What to Try in 2025: Contrast Therapy
Every year around this time, I like to share a workout that is all the rage. It’s usually a fitness trend that I am noticing. A way to sweat that I am currently loving and think you will, too. But this year I am doing things a little differently. I’m not showing you a workout to try in 2025. And that’s because I have noticed a big trend among this audience. You guys want to get healthy. And while that drive for overall health and wellness certainly includes fitness, I see you guys. I see that you want to do all the things. The things that make your mind, body and spirit as good as can be. And I hear you. So I am pivoting a bit with this annual post. And I may just be shifting gears a little more with my blog too in 2025.
So this year I am sharing a wellness trend. One that is gaining popularity in the health and wellness space, as well as in our area. Six months ago when someone asked me where to go to do this trend, there was literally no local business that I could recommend. And I’m pretty sure I told every person who approached me with a new business idea that they had to incorporate this trend into their business model. But now, as we are about to start 2025, in this upcoming year, there will be more than a half a dozen places that I can send that person to. And that’s because the wellness trend of Contrast Therapy is going to be huge in 2025 and readily available right here on the Main Line. Finally!
Contrast Therapy is the movement between hot and cold.
So what is Contrast Therapy? Contrast Therapy is a treatment that alternates between hot and cold temperatures. This trend could involve hot and cold baths, but my preferred method is via saunas and cold plunges. You may have seen me doing Contrast Therapy recently on Instagram. I have been eager to try out all the new businesses offering it. (And I’ll get to a list of all those places at the end of this post).
Saunas offer so many benefits like detoxification, lowering blood pressure, relaxation, improving sleep, and anti-aging skin effects. And cold plunges improve immunity and sleep quality, increase fat burning, boost your mood and help with pain. But when put together, Contrast Therapy improves circulation, calms the mind and speeds up healing. My favorite part is the natural high I get from Contrast Therapy. That’s from the rush of endorphins (norepinephrine, dopamine, adrenaline and serotonin) that lasts for hours. My energy goes through the roof after this treatment. The overall benefits of both the sauna and cold plunge are amplified when done together. The movement between hot and cold causes opposing circulatory changes to happen fast. This results in the blood vessels pumping, which decreases inflammation and in turn, pain. And that’s why athletes love this type of treatment. Muscle soreness is also relieved because Contrast Therapy decreases the effects of lactic acid buildup caused by exercise.
A few things to know when Contrasting:
Does the type of sauna matter? People tend to feel very strongly about this one. But when it comes to Contrast Therapy and the goal of opening the blood vessels with heat, either will do the job. But here is a little more about the types of saunas:
Infrared saunas use light therapy to heat the body from within, which some say results in a better sweat and more health benefits. It is recommended to set an infrared sauna between 120-140°F for at least 20 minutes, but 30-45 minutes seems to be the sweet spot. Longer infrared sauna sessions yield more health benefits. These saunas may be characterized by colored lights, typically red, but each color comes with various benefits - it’s called chromotherapy.
Infrared saunas heat up faster and can be maintained at lower temperatures to achieve the health benefits.
The traditional sauna (known as the Finnish sauna) uses dry heat to heat the room. If desired, steam can be added by pouring water atop of the heated stones inside the sauna. But without the steam, the low humidity of this sauna causes you to sweat faster. The dry sauna is kept hotter, between 150-200°F for all the benefits. And because of the higher temperatures, it’s not recommended to stay in this type of sauna as long. Twenty minutes is good. Thirty minutes is the max. There are usually various levels of seats inside the sauna, with the higher seats being the hotter spots. These saunas are made of cedar, spruce or pine and smell absolutely incredible. The wood absorbs any moisture in the sauna to keep the humidity low.
This type of sauna is believed to have been around since 7000 BC. Today, it is a huge part of Finnish culture and its popularity is moving all over the world.
New to the sauna? Start with a 15 minute session and work your way up.
When it comes to the cold plunge, time and temperature does matter. Getting into a cold plunge for a few seconds may seem brave, but that isn’t going to provide you with any of the benefits of this therapy. One minute is a good starting time, with two minutes being the goal. I’ve learned that the benefits subside after two minutes. It’s recommended to ease into the cold, despite the myth of just jumping right in. And if you are coming right from the sauna, let your body regulate first. I tell people who haven’t cold plunged before that the first minute is quite uncomfortable. Your body will be shocked by the temperature. Your breathing may become irregular and your heart will race. Focusing on breath work through this initial minute really does help. It’s actually incredible what happens after that first minute though. You heart rate adjusts and a calmness comes over you. You will notice that your body has gone numb and it’s much more comfortable in the tub now. You should be aware that this numbness can be deceiving and dangerous though if you stay in too long. Always make sure you are timing yourself and never go into a cold plunge without anyone knowing.
To get the benefits of the cold plunge, stay in for 1-2 minutes and go in up to your shoulders (the water was not high enough for me here).
So what’s the proper temperature for a cold plunge? Between 45-60°F is a good place to be. The tub can be lowered to 33-37°F (depending on the type of equipment) for more experienced plungers. But again, I caution those extremists to be smart about jumping into temperatures that cold if no one is around. Also, it’s a good idea to protect toes and hands at temperatures that low.
Go all the way in. While I don’t dunk my head (as discussed below), you do want to get your shoulders submerged. If you are targeting a specific injury, people will use an ice bath to just soak that injured spot. But for all of the overall wellness benefits of the cold plunge, you want to put your entire body in.
The general rule is to start with the heat and end with the cold. You could go back and forth a few times but I prefer an extended stay in each environment just once. And there are risks when you move from the cold right into the heat that I don’t want to mess with.
It’s a good idea to wash your body before and after the sauna for sanitary reasons.
How many times a week should you do these therapies? While the benefits of the sauna do increase with more usage, the cold plunge is different. Plunging just a few times a week is all that is needed for those long term results.
Spending time inside the sauna every day increases the overall health benefits associated with the sauna.
When traveling between hot and cold, there are associated risks that you should be aware of. People with heart issues, high blood pressure, diabetes or epilepsy should absolutely consult their doctor before jumping in. When sitting water is involved, there are always risks of bacteria and infection. The good news is that bacteria doesn’t like the cold so with temperatures so low, those risks decrease or slow at least. Make sure that the water you are getting into is changed often and is being circulated. Filtered and/or chlorinated water are preferred— I won’t plunge without one of those. Also, when I cold plunge, I don’t put my head under to eliminate some of the bacteria risks, especially if other people were in the tub before me. If you ever feel dizzy or pain in either the sauna or cold plunge, you should immediately get out. It goes without saying (I hope) that you should not drink alcohol while inside, or before going into, the sauna or cold plunge. (Although I recently learned that “sauna beer” is part of Finnish culture).
This type of plunge doesn’t have a filter so the water is cleaned using a hydrogen peroxide-based solution, which is a safe and non-toxic sanitizer.
As promised, here is that long awaited list of where to go in our area for Contrast Therapy. I really hope that the person who asked me this question over the summer is reading this blog post:
This is the modern Contrast Therapy set up of the new Retreat, above The Vault in Morton, PA.
SweatHouz. 925 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr PA 19010. The SweatHouz franchise is set to open in Bryn Mawr at the end of January. This beautiful and modern franchise offers private sauna/cold plunge suites to clients for an hour at a time. Each suite has a television, a Vitamin C shower and access to the fully stocked “beauty bar”. Customize your experience by selecting an aroma and a color to accompany your therapies. I love that they offer music, television, meditation apps and podcasts during your visit. Sounds like this place has literally thought of everything and I can’t wait for it to open, hopefully on time! I don’t have pricing information yet.
Cold Plunge Philly. 1213 Darby Road, Havertown PA 19083. Cold Plunge Philly is planning to open before the end of the year in Havertown. Who knows--by the time this blog post is published, they could be open for business. They will have a large, Redwood barrel sauna that fits 8 people, 2 extra large “all-in” plunges with a filter and chiller system, 1 standard plunge, and 1 barrel plunge for a vertical experience. There is also a private rinse room. Cold Plunge Philly offers $99/mo memberships for unlimited access to their saunas and cold plunges, which is the best deal I’ve found. I like that they give customers different cold plunge types and temperature options. The first visit is free and thereafter it’s only $25 to drop in for each therapy.
The Retreat at The Vault. 25. S. Morton Ave., Morton PA 19070. Above the popular Vault Jiu Jitsu in Morton, PA (which I just found out is next to Springfield, Delaware County) is yet another Contrast Therapy studio that plans to open right away in 2025. This place has the Cadillac of cold plunges. The BlueCube CoreChill cold plunge is a beast. It has the “river mode” which moves the water at various speeds, making it even more challenging. The cold plunge room is next to the Clearlight Sanctuary Y infrared sauna. The Retreat also offers 6D massage chairs, Normatec compression booties and red light therapy. All therapies will be available for an hour use at a time for Retreat members. The Retreat will have 2 cold plunges and 2 saunas in this second floor space when they open. (Plus, there is a Morozko Forge plunge - the coldest plunge out there- and a Finnleo traditional sauna in the basement of the Jiu Jitsu gym downstairs). I got a sneak peak of this place last week, so be sure to check out my Instagram to see me back-to-back cold plunging in these unique pieces of equipment. Given the quality of the equipment at this spot, pricing is a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for!
Fiorst. You may recall that time I had a mobile sauna and cold plunge in my driveway for a week. I was fortunate to be one of the very first to use the services of the new mobile sauna company, Fiorst. The gorgeous cedar trailer houses a large cedar dry sauna room, as well as a large tub that can be made cold or hot depending on the temperature of the water that is added to it. What started as strictly a mobile business has now turned into more of a hybrid, with more than 50% of the schedule being filled up at a picturesque spot overlooking Valley Forge Park. There, Fiorst has been busy with private rentals and some communal usage of the sauna and plunge. Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this with strangers, but they do offer women-only communal hours at a lower cost to make Contrast Therapy more accessible. While I did love the idea of the mobile business of Fiorst, the private rental usage at this spot is still an intimate setting and a great opportunity for all my fitness biz friends to use for a retreat. For those wondering, the water inside the tub is cleaned using a hydrogen peroxide-based solution, which is an eco-friendly and non-toxic sanitizer. An outdoor shower attaches to the trailer for a quick rinse off after the sauna and before the cold plunge.
Cure De Repos. 65 Cricket Ave., Ardmore PA 19003. This new, gorgeous spa in Ardmore also has an infrared sauna and a filtered cold plunge, which users of the spa get to take advantage of for thirty minutes before their facial or massage. People can also purchase a sauna/cold plunge membership for more regular usage (amounting to between $20.82 and $31.25 for each therapy, depending on the type of membership purchased). I love this idea because contrast therapy has to be done consistently over time to reap the long term benefits. While the cold plunge is located in a separate, private room of the spa, the sauna is in a part of the common area hallway of the spa that is sectioned off with a privacy screen. But this boutique spa offers such a private and intimate experience all around that using the sauna in the hallway isn’t really an issue… you just can’t wear your birthday suit. There is a shower on site for you to rinse off.
This is the mobile Contrast Therapy trailer that comes to you when you book with Fiorst.
There are at least a few more other spots on the Main Line that I know plan to add Contrast Therapy to their list of services in 2025 (and a little birdie told me that one of those is the popular wellness center, DTXFY in Wayne and Manayunk).
DTXFY plans to get at least one cold plunge to compliment their saunas.
If you live closer to Philadelphia, Common Sauna is a Philly-based mobile Contrast Therapy company, The Sporting Club also has saunas in the locker room and cold plunges in the pool area, and Formation is a sauna and wellness studio that offers complimentary cold plunges to pair with their saunas (and it’s currently on my list to visit so stay tuned).
If you try Contrast Therapy in 2025, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Remember, the more you do it, the more the benefits stack up. I look forward to getting healthy together in 2025. Happy New Year!