My wife and I spent Thanksgiving last year with her family in the Georgia mountains. On our last day, we went into town to check out some shops, which were all extremely busy due to it being Black Friday. Not being one for big shopping crowds, and at the time having caffeine withdrawals, I politely insisted we duck into one of the local coffee shops for a brew.
We found a spot with a line almost out the door, meaning either the quality was fantastic or everyone was just as desperate as I was. As we made our way up to the counter, I happened to notice on the wall off to the side was a giant framed picture with a simple phrase, which stated “Comfort is a slow death”. It was a sudden philosophical moment I didn’t expect to have in my quest for caffeine, but it had me thinking. Where in my life am I living too comfortably?
Our world has become increasingly automated with comforts, providing little or no physical resistance for our bodies. Many will argue this is a good thing, but with more automation comes less challenges. Our minds and bodies develop whenever they are being challenged, not when they are being comforted.
As I write this I had just stepped inside from my back patio, which had caused me to perspire in less than a few minutes of being outside in the South Texas summer. In the mountains last year for the holiday, a cold front had just arrived and every day floated just below and above the freezing point. Both are certainly uncomfortable to endure, but in both scenarios I had comfortable heat and air conditioning to resort to.
There are benefits to sweating profusely and enduring cold temperatures. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (not including Sedona) you’ve probably picked up on the recently revived, and better marketed, remedies of sauna and cold plunge. Both can often be found now not only at commercial and boutique gyms, but have also been customized to fit in most homes. This gives health focused individuals more options for improving their mental and physical health with regular use over time.
The Heat
Our bodies are meant to constantly move things in and out. When we aren’t opening our detox pathways regularly, inflammation is the body’s natural response to consistent mistreatment. Examples of mistreatment include being subjected to toxic toiletries, processed foods, and contaminated air. Constant intake of these contaminants build up chronic inflammation over time, and cause a wide array of issues. While it should be a dedicated focus, it’s very difficult in the world we live in (at least in the U.S.) to avoid these contaminants all the time.
A sauna is a great option to help you in this detox endeavor, and while it shouldn’t be the only way we move things out of our bodies (insert poop emoji), it’s one of the best tools we have. There’s no extra effort needed except to just endure the discomfort of high heat to the point of heavy perspiration. Having a 20-30 minute sauna sesh does a lot of good things for your body, to include:
Detoxification
Increase Blood Flow
Stress Relief
Sleep Quality
Red light infrared sauna has been very popular as of late. Companies who offer residential/self-install saunas often have an option that includes red light. Red light not only adds to muscle recovery efforts but also overall skin health, providing a lot of benefit all in one package. A good option is the Thera360 Plus by THERASAGE, which is what my family uses for sauna therapy. This product works well indoors for smaller homes, because it’s easy to install and doesn’t take up too much space. It has an opening on top to expose your head, keeping it from overheating, and comes with its own wooden chair to sit inside of it.
The Cold
You may have heard the term “shock your muscles”. It’s the idea of programming varied movements in your workouts instead of doing the same thing each session. The outcome expected is better muscle growth, without your body getting bored by doing the same routine over and over again.
That same idea is what makes cold therapy so effective. The sudden chill gives our bodies a “cold shock response” that has numerous benefits. When your body is fighting against cold water temps your blood vessels initially constrict but then widen with the prolonged exposure, which helps increase blood flow throughout the body.
The most popular way to do this is via cold plunge, which is the act of submerging the body up to the neck in extremely cold water. Ideal temperature for those wanting the benefit of muscle recovery should shoot for somewhere between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit, and plunging no more than three minutes.
Other benefits of a cold plunge include:
Reduced Inflammation
Immune Boost
Testosterone Improvement
Sleep Quality
Over the past few years many different brands have developed their own versions of cold plunge, to include both inflatable and hardback options. Like the sauna, it really just depends on your home setup and what you’re willing to spend. I use the Ice Barrel 500, which has built in steps, a low seat with lots of room inside, and holds the temperature impressively (even in the Texas heat).
Together: In Conclusion
Both heat and cold therapies have a load of benefits when used on their own, but are also a great combo when used together. Contrast therapy is when you utilize both tools back to back. Some say it doesn’t necessarily matter the order of which you execute the therapy, but I find that starting with the sauna and going straight to the cold plunge after gives my body the most shock when it needs a good reset.
An important note before you try contrast therapy, or either of these therapies individually, is to start slow and be aware of your body. Like weightlifting, a muscle shock to failure has a lot of benefits for growth, but if we’re underneath the barbell on a bench press and we’ve failed with nobody around, it could have dire consequences. Better to start slow and know your body before going all in.
There will always be a new miracle drug, but some of the most beneficial therapies have held up over the test of time. Ancient civilizations understood and utilized these therapies as natural gifts of the Earth before they had health insurance. A healthy body requires consistent maintenance with frequent challenges, not one time remedies in comfortable settings. Embrace the discomfort, your life depends on it.