If you’re on the hunt for an entirely natural way to boost your recovery, improve your mood, and support your overall wellbeing, you’ll be happily surprised by the benefits of contrast therapy. This powerful practice is increasing in popularity in recent years, but finds its roots in ancient practices that have improved human health for centuries to date.

Contrast therapy is simple: it’s the process of alternating between hot and cold exposure to significantly increase the benefits of both therapeutic experiences. One of the most common ways to do this is through the combined use of ice baths and infrared saunas. Contrast therapy is quickly becoming a treatment staple with athletes and wellness lovers alike, offering significant returns on your time and energy investment.

Why is contrast therapy so effective?

Contrast therapy has proven its effectiveness time and time again thanks to the way it stimulates your body’s circulatory and nervous systems. With the sudden change in temperature as you go from hotter temperatures to cooler ones and back again, blood vessels are placed in a cycle of constricting and dilating repeatedly.

This has the effect of a ‘vascular workout’, helping to improve circulation, flush out metabolic waste, and support faster healing and recovery.

With added benefits for mood, stress regulation and mental clarity, our ReGen Wellness clients find themselves walking away from a contrast therapy session feeling grounded, energised and freshly equipped for the week ahead.

Contrast therapy with ice baths

The cold exposure that’s crucial to contrast therapy most often involves an ice bath or cold plunge. This icy water immersion activates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing alertness and releasing dopamine and norepinephrine (two natural chemicals that help to improve your mood and ability to focus).

Ice baths can also help to:

• Reduce inflammation and swelling
• Boost the metabolism’s fat-burning abilities
• Improve sleep quality
• Strengthen the immune system’s response mechanisms

Contrast therapy with infrared saunas

The infrared sauna element of contrast therapy is all about deep, penetrating heat that increases relaxation and recovery at a base cellular level. While traditional saunas heat the air, infrared heat warms the body directly without causing a significant rise in the surrounding air temperature. That makes it easier to enjoy an infrared sauna session for longer, creating more potential for contrast therapy wins

An infrared sauna session can provide the benefits of:

• Deep tissue relaxation and muscle recovery
• Improved cardiovascular circulation
• Detoxification through increased sweat levels
• Mental calm and emotional regulation

When combined with the intensity of the ice bath, infrared saunas in contrast therapy have a powerful effect on both your body and your mind, all in one simple therapeutic session.

Conclusion

Feeling stronger, calmer, well-rested, and knowing you’re investing in your body’s ongoing wellbeing? These benefits are easily packaged into a contrast therapy session. 

By combining ice baths with infrared saunas, you can enjoy contrast therapy that supports your physical health and improves your mental capabilities. Find ice baths and infrared saunas ready for you at ReGen Wellness.