The Top 10 Benefits Of Contrast Therapy

As a health-seeker, chances are you’ve tried your fair share of different wellness practices.

And you might have stumbled upon contrast therapy along the way. So maybe you’ve already experienced its relaxing effects first-hand.

But did you know it’s actually a deep-acting, holistic approach to health?

In this post, we’ll cover the top benefits of contrast therapy. So you can see for yourself all the wonderful things you’re doing for your body and mind every time you sweat it out in the sauna, or take a refreshing cold plunge.

But in case you’re new to the practice, here’s a brief overview of what contrast therapy is.

What Is Contrast Therapy?

Contrast therapy is a centuries-old wellness practice that’s rooted in Nordic tradition. It was used to enhance one’s health – and as a way to connect with the community.

The basic idea behind contrast therapy is you immerse your body in hot and cold temperatures. 

During the heat cycle of your contrast therapy session, you’ll probably find yourself in the sauna, as this helps open the pores in your body and allow it to begin sweating out toxins.

The cold cycle comes next: this is where you’d step into a cold shower – or maybe finally take that cold plunge everyone keeps talking about! This is an invigorating and important step in the process.

Finally, to finish your contrast therapy session, you allow your body to reheat naturally. This might take place in:

• Relaxing Lounge

• Meditation room

• Comfortable Hammock

• Sensory Immersive Dome

• Around Fire Pit

• Forest Walk

Alternating between extreme temperatures has profound effects on the body – as well as numerous health benefits. So let’s read on to discover what those benefits are.

#1 – Reduce Stress And Anxiety

If you’re struggling with high stress levels and anxiety, contrast therapy is a powerful tool to help. 

For example, when it comes to sauna, besides being relaxing, it’s been shown to lower cortisol levels – which helps with stress reduction and those debilitating pangs of anxiety.

Another essential tool when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety is the cold cycle of contrast therapy. Your first few sessions might be slightly uncomfortable, but cold therapy teaches your body to properly manage the fight-or-flight response. This helps you better adapt to those stressful situations that are all too common in our world today.

By alternating between both hot and cold temperatures repeatedly, you’re helping to bring your body – and mind – into a state of equilibrium.

#2 – Better Sleep Quality

In today’s busy world of blue light and overstimulation, it’s harder than ever to get good sleep. By the end of a long, technology-driven day, your body faces the impossible task of learning that it’s finally time to wind down.

Contrast therapy teaches the body to slow down and relax. This helps regulate your sleep patterns so you can achieve optimal sleep at night.

At the end of a contrast therapy session, the body is experiencing things like: 

1. Deep relaxation

2. Slower heart rate

You’ll find that it’s much easier to fall asleep after a day of contrast therapy, because your body is relaxed and primed for sleep.

For best results, practice contrast therapy at least a few hours before bedtime so your body has time to regulate its internal temperature – leaving you in a comfortable state so you can sleep soundly.

#3 – Reduce Inflammation

A little bit of inflammation can be helpful to your body. But just like anything else, too much of it can be a bad thing.

When you’re overloaded with inflammation, your body struggles to keep up. This can lead to issues such as:

• Cancer

• Stroke

• Diabetes

• Weight Gain

• Autoimmunity

Contrast therapy helps to naturally reduce inflammation in your body. The hot cycle causes your blood vessels to expand, and the cold causes them to contract. 

This creates a “pump” effect that helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your blood. Your body is then left with lower inflammation – making it easier to fight off illness and disease.

#4 – Stronger Immune System

As you practice contrast therapy regularly, one benefit you’re likely to notice is an improved immune system.

That’s because, as you alternate between hot and cold temperatures, your body produces more white blood cells. And with more white blood cells available, the body is able to up its defenses – and keep you healthy.

Contrast therapy also helps the body flush out toxins, leaving you with a lighter load to handle. So your body will be better equipped to handle seasonal threats and illnesses – and overall, you’ll spend less time being sick.

#5 – Clear Mind And Better Mood

If you’ve ever been in a funk – or felt like you’re drowning in brain fog – you might have noticed feeling instantly better after embarking on a cold plunge.

Although it might seem like magic, there’s actually a scientific explanation behind your suddenly clear head or uplifted mood.

As you go through the hot and cold cycles of contrast therapy, your body releases:

1. Adrenaline 

2. Endorphins 

These are the two “magical” hormones responsible for improving your mood and erasing that yucky brain fog.

#6 – Increase Energy

Low energy levels make it difficult to keep up with all of life’s demands. But practicing contrast therapy regularly can go a long way to help increase your energy. You may end your sessions feeling: 

• Energized

• Refreshed

• Motivated 

These kinds of results are simply another wonderful by-product of the practice.

After immersing yourself in hot and cold temperatures, your body releases those feel-good endorphins. So you come away from your sessions with renewed energy and vitality.

Some people even experience an adrenaline rush – which is great for those of us who need a little more intensity in life.

But overall, after a sauna session and cold plunge, you’ll leave with plenty of energy to tackle the rest of your day.

#7 – Better Range Of Motion

Contrast therapy is an excellent solution if you suffer from joint pain – or are looking for better overall flexibility.

The heat cycle is especially helpful for range of motion. Heat helps those tight muscles relax, while improving their elasticity. This leaves them more flexible.

So don’t be surprised if the next time you’re in yoga class, you find you can finally touch your toes. Better range of motion is just another of the many benefits of contrast therapy.

#8 – Injury Prevention And Recovery

Another benefit of contrast therapy is reduced risk of injury – and also a quicker recovery if you do get injured.

After exercise, your muscles fibers tear in order to get stronger. Sound backwards? Sometimes the human body just works like that!

Contrast therapy helps repair and rebuild those tired muscles. It also removes lactic acid from the body, so you have less muscle soreness after exercise. This makes for a quicker recovery after your next exercise session.

In the unfortunate event you’re injured, contrast therapy helps speed up the recovery process by:

1. Healing tissue

2. Improving circulation

And as we mentioned earlier, contrast therapy lowers the inflammation in your body. Because of this, it also helps reduce swelling for injuries like ankle sprains.¹

#9 – Helps With Weight Loss

Struggling to lose weight can be so frustrating. And even maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenge for many of us as we age. Fortunately, contrast therapy can also help with weight loss.

This is because immersing your body in hot and cold temperatures helps:

• Boost your metabolism

• Reduce unhealthy fat tissue 

• Burn more calories at a faster rate

And while contrast therapy is a wonderful tool to aid you in your weight loss efforts, be sure to pair it with a reasonable diet and regular exercise. By incorporating these things into your wellness routine, you’re bound to see good results.

#10 – Improve Overall Health

While contrast therapy has many benefits if you’re trying to target a specific problem, it’s a holistic wellness practice that improves your physical, mental, and emotional health.

It’s best to not approach contrast therapy as a “quick fix” solution. Instead, treat it like a ritual – a daily or weekly practice that’s another part of your wellness routine. And over time, you’ll see improvements in things like: 

• Muscle pain

• Heart health 

• Stress levels

• Mental outlook

• Immune function

If you practice contrast therapy regularly, it quickly becomes a way of life. And you’ll experience deeper, longer-lasting changes on your path to wellness.

Experience The Benefits Of Contrast Therapy

If you’re looking for a holistic approach to your health, contrast therapy is an ideal solution. It’s a holistic wellness practice that addresses:

• Physical Health

• Mental Health

• Emotional Health

And as it improves these areas of your health and well-being, it also offers a variety of targeted benefits, including:

1. Reducing stress and anxiety

2. Improvement in sleep quality

3. Lowering inflammation

4. Boosting immune system

5. Clear mind and better mood

6. Increasing energy

7. Better range of motion

8. Injury prevention and recovery

9. Helping with weight loss

10. Improving overall health

So do yourself a favor by adding this transformative tool to your wellness practice – and start reaping the many benefits of contrast therapy.

Resources:

1. Contrast Therapy and Heat Therapy in Subacute Stage of Grade I and II Lateral Ankle Sprains