OG Battle Cancer volunteer and CrossFit athlete, Craig McIvor, is currently undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumour. Keeping his muscles active and moving while receiving treatment is incredibly important, but often muscles take a lot longer to recover post-chemo.
Our friends at Hyperice sent him a Hypervolt - a cordless vibration massage device that helps relax sore and stiff muscles to improve mobility - to help him warm up better and recover quicker.
We find out how Craig got on with introducing the Hypervolt to his fitness routine...
"With the current situation, my muscles really take a lot longer to recover from the workouts I manage to do. This honestly makes the Hypervolt an amazing tool to use."
Craig's Story
During 2018, I started to have “seizures” - little episodes of extreme lack of concentration. I couldn’t focus on taking in any information for about 1 or 2 minutes, and I stupidly ignored this for a long time. It started off around 1 or 2 a week, and then a few months later I was having 4 or 5 a day!
They originally assumed I had developed epilepsy, but after an MRI scan, it revealed a very large brain tumour, on the left-hand side of my skull.
Once this was discovered, I was booked in for emergency surgery to remove as much as they possibly could, without risking damage. I have small tiny fragments left, which they did not want to risk removing.
Fitness while undergoing treatment
After 6 weeks of Radiotherapy, they have now moved me onto Chemotherapy which I am currently underway as we speak. Every 6 weeks for just under a year I am going in for numerous chemicals to be dripped into my bloodstream or presented as tablets. I have just hit halfway through. This leaves me extremely tired and my muscles exhausted, but I try and stay as active as possible. I’m not allowed to touch heavy weights due to current blood pressure.
I try to do consistent small workouts, ones that my local gym (RoarFit) and the ones that Battle Cancer show on Instagram as much as I physically can.
Recovery with the Hypervolt
With the current situation, my muscles really take a lot longer to recover from the workouts I manage to do which honestly makes my Hypervolt an amazing tool to use. Every day so far I have been able to exercise I’ve been using the Hypervolt in the evening to help with recovery.
Even on a day I don’t or can’t work out because my muscles are stiff or in pain, I use it to help ease them.
So far, I would say this has been pretty much used daily, after dinner in the evening when it’s time to relax before bed. I can easily use the Hypervolt myself on my legs and shoulders, but if I need the lower back working on, I use the other half to help me with this!
Hyperice
Hyperice provides athletes with a set of tools that improve performance by accelerating recovery time, preventing injury, and enhancing the body’s ability to move more efficiently.
Check out their state of the art range here!