It’s almost time for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to begin in South Korea. Starting on February 9th, over 90 nations will be participating in the 102 Olympic events being held in PyeongChang. Athletes from around the world are almost ready to fight for the gold in events such as snowboarding, skiing, ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating, curling, lugeing, and many more. Aside from the typical training, Olympians prepare for the games in ways you would never expect.

Preparing for the Winter Olympics takes much more mental and physical preparation than people think. Athletes make conditioning their number one priority because an Olympian’s body must go through a physical strain that any ordinary person would never experience in their life. They spend every day leading up to the games doing harsh training to become used to the extremes their bodies will go through. Skiers don’t only have to worry about breaking some bones, but often experience a drastic increase in heart rate when competing, causing them to be at risk for many heart diseases. Snowboarding and skiing are considered the most injury-inducing events in the winter games, as high speeds and dangerous stunts are practiced by the athletes.

More and more strange methods of preparation are being practiced by athletes. Michael Phelps was one of the first athletes to show off his large bruised circles on his back after receiving Cupping Therapy. This is a form of physical therapy originated from Ancient China where glass cups are placed on the skin to draw blood to the surface of the skin. This is said to help heal wounds and pull toxins from the body. Another common way athletes get ready for competing is by using cryotherapy, which revolves around entering a chamber and enduring freezing cold temperatures. This is said to decrease pain and muscle spasms in athletes, and some swear that it is very helpful. Other methods include acupuncture, ice baths, and Kinesio tape.

Some people believe that these methods of rejuvenation are only practiced for the hype, but others think they make a big difference. As the 2018 Olympic Games come closer, maybe we will hear about some more crazy ways athletes are getting ready to fight for the gold.