that can help to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-workout. Dr. Cool wraps can be used dry as a regular ankle compression wrap to support and protect various body parts during activities, or frozen as an ice ankle wrap to combine cold and compression to reduce swelling and speed recovery mid or post-activity.
View our video below of how to wrap an ankle with our 4" Medium Dr. Cool Wrap.
Dr. Cool Dazzles The Running Event in Austin, TX
The opportunity came by for Dr. Cool to exhibit at The Running Event in Austin, TX for the second year in a row as an exhibitor. For anyone who does not know, The Running Event, held annually in Austin, is considered the largest running specialty trade show in the world. Over 250 exhibitors and 1,000+ new products shown to specialty running retailers from all over the world in an effort to educate them on how to grow their businesses. In addition to 3 days of show exploration, 12 expert speakers are invited to educate the running community on the industry's most pressing topics.
For us, The Running Event was an opportunity for us to present to people with an active lifestyle the best alternative in ice + compression on the market, as well as the chance to expand our specialty store distribution. For show goers who were not able to attend our first show last year or just did not make it to our booth, we were met with a lot of excitement and relief for runners and athletes.
Flashback to a super early Wednesday morning at specialty running store Luke's Locker for the Sunrise Trail Run. It's surprisingly chilly and grey for South Central Texas in early December. We set up our exhibitor table as presentable as possible for the onslaught of 150 or so runners ready to swarm our section for post-race ice + compression recovery. Luke's Locker has been the main staple of the Sunrise Trail Run for a couple of years now. They are a Texas based company with many locations across the state. They've created an overwhelming support group for runners by providing them hi-quality products, special training as well as a sense of community delivering many events through out the year.
As winded and sweating runners came pouring in from the brisk trail run into our Dr. Cool recovery tent, we met some familiar faces from last years run as well as some new comers on their maiden voyage. Last year, we were the New Kids On the Block, this year, quite a few people had heard of Dr. Cool! Many were excited to try our industry renowned ice + compression wraps to take care of their post-race aches and pains! Frequently, runners deal with a vast array of injuries such as; runner's knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, ankle sprains and other leg issues like cramping and hamstring pulls. Dr. Cool is grateful to be able to reduce swelling and speed up their post-race recovery with ice + compression. Overall, The Sunrise Trail Run was a great success!
The Running Event captures Dr. Cool in it's element. Runners get injured and we can help in an easy, reusable and mobile fashion. We are looking forward to attending The Running Event and spreading the story of ice + compression for runners with new product offerings in 2015! For now check out our line of ice and compression wraps to help you recover and stay active.