The Nordic Cycle typically involves spending time in a sauna, followed by a plunge into a cold plunge tub like the Chill Tub Pro or Jacuzzi Kodiak. This sequence is repeated several times, with the hot and cold exposures working in tandem to enhance overall well-being.
Generally, you should keep your sauna visits between 15 and 20 minutes, followed by an ice bath for at least one minute up to 12 minutes.
Couple the cold plunge with a hot and steaming sauna and you have the perfect combination for your well-being and rejuvenation. Alternating between the two temperatures causes vasodilation and vasoconstriction. The switch between expanding and constricting blood vessels gives your circulatory system a good workout!
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.
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.
The simple answer is that it's preferable to use the ice bath after the sauna. Heat therapy makes us healthier by increasing our stress levels and raising the body's adaptational responses.
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.
Regular sauna sessions trigger the body to release endorphins, thus relaxing your body and mind, which has a positive effect on your energy levels. In combination with a cold plunge, your body releases even more positive hormones, especially norepinephrine, which boosts focus, attention, and energy.
The Nordic Cycle involves starting with a 20-minute hot sauna session, followed by a cold water immersion session. While this technique might feel intense for first-time practitioners, the benefits are worth the initial discomfort.
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.
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.
To get full benefits, incorporate thermal contrast therapy into your wellness routine. Start with a few minutes in an ice bath, followed by a relaxing steam shower.
To get the full benefits of this Nordic Cycle Treatment, it is recommended to complete two - three circuits in one visit. Each scheduled session include 2-3 cycles and depending on body ability to resist to ice water and therapist judgment, so you get safely the maximum full-body benefits every time!
Aim for four to seven 20-minute sessions per week in a sauna heated to around 80° to 100° Celsius (176° to 212° Fahrenheit). This frequency has been shown in research to offer the most health benefits—but even just 2 to 3 times a week can be beneficial! Build up your tolerance slowly.
The short answer is that it's generally not recommended to bring your phone into a sauna. The high temperatures and humidity levels can cause damage to your phone's internal components, and the risk of overheating or even explosion is not worth the convenience of having your phone with you.
The sauna causes blood vessels to dilate, and the cold plunge causes them to constrict rapidly. This sudden redistribution of blood flow in your body can potentially make you feel dizzy.
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.
The Vikings, renowned for their resilience, often followed these sauna sessions with a plunge into icy waters, believed to enhance 'livskraft' (life force) and mental clarity.
Going from a hot to cold shower — even for a couple of minutes — might protect you from circulating viruses. The shock of cold water can stimulate the blood cells that fight off infection (leukocytes).
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.
According to an overwhelming majority of health and fitness experts, you should first go for a sauna then cold plunge. These experts cite the example of contrast therapy, where your body (or part of it) is first immersed in hot water followed by icy cold water.
The recommended duration and temperature of each therapy will depend on the individual and their goals, but it is typically recommended to participate in cold plunge therapy two to three times a week for one to five minutes , and sauna therapy for 15 to 30 minutes.
Still, if you do want to hop in the sauna before or after a workout, experts typically suggest doing so afterward. In some cases, a pre-workout sauna might alleviate a little joint or muscle stiffness before exercise, but preliminary studies point to greater recovery benefits from post-exercise saunas.
While some studies suggest a temporary drop in testosterone immediately following cold exposure, regular cold plunge sessions have been linked to stable or increased testosterone levels over time.
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.