Contrast Therapy 101

Temperature is meant to be experienced. We’ve grown comfortable with climate-controlled homes, air-conditioned cars, and thermostat-regulated office buildings. Considering we spend about 90% of our time indoors, we’re becoming used to a very narrow temperature band. So why is this bad? We’re not stressing our systems! 

“But isn’t stress a bad thing?” 

Yes and no. There is good stress, called eustress, that can include any number of activities such as exercise, fasting, heat stress (infrared sauna) and cold stress (coldwater immersion). Eustress has the quality of being hometic, which means that, in the right dose, they trigger a net gain in resilience.

So what are the benefits of contrast therapy? Let’s look at each first and then talk about why we like to pair them up in a single session.

Heat stress, specifically from infrared sauna sessions have been shown to have the following benefits:

• Improves Athletic Endurance

• Detoxifying & Healing to the Skin

• Boosts Insulin Sensitivity

• Improves Cardiovascular Circulation

• Increases Longevity and Healthspan

• Reduces Stress and Promotes Relaxation

Cold stress, specifically from coldwater immersion sessions have been shown to have the following benefits:

• Encourages Resiliency & Mental Strength

• Reduces Pain & Inflammation

• Enhances Immune System

• Boosts Metabolism

• Improves Cardiovascular Circulation

• Promotes Energy, Focus & Attention

Using both therapies in one session delivers a double dose of benefits with the added benefit of increased adrenaline response, improved circulation and promotes lymphatic drainage. Beyond the purely physical merits, combining heat and cold also offers us some psycho-emotional advantages as well. From a purely anecdotal standpoint, we can use these therapies to increase our resilience and develop mental strength. 

What you can expect in our contrast therapy sessions at REBOOT:

1. SAUNA: Enjoy ten minutes in our relaxing, full-spectrum infrared sauna, where you'll get the benefits of heat all the way down to the cellular level

2. COLD PLUNGE: Restore your blood flow with coldwater immersion treatment as you plunge into the sanitary, refreshing 45-degree cold water for one to three minutes

3. REST: Now take two to three minutes as your recovery time as your body eases into homeostasis

4. REPEAT: We recommend a 60-minute session for maximum benefits, allowing you to cycle between hot and cold at least three times. Each time, the results are more profound. 

The use of contrast therapy is found in cultures across the world, from the traditional onsens in Japan, to plunge pools and saunas in Scandinavia, to the sweat lodges of Native American tribes. People feel better when they get in a sauna, and then add in some manner of cold exposure (or vice versa). So, they’ve kept doing it. 

We’re excited to bring contrast therapy to REBOOT. Adding in just two to three contrast treatment sessions a week can help our clients improve their recovery, boost their energy levels, bust stress, and so much more. Book your session by clicking here.