Combining cold plunges and a sauna can lead to the best benefits you can experience, whether you’re an athlete or someone who just wants to improve your body and mind.
To gain the most benefit from both cold plunge and sauna, it’s best to have a plan you’ll stick to.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about cold plunging and sauna, with steps on how to gain the most advantage from each one. Also, if you’re looking for the best cold plunge + sauna combo, you’ll find a great solution that easily fits everyone’s needs.
How to Use a Cold Plunge and Sauna
Using a Cold Plunge
The first and most important thing is to prepare the water and yourself. Set the water temperature between 50 to 59 degrees, as this is ideal for an effective cold plunge.
We recommend wearing comfortable swimwear or minimal clothing. One of the benefits of having your cold plunge at home is being able to decide how you prefer to cold plunge.
Also, it’s important not to forget to set a timer for your session. We recommend up to 3 minutes for beginners, and up to 5 minutes for seasoned cold plungers.
Steps:
- Start gradually - Start with shorter sessions if you’re new to cold plunging
- Control your breathing - Slow and deep breaths will help you stay calm as your body adjusts to the cold water
- Submerge fully - If you have a decently-sized cold plunge, submerge yourself fully, including even your shoulders and neck for more benefits
- Monitor your body - If you feel numb, dizzy, or discomfort, leave the cold plunge tub immediately
After the cold plunge session, dry off and warm yourself up with a blanket, have a hot beverage, or head off to the sauna (in case you don’t prefer doing sauna before a cold plunge).
Using a Sauna
Before using a sauna, we highly recommend you prepare yourself, just like you would for the cold plunge.
Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration while you set up the sauna temperature between 160 and 200 degrees (depending on your preference).
We recommend wearing light clothing or only a towel. If you decide to invest in a home sauna + cold plunge combo, you’ll have the benefits of accessing both the way you prefer the most.
Steps:
- Start with a short session - We recommend staying for only 5 to 10 minutes if you’re a beginner, or 15 to 20 minutes if you’re an experienced sauna user
- Breathe deeply - Enjoy the sauna time, relax, and unwind, or you can even take time to meditate
- Listen to your body - If you feel lightheaded, overheated, or uncomfortable, leave the sauna immediately
After the sauna, we recommend cooling down with a shower or even better yet, a cold plunge. It’s a great time to rehydrate yourself and rest to let your body fully recover.
Alternating Between Sauna and Cold Plunge
Now, there are two ways you can alternate. You can do a sauna first and then a cold plunge, or you can do a cold plunge first and then a sauna.
We highly recommend doing a sauna first and then a cold plunge. Each alternative has its pros and cons, which is something you should keep in mind.
Whichever way you choose to do it, it’s important to have a plan.
Start with a sauna and spend 10 to 20 minutes warming up and opening your pores. After that, we recommend transitioning to the cold plunge tub, which is where you should immerse yourself for up to 3 minutes. This will help you cool down and boost circulation.
If you’re a beginner, you can stop there after completing one alternation. However, if you’re not new to the sauna and cold plunge, you can repeat the cycle for 2 to 3 rounds. This will help you achieve maximum benefits.
Keep in mind that you should always end the cycle with a cold plunge, as this helps seal the effects and benefits.
After you complete the alternation, no matter how many cycles you do, it’s time to rest and hydrate, as this will allow your body to recover.
Key Tips for Safety and Effectiveness
One of the most important things we highly recommend is consulting yourself with a healthcare provider if you have any underlying medical conditions.
Everything you read here is a recommendation, but you know your body the best and you should follow your doctor’s advice depending on your health conditions.
Staying hydrated is something everyone knows, but it’s often overlooked. Hydration is super important during the alterations, especially if you’re doing more than one cycle.
However, if your body doesn’t feel like it’s ready for cycles, you should avoid overexposure. Extreme temperatures can stress your body and they’ll do more bad than good in the long run.
Our advice is to use the time in both the sauna and cold plunge tub to relax, unwind, and boost your wellness - as that’s what it’s all about.
Another way you can stay safe and yet effectively gain benefits is to monitor the temperature. This will allow you to know exactly what your limits are and also find the sweet spot where you can gain all the benefits without experiencing any discomfort or doing any harm to your body in the long run.
Avoiding alcohol and big heavy meals is also a common recommendation as this can impair judgment and speed up dehydration.
Using a cold plunge and sauna is all about the right strategy that will work best for your body. Listening to your body is important, so starting slow and building up your endurance is highly recommended.
Everyone will have different body limits to both sauna and cold plunge temperatures, so it’s important to stay safe. You don’t want to end up doing more bad than good in the long run. However, you’ll definitely experience benefits, even if you don’t push your body to its limit.