Many athletes practice contrast water therapy, ice massage or ice baths to recover after a workout, avoid injury and reduce muscle tension. The idea behind this method is that constricting and enlarging blood vessels makes your tissues get rid of waste products easier. Research shows contrast water therapy reduces delayed onset muscle soreness. To practice contrast water therapy, shower for two minutes in hot water and alternate for thirty seconds of cold water. This technique should be repeated four times while having a minute of mild temperatures between hot-cold cycles. If you have a spa with hot and cold tubs, take a plunge into each of them simultaneously.