What's a Kaatsu BFR device and why is it useful for your workout?

As I wrote in my first post about the ketogenic diet, I've been intensely biohacking solutions to a range of autoimmune issues that seemed to randomly trigger causing at various times: sciatica, sacrolitis, IBS, bone spurs, arthritis, Reynauds. Lots of problems, pain and discomfort.

I pretty much stopped it when I started on the ketogenic diet, but reversing the damage and feeling better also requires a solid commitment to physical exercise. That's what this post is about, one of the gadgets I love for exercise.

There's a great product that I've been using for about a year called Kaatsu. I went through their "specialist" training, but I'm not a seller nor am I endorsing it for any commercial purpose. It works for me. In a 10 minute exercise for arms and legs, I feel a significant increase in blood flow. Using it regularly has been part of the protocol that's reduced my pain and restoring me back to health.

The Kaatsu website has better detail about what the device is and how it works, so I'll leave it to them for those details. My device is the Nano. It's about $3,000. Worth it.

Me at a Moscow hotel gym last week doing legs with Kaatsu:

Back in the Bay Area, this week, with a short upper body Kaatsu workout at the pool: