How to prepare for contrast therapy

The key to contrast therapy is in the rapid changes produced in your circulatory system when you go from very hot to very cold water.

1. Hydrate
2. Move
3. Shower
4. Sauna - wipe off sweat
5. Shower
6. Plunge
7. Sauna - wipe off sweat
8. Cold shower

9. After your session

   
   

10. Drink plenty of water before your session

    You want to enter the sauna's heat already hydrated, and top up with small sips during your session. While sweating is great, too much can leave you tired and nauseous. Bring your keep bottle or buy drinks at the studio.

11. Prepare with a workout

    To maximise the benefits of your session, we recommend getting your blood pumping – pretty much anything you can think of to dilate those blood vessels, from Yoga to Barre, reformer to Strength.

3 . Shower

To maximise the detoxification benefits of the heat, you need to rinse off every inch of your skin and thoroughly wash your face so that all makeup, sweat and dirt are gone. You want to enter the sauna completely fresh, with no chemicals in the pores of your skin.

4. Inside the sauna

   A towel inside the sauna is compulsory. Bring your own or hire one for $4 at the studio. You'll need the towel to sit on inside the sauna and wipe the sweat off your skin during your session. Do not leave the sweat to sit on your skin, this will block the pores. Wiping the sweat off the skin surface during your session also removes any built-up toxins excreted from the skin and promotes additional sweating.

5. Shower

   After around 20 minutes of building a sweat, go to the shower to rinse off toxins.

6. Plunge

   The ice bath is set to 7 degrees; try submerging your whole body, including your shoulders, so that your heart is also immersed. To begin with, you may only be able to manage a few seconds, but incrementally, over time, you'll see your capacity for improvement. Repeat this sequence as many times as you like. Always hit the shower for a rinse before hopping into the ice bath.

7. Sauna

   Hop back in the sauna. Ensure you wipe excess water off your body from the ice bath before the sauna to stimulate sweating, not just evaporating ice bath water.

8. Take a cold shower after

   After exposure to heat, all your pores will have opened, and your body will feel cleansed. Once you're done, it's time to close those pores shut and rise away from all that sweat so that the toxins are not reabsorbed into your body after you've worked so hard to eliminate them. A cold shower after your session will close your pores and rejuvenate your entire body by boosting your circulation.

9.After your session.

After your session, we recommend drinking water continually; you may even want to add electrolytes to your next drink.

You will have 60 minutes in the sauna room, including showering. If you need additional time to get ready, please head to the locker rooms, where we also have hair dryers and straighteners.

Please note, that you must not drink alcohol before an infrared sauna session.