Stress Your Body With Contrast Therapy & Temperature Changes

There’s nothing new about exposing your body to extreme temperatures to achieve a particular biological response.

In centuries past, being exposed to extreme temperatures was a form of torture. As the benefits became more evident, exposing one’s self to such temperatures became therapeutic, both mentally and physically.

Today, this exposure is known as contrast therapy; a term used to describe a technique involving alternating exposures to extremely cold and extremely hot temperatures.

With a prevailing culture around health and longevity, it’s no surprise that contrast therapy has become a popular means of therapy. With benefits you wouldn’t believe, contrast therapy is becoming a household activity, and for good reason.

Sure, it’s obscure to consciously submit yourself to an ice plunge or extended sauna session. After all, it can be quite stressful, right? Right. However, stress by definition isn’t always a negative thing and, in fact, can be quite an advantageous thing.

In this article, we’ll be diving deep into the meaning of stress, how it can be beneficial, and why contrast therapy has become the ideal means of achieving such stress.

But first, what is contrast therapy?!

What is Contrast Therapy? 

To summarize, contrast therapy is a technique utilized to place one’s body and mind in a stressful but manageable environment to elicit a particular response. While many have a harmful, naive view of contrast therapy, the literature states otherwise.

Of course, like anything, contrast therapy can be dangerous if not performed responsibly and without the proper supervision. Nonetheless, that isn’t to say it’s not beneficial if executed correctly.

Contrast therapy is an alternating sequence between an ice bath (or another means of the cold temperature) and a sauna (or another means of hot temperature). Beginning with heat exposure, begin by dialing the heat up to 80 degrees celsius or a temperature at which you can bear. After sitting in this heat for 15-30 minutes, it’s time to alternate to the cold exposure.

After your body has been exposed to the heat for some time, it’s now time for a 1-5 minute dip in the ice bath! The temperature and duration at which you complete this phase will depend dramatically on your tolerance and experience level.

This alternating therapy can be repeated 3-5 times for optimal benefits. 

Next, what is stress? While many have a naive perspective on stress is negative, it can actually be quite the opposite. Continue reading to learn more!

What is Stress? 

By definition, stress is a level of psychological and physiological pain or discomfort that one experiences when the inner thoughts don’t align with the outer environment. In other words, when faced with external demands and expectations too much for our minds to handle, we enter into a state of stress.

If you allow this internal struggle to become fearful to the point of crippling inactions, stress can become disadvantageous. However, through training the body and mind to handle certain levels of stress (i.e. through contrast therapy), you become better equipped for life’s obstacles. Ultimately, you become a better person; a healthier person, both mentally and physically.

Stress can sometimes be bad. However, stress can also sometimes be beneficial. It just depends on how you manage it.

Contrast therapy can help with that management.

Now that we’ve defined contrast therapy and stress, it’s time to dive deeper into the abundant benefits of temperature change and the effects that it has on the body and mind.

Without further ado, the benefits of extreme temperature exposure:

Benefits of Hot and Cold Exposure 

As previously implied, stressing the body isn’t always a bad thing and can be quite an advantageous thing. Through participating in contrast therapy, or any type of temperature change for that matter, the body and mind can receive incredible benefits, both for health and longevity, among other things.

Below is a list of benefits from stressing your body with temperature changes: 

• Improves Blood Flow and Circulation
• Boosts Brain Function and Mood
• Increases Longevity through Hormesis (we will explain this term later)
• Enhances Recovery
• Releases Endorphins, Norepinephrine, and Dopamine
• Stimulates Fat loss
• Boosts Energy Production through “Mitochondrial Biogenesis”
• Strengthens Mental Resilience
• Improves Overall Health and Wellbeing

Executing a contrast therapy session effectively requires extreme focus, concentrated breathing, and maintaining a sense of calm throughout. The result is a fanatical release of physical and mental tension, among the benefits listed above.

Exposing ourselves to acute stress (aka hormesis) and placing ourselves in an environment of discomfort is hard. However, by repeating the process over and over again, you not only gain an extraordinary amount of willpower but you gain a level of physical and mental health not otherwise attainable.

In summary, current research suggests that consistent exposure to temperature changes in the form of ice baths/cold showers, and saunas/hot baths, results in a decreased risk of early mortality and thus an increased lifespan.

There’s truly no greater gift…

In Summary 

In summary, contrast therapy is an incredible tool for your mental and physical well-being. For those that remain committed, contrast therapy can provide tremendous benefits such as muscle & cardiovascular health, brain cognition, resiliency, and more.

If you don’t have access to an ice bath or sauna, don’t worry. All you need for a simple at-home approach is a shower. A simple turn of the water temperature will suffice.

Start with a 20-second on 20-second off-cycle and build from there.

Temperature changes most certainly stress the body, however, this isn’t always a bad thing. As we’ve learned throughout this article, it can actually be used as quite an advantageous tool for both physical and mental benefits.

It’s time to shift our perspective on stress and begin to use it to our advantage.

Read also our article on Ozone Therapy and its benefits.