To begin, start with 3-5 minutes of immersing yourself in a warm/hot tub or sauna. This will help dilate your blood vessels, increase circulation, and relax your muscles. After the initial heat exposure, it's time for the cold plunge. Enter a cold plunge tub filled with ice-cold water for about 1-2 minutes.
At-Home Contrast Therapy Treatment
Dip the affected area in the hot water basin for three to four minutes. Immediately switch to the cold water basin for one minute or as long as long as it can be tolerated. Repeat the process three or four more times for a total of 20 minutes.
Avoid immediate hot showers after a cold plunge to prevent negating the benefits of the cold exposure. If you opt for a shower, gradually increase the temperature. Practice safety and mindfulness throughout your cold plunge and warming routine. Be aware of your body's signals and adjust accordingly.
The use of hot tubs and ice baths in contrast therapy is particularly beneficial for those who want to improve their performance, reduce muscle soreness after exercise or speed up injury recovery time.
There are many different ways to do hot and cold therapy. You can alternate between hot and cold showers, a sauna and an ice bath, or use a hot pack followed by a cold one. It's recommended to start and end with cold treatment, especially if you are concerned with inflammation and swelling.
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. As a general rule of thumb, 1 minute per degree the ice bath is optimal.
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.
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.
There is also evidence that alternating hot and cold water immersion therapy may be an effective recovery treatment for athletes. Contrast water therapy has been shown to reduce the severity of acute injuries.
Cold Plunging After Sauna
As such, you should spend around 20 minutes in the sauna and up to 5 minutes cold plunging. Repeat this 2-3 times, always ending with a cold plunge. Contrast therapy can boost your metabolism, reduce inflammation, and promote speedy muscle recovery.
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.
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.
Warm up beforehand: Engage in dynamic stretches to warm up your muscles and increase blood flow before entering the ice bath. Practise your breathwork and relax. Enter the ice bath gradually: Approach the ice bath, take a deep breath, and slowly immerse yourself in the cold water.
Michael Behr, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, says there is really no right or wrong answer. He says ice is typically used for acute or recent injuries, while heat is used for muscular and chronic pain. “Ice is a great choice for the first 72 hours after an injury because it helps reduce swelling, which causes pain.
Our recommendation: Step one: Hot – 5 to 10 minutes in a hot bath. Step two: Cold – A walk around the spa or, if you want to challenge yourself, head to a cold plunge pool and walk in up to your knees or further for 10 seconds. Step three: Relax – Head to our bistro for a tea and a chat break for 20 minutes.
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.
Start with a short dip of 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will allow your body to adjust to the cold temperature. Gradually increase your time in the cold plunge by 30 seconds to 1 minute each time you use it. This will help your body adapt to the cold temperature.
After completing the ice bath, it is best to wait at least 2 hours before indulging in a warm shower or bath. Taking a warm shower too soon after an ice bath could diminish the positive effects of the cold therapy.
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.
Wonder why submerging your head and/or face at the start of a cold plunge for 5-20 seconds makes the rest of it *easier*? Because it activates the mammalian dive response, the parasympathetic ('calming') aspect of the autonomic nervous system & thereby lowers heart rate.