Learn more about Fire and Ice below.
The Benefits of Fire and Ice (Hot & Cold plunges)
Heat therapies have long been used for healing and wellness, dating all the way back to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Mayans. The sauna is simply a room designed specifically to help you sweat. What’s more, science stands behind saunas, and modern medicine has proven 10 clinical health benefits of saunas that will leave you wanting to get your own sweat on soon.
The Power of Cold Plunges
In the quest for optimal health and wellness, individuals are constantly seeking new and effective methods to enhance their physical and mental well-being. One such method that has gained considerable attention in recent years is cold therapy, particularly in the form of cold plunging. Cold therapy involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures for a short period. This practice, rooted in ancient traditions, has been modernized through the use of cold plunge ice baths.
The underlying principle of cold therapy is to provoke a physiological response that can lead to various health benefits.
Cold therapy, particularly in the form of cold plunging, has emerged as a powerful tool in the wellness industry, give it a try to see how it can benefit you!
1. Supercharge your cell power. Heat has been proven to positively impact your mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ powering your cells, helping your body naturally produce more energy and stay fit.
2. Slow down Aging! Cell regeneration means you slow the aging process. And if you’re not quite convinced, check out the20 year study of Finnish men that links two to three sauna sessions per week with a 23% decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
3. Detoxify heavy metals and chemicals. Everyday exposure to potentially toxic heavy metals through a variety of sources means even the most health conscious people still have toxins in the body. Regular sauna bathing helps excrete toxins such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
4. Make your heart happy and healthy. A 2018 study found that sauna bathing four to seven times per week reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by as much as 58%.
5. Reduce blood pressure. Sauna heat helps widen blood vessels and improve circulation, which reduces blood pressure.
6. Optimize athletic performance. Blood flow improvements from hyperthermic conditioning (heat conditioning) sends more blood to the heart, leading to an increase in plasma and red blood cell volume. That process delivers more oxygen throughout the body, fueling athletic performance.
7. Improve muscle function and recovery. As more blood flow and oxygen is delivered throughout the body, muscles increase in size and muscle breakdown is diminished. One study showed that two, one-hour sauna sessions for seven days straight increases production of the human growth hormone (HGH) by two to five times.
8. Fuel weight loss. Regular sauna use is shown to regulate the appetite, increase metabolism, and improve oxygen utilization, helping to fuel weight loss along with a reduction in body fat.
9. Boost brain function. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF increases with regular sauna use, activating the growth of new brain cells, better maintaining existing cells, and improving neuroplasticity, the brain’s process for forming new neural connections.
10. Ignite your immune system. Heat exposure from sauna use increases the heat shock protein, stimulating antigen-presenting cells, along with releasing cytokine, thus stimulating the body’s natural immune system.
BONUS BENEFIT: Improve emotional health and mood. When your body and brain are healthy, detoxified, and de-stressed, and you’ve boosted endorphins, your overall mood and emotional health improves.
1. Reducing muscle inflammation and soreness after intense physical activity, making it a favorite among athletes.
2. Improve circulation by encouraging blood to flow to vital organs.
3. Strengthens the immune system by increasing white blood cell count. There is evidence to suggest that regular cold plunges can.
4. Enhance mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels, improving sleep patterns, and potentially alleviating symptoms of depression.