As summer arrives, we often see an uptick in physical activity and fitness goals as we enjoy the great outdoors. With the fun, however, comes increased odds for potential injury or burn-out. Whether you’re hitting the gym as the season is warming up, enjoying time with friends and family in the sun, or simply looking for a new experience to strengthen your body, a Sauna & Cold Plunge is a perfect partner for your routine. This exposure workout packs a big punch with its unique interplay of hot and cold to improve circulation and muscle recovery as well as boost immune function.
What happens to our bodies when we enter Menari’s infrared sauna and follow it with a cold plunge? First, the heat improves our arteries’ ability to dilate through feeding the protective lining of our blood vessels. This supports and regulates our blood pressure and blood clotting. The heat also triggers the body’s healing mechanisms, increasing white blood cell production and awakening the body’s natural defenses. Through our infrared sauna as opposed to a dry or Nordic sauna, these benefits are further enhanced through promoted cellular repair and reduced inflammation. What does that mean in layman’s terms? Your healing is sped up, your circulation is improved and makes physical activity easier, and you’re detoxifying your body. Then comes the cold plunge.
When we plunge ourselves into a drastically different temperature, our body constricts our blood vessels, slowing our heart rate and increasing blood pressure. There’s a sense of calm and clarity that can find us in the cold plunge as our bodies adapt despite that initial discomfort. The cold relieves muscle soreness and reduces inflammation; two benefits incredibly helpful for our more active, summer selves. The cold also reduces inflammation and supports immune functions like the sauna, giving you a one-two punch.
Through going back and forth with hot and cold you’ll switch between dilating and constricting your blood vessels, which makes them more pliable and flexible. This improves how you process blood during your everyday life and, perhaps especially helpful, as we undergo physical activity. You’re promoting faster muscle recovery with the aid of the sauna and cold plunge, both working to help muscle repair, while also benefiting from a grounding experience.