Contrast Therapy
Heat. Cold. Recover. Repeat.
Experience the powerful combination of infrared sauna and cold plunge therapy at Coastal Wellness Innovative Health Lounge in Carolina Forest.
Contrast therapy alternates periods of heat and cold to create an invigorating recovery experience. Whether you’re recovering from a tough workout, looking to relieve tired muscles, or simply want to feel refreshed, our dedicated Fire & Ice Contrast Therapy experience makes it easy to add hot and cold therapy to your wellness routine.
Available at our Carolina Forest Location Only!
95 McLeod Health Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
What Is Contrast Therapy?
Contrast therapy involves alternating between heat and cold exposure during the same recovery session.
At Coastal Wellness, you’ll move between the warmth of our infrared sauna and the cold of our cold plunge, allowing your body to experience controlled changes in temperature. Athletes and active individuals commonly use hot and cold therapies as part of their recovery routines. Contrast sessions can also be a great option for anyone looking for a challenging, refreshing, and relaxing wellness experience.
One Session. Two Recovery Experiences.
INFRARED SAUNA
Start with heat. Unlike a traditional sauna that primarily heats the surrounding air, an infrared sauna uses infrared energy to warm the body while creating a comfortable, relaxing sauna experience. A sauna session can help you unwind, warm up your muscles, and prepare yourself for the cold plunge that follows.
Potential Benefits of Hybrid/Infrared Sauna
- Promotes relaxation
- Encourages temporary increases in circulation
- Helps warm muscles before cold exposure
- May help relieve minor muscle soreness and stiffness
- Promotes sweating
- Heats up to 193 degrees
- Provides a relaxing recovery experience
- Can complement an active lifestyle and recovery routine
COLD PLUNGE
Then comes the cold. Cold plunge therapy involves briefly immersing your body in cold water. The sudden change in temperature creates an intense but refreshing experience. Cold-water immersion is commonly used after exercise and athletic activity to help with recovery and temporary muscle soreness.
Potential Benefits of Cold Plunge Therapy
- May help reduce post-exercise muscle soreness
- Supports recovery after physical activity
- Provides an invigorating experience
- May help you feel refreshed and alert
- Can be incorporated into an athletic recovery routine
- Provides controlled cold exposure in a dedicated recovery environment
Why Combine Hot & Cold Therapy?
The transition between heat and cold is what makes contrast therapy different from using either service alone. Heat promotes warmth and relaxation, while cold provides a short, intense recovery stimulus. Alternating between the two creates a unique experience that many people use to complement exercise, sports, and their overall recovery routine.
Contrast therapy may be especially appealing if you’re looking for a recovery experience that leaves you feeling refreshed, energized, and accomplished.
Benefits of Contrast Therapy
Support Post-Workout Recovery
After a hard workout, long run, golf game, or physically demanding day, contrast therapy can be incorporated into your recovery routine to help address tired and sore muscles.
Help With Muscle Soreness
Cold-water immersion has been studied for its potential to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness following exercise. Pairing cold exposure with heat gives you the added relaxation of a sauna experience.
Encourage Circulation
Exposure to heat and cold causes normal changes in blood vessel diameter and blood flow as your body responds to changing temperatures.
Relax & Recharge
Recovery isn’t only about exercise. Spending intentional time away from your normal routine can provide an opportunity to relax and reset.
Challenge Yourself
For many people, stepping into the cold is the hardest part.
Learning to remain calm and control your breathing during a cold plunge can turn your recovery session into both a physical and mental challenge.
The hardest thing you’ll do today is step in.
Who Is Contrast Therapy For?
You don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy contrast therapy. Our Fire & Ice experience may be a great addition to your routine if you:
- Exercise regularly
- Lift weights or participate in CrossFit-style training
- Run or cycle
- Play golf, pickleball, tennis, or other sports
- Spend long hours on your feet
- Have physically demanding workdays
- Experience occasional muscle soreness after activity
- Enjoy sauna or cold exposure
- Want to add dedicated recovery time to your routine
- Are looking for a new wellness experience
What to Expect During Your Contrast Therapy Session
Your session takes place in our dedicated Fire & Ice Contrast Therapy room at our Carolina Forest Innovative Health Lounge. You’ll alternate between the infrared sauna and cold plunge throughout your session.
A typical experience may look like:
HEAT → COLD → RECOVER → REPEAT
Start by allowing your body to warm up in the infrared sauna. When you’re ready, transition into the cold plunge for a shorter period of cold exposure. You can then return to the sauna and repeat the cycle based on your comfort level and experience.
There is no prize for staying in the cold longer than your body can safely tolerate. New clients should start conservatively and gradually become accustomed to cold exposure.
Contrast Therapy FAQs
Your overall session provides enough time to experience both the infrared sauna and cold plunge without feeling rushed. The amount of time spent in each temperature will vary based on your experience, comfort level, and goals. Beginners should generally use shorter periods of cold exposure rather than trying to stay submerged for extended periods. Our team will explain how to use the equipment before your first session.
We recommend bringing:
- A swimsuit
- Comfortable clothing to change into afterward
- Water for hydration
- Any personal toiletries you may want after your session
Towels and other available amenities can be confirmed when booking your appointment.
Contrast therapy is designed around alternating between heat and cold. If you’re interested in only one recovery modality, ask us about available individual recovery services.
Our cold plunge provides controlled cold-water immersion. The appropriate temperature and duration can vary depending on your experience and tolerance. Beginners should start conservatively rather than immediately attempting very cold temperatures or long immersion times.
The sauna is designed to provide an infrared heat experience rather than simply maximizing temperature. Your session should feel hot but tolerable, and you can exit at any time if you become uncomfortable.
More time isn’t necessarily better. New users should begin with brief cold exposure and gradually increase their tolerance. Always exit immediately if you feel dizzy, faint, confused, excessively numb, or otherwise unwell.
No. You do not need to put your head underwater to experience cold-water immersion.
That can depend on your goals and personal preference. Some people prefer finishing cold because they enjoy the refreshed feeling afterward, while others prefer ending with warmth and relaxation.
Yes. Sauna, cold-water immersion, and contrast therapy are commonly incorporated into post-exercise recovery routines.
Absolutely. You don’t need to work out immediately before your session. Contrast therapy can be used as a dedicated recovery or wellness experience.
A swimsuit or other appropriate clothing designed for water immersion is recommended.
We recommend leaving electronics outside of high-heat environments. Excessive heat and moisture can damage phones, watches, and other electronic devices.
Frequency varies based on your health, activity level, experience with heat and cold exposure, and personal goals. Some people incorporate sauna and cold exposure into their wellness routines several times per week.
No. Heat and cold exposure are not appropriate for everyone.
People with certain heart, blood pressure, vascular, circulatory, neurological, or other medical conditions may need to avoid extreme temperatures or receive medical clearance first. Pregnancy, recent surgery, certain medications, and other health circumstances may also affect whether sauna or cold immersion is appropriate.
If you have a medical condition or aren’t sure whether contrast therapy is appropriate for you, speak with your healthcare provider before participating.
Never continue a session if you feel faint, dizzy, confused, have chest pain, experience difficulty breathing, or otherwise feel unwell.
Make Recovery Part of Your Routine
Contrast therapy is only one way to recover at Coastal Wellness Innovative Health Lounge. Combine your Fire & Ice experience with other recovery services available at our Carolina Forest location, including:
- Red Light Therapy
- Normatec Compression Therapy
- Infrared Sauna
- Cold Plunge Therapy
- Whole-Body Cryotherapy
Ask about our recovery memberships for an easy way to incorporate recovery services into your regular wellness routine.