Contrast Therapy: Cold-heat cycles for a strong immune system
In Contrast Therapy, you alternate between cold and hot applications, aiming to strengthen your health, circulation, and immune system holistically.
Why Contrast Therapy is beneficial
Contrast Therapy combines cold and heat treatments to strengthen your whole body. After a heat session, such as an infrared sauna or Finnish sauna, you follow up with an ice bath to cool down. This contrast between hot and cold has been successfully used in medicine for a long time, especially in sports medicine, cardiovascular prevention, and the field of longevity.
The health benefits are extensive: Contrast Therapy can strengthen your immune system, enhance circulation, boost your metabolism, relax your muscles, improve thermoregulation, support fat burning, and reduce stress.
Infrared sauna or Finnish sauna
Your session begins with heat exposure in our infrared or Finnish sauna. In the infrared sauna, lamps emit infrared light between 43°C and 65°C at specific wavelengths, which is absorbed by the skin and tissues to create therapeutic warmth. In the Finnish sauna, you’ll sit in a room heated to 70°C to 100°C. In both saunas, the heat dilates blood vessels, promoting circulation, boosting metabolism, and relaxing your muscles.
Ice bath
After the sauna, you’ll step into an ice bath with temperatures between 0°C and 10°C. This immersion triggers a cold shock reaction and can reduce inflammation, relieve muscle soreness, and activate brown fat, which can aid in weight loss.
Treatment duration
10-20 minutes of alternating hot and cold exposure
Treatment frequency
Contrast Therapy is optimally done 2-3 times weekly. A series of 8-12 sessions can optimize benefits for muscle recovery and circulation.
How Contrast Therapy works
At our Longevity Clinic, Contrast Therapy starts with a heat session followed by a cold session to maximize the benefits.
Infrared or Finnish sauna
Begin by entering the sauna in swimwear and sitting on a towel. Be sure to hydrate before, during, and after your session, and start with shorter intervals.
Ice bath
Following the sauna, you may prepare for the ice bath with a guided breathing meditation inspired by the Wim Hof method to help you tolerate the cold. You’ll then ease into the ice bath gradually, allowing your body to adapt to the low temperature. Keeping your head above water, you’ll breathe deeply and calmly. When your session is complete, you will rise slowly and carefully, adjusting to the temperature change. Afterward, dry off immediately and let your body recover with gentle movements.
Enhancing Contrast Therapy with additional treatments
For an added performance boost and faster healing, consider combining contrast therapy with AYUN’s IHHT Therapy or Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Contrast Therapy?
Contrast therapy is a modern medical treatment that uses the alternating effects of heat and cold on the human body for health benefits. Starting with a sauna session followed by an ice bath, this treatment can strengthen your immune system, improve circulation, and protect against cardiovascular conditions.
Who should avoid Contrast Therapy?
Sauna use is not recommended for individuals with acute cold, flu, diabetes with neuropathy, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart failure, recent myocardial infarction, or during pregnancy. The ice bath is unsuitable for those with cold allergies, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute infections, inflammation, open wounds, or severe heart conditions.
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