Trail Running Blog

IceSleeves Compression Sleeves Review

Although being part of the cross country team was one of my favorite things about high school, I did have more injuries while on the team compared to any other period in my life! Non-runners used to joke that cross country wasn’t a sport, that you ‘just run’. But there was so much more to it than what people saw on the surface. Although runners were running for personal improvements and PRs, it was still a team sport and if you were one of the top runners in your division, you had to work together as a team to defeat the opponents. I think I had my first running injury as early as one month into joining the team. Looking back now, I probably have my shoes to blame. But remember getting the early signs of shin splints in that summer. I would spend time everyday after practice icing my shins. The injury got so bad that I would have trouble putting pants on because it hurt so much to stand on the leg with shin splints! The thing is, I never rested like I probably should have (during practice or races). Since high school, I haven’t really had any major injuries, although I have gotten pretty beat up planing soccer in our adult league.

The only way I’ve iced my legs were by putting ice cubes into a plastic bag and icing on and off for 15 minutes at a time. But it was always messy having to deal w/ the melted ice and would not last as long as I wanted to ice. Fortunately, there is an easier way to ice your injuries using IceSleeves. IceSleeves are wrap around compression sleeves for holding ice or heat packs tight against the body. They are designed to be used for both heat and cold application. They are flexible, comfortable, reusable and accept a variety of temperature sources. I never know when I should ice an injury or put heat on it, fortunately this product can do both. You can learn more about the benefits of icing and using heat on your body here. The application is pretty simple, there are packs that come with the IceSleeves and depending on the type of injury you have or where you want to apply it, you’ll either microwave or freeze the pack for a short period of time. Once it’s ready, you place it inside the compression sleeves and it’ll start working right away. The other benefits of this product is the compression feature. I’ve tried wearing compression socks before and do feel that they do help with recovering from long runs and hard races. By compressing and icing or heating, you’ll get back on the road faster than before.

Here are some additional facts about the IceSleeves:

• Eco-friendly – all the components, including plastic bags, are reusable to reduce trash.
• Field useable – since this product is for immediate use when necessary, it must be able to use ice.
• Ease of use – the product has to be able to be put on in a few seconds.
• Adjustable – athletes come in all sizes and shapes, so the product has to conform to each person individually.
• Compression – significant benefits are gained by compression, especially when coupled with icing.
• Mobility – perhaps one of the most important aspects is to allow the athlete to be mobile while icing.
• Multi-use – a product that could provide heat as well as cold, since some issues respond better to heat.

IceSleeves can be used for different parts of the body, including ankles, calves/shins, kneeds, thighs, back and more. I would suggest getting a few, depending on where you suffer the most or have previous injuries on.