Sauna Benefits After Cold Plunge Therapy When used together, they create a powerful contrast therapy that can supercharge your health and wellness routine. Whether you have a traditional, infrared, custom-cut, or InfraSauna® from Finnleo, you can reap many benefits from using a sauna after cold plunge therapy.
It's definitely preferable to go from the sauna directly to the cold plunge as directly and quickly as possible. The more heat your retain from the sauna the better the experience. However, if the cold plunge is a shared tub then rinsing first is probably best simply out of consideration for others.
After a cold plunge, dry off and warm up by getting dressed in dry clothes. You can sip a warm beverage and move to a heated area. But don't head straight for a sauna or hot tub, because the extreme heat could cause too much stress on your body.
After your sauna session, head directly to the cold plunge for 1-3 minutes of cold immersion. The sudden cold exposure will: Cause your blood vessels to constrict, directing blood to your core to protect vital organs. Reduce muscle inflammation and soreness.
Transitioning between hot tubs and cold plunges, often referred to as contrast therapy or hot-cold immersion, can provide various health benefits, such as improved circulation, muscle recovery, and stress relief. However, it's important to approach these transitions with caution to avoid potential health risks.
A good strategy: Reserve cold plunges for cardio or rest days—and if you want to plunge on the same day as a resistance training session, experts like Andrew Huberman, PhD, recommend doing it beforehand or waiting at least four hours post-exercise so you don't blunt your gains.
Don't take a warm bath or shower soon after your cold session. Contrast therapy has its benefits, but it's better to allow your body to raise its temperature naturally and gradually. Some great ways to warm up after an ice bath are: Stretch out in the sun.
According to an overwhelming majority of health and fitness experts, you should first go for a sauna then cold plunge.
Protocol for Growth Hormone Release:
Heat sauna to 80-100°C (176-212°F) Use sauna infrequently (once per week or less) Use multiple sessions of 30 minutes each with cool down periods in between.
You can do cold plunging every day. However, if you're doing it after training, daily plunges could compromise the potential for long-term performance improvements.
Taking a cold plunge in an Ice Barrel can activate the brown adipose and muscles in your body. Once activated, irisin and FGF will be released (irisin and FGF are cold-induced endocrine activators of brown fat function in humans). These two hormones burn up the white fat tissues resulting in weight loss.
While cold plunging has numerous benefits, staying submerged for too long can introduce potential risks. Prolonged exposure to colder temperatures may lead to hypothermia, where the body loses heat faster than it can produce, resulting in symptoms like shivering, confusion, and fatigue.
This phenomenon, whereby you continue to feel colder even though you're already out of the water — and typically start shivering uncontrollably — is known as the afterdrop. What's happening is the outer, cold layers of your body are leeching heat away from the core, until the two reach equilibrium.
Incorporating Thermal Harmony Into Your Routine
Start with a few minutes in an ice bath, followed by a relaxing steam shower. You should start with a reduced temperature contrast and increase intensity and duration, or add more alternations, as your body adapts to the temperature contrast.
There's no evidence to suggest that sauna bathing can treat cold symptoms.
The process usually starts with a sauna session lasting around 15-20 minutes, followed by a quick, refreshing immersion in cold water for 1-3 minutes, and then a period of rest before repeating the cycle.
Alternating between hot and cold temperatures can stimulate blood flow and improve circulation. The heat from the sauna causes blood vessels to dilate, while the cold plunge causes them to constrict. This contrast can enhance overall circulation, potentially benefiting cardiovascular health.
Joe Rogan enjoys his sauna routine for about 15 to 20 minutes, four times a week.
The simplest version of a Russian banya consists of only 2 rooms: a steam room (combined with a washing room), and a dressing room. In the dressing room, people undress and relax during the breaks, and in the steam room they take a bath and enjoy steam.
Timing is everything. Start with a hot soak for 10 to 15 minutes to loosen up your muscles. Then, plunge into the cold for 1 to 3 minutes to boost circulation and energy. Repeat this process two to three times, finishing with a warm soak to wind down.
One of the most common questions we get asked is, "Can I sauna every day?" The short answer is yes, it can be safe for most people to sauna daily. However, it's important to keep a few things in mind, like how long you stay in and any health conditions you might have.
The quick answer is yes, you can sauna after a cold swim/dip, and no you shouldn't have a hot shower.
After a cold plunge, it's important to warm up gradually. This can be done by dressing in warm clothes, drinking a hot beverage, or doing light exercise. Warming up too quickly, such as by taking a hot shower immediately after the plunge, can lead to discomfort and negate some of the benefits of the plunge.
Although it's commonly assumed that cold temperatures inhibit microbial growth and thus decrease infection risk in cold plunges, cold temperatures also lower disinfectant effectiveness.
Plunging for longer than 10 minutes is not inherently better either either. "There's a greater chance you'll become physically incapacitated by the cold," Tipton warns. Practicing cold water immersion in a sensible and risk-minimizing way maximizes the chance of it being beneficial to your health, the experts note.