Contrast Bath

 

Hot/cold water bathing therapy increases circulation and revitalizes through releasing tension and stimulating the system. Hot water stimulates blood flow to the surface of the skin while cold water stimulates blood flow to the core of the body.

Hot/Cold Benefits

Hot/Cold Botanicals

Time & Temperature

Hot/Cold Protocol

Only recently recognized in the United States as a necessity for health maintenance, water therapies are quickly growing in popularity. Your bathroom can be your own mini-spa. Following a hot/cold water therapy program will help you to maintain optimum physical and emotional health.

Photo by Diamond Spas, Stainless Steel Cold Plunge Pool
Click on photo to visit Diamond Spas

Those seeking the benefits of hot/cold immersion therapy should be in good physical health. All others should seek the advice of their physician before participating in contrast bath therapy. Contrast baths are primarily used to stimulate circulation.

Contrast baths are not recommended for young children or very old adults.

Botanicals are typically not introduced to cold water immersion pools. The benefits of the stimulating cold temperatures are what is sought from cold water immersion.

Botanicals can, however, be added to the hot water. For example a hot botanical mineral bath can be followed by pure cold water immersion.  

The temperature of the hot bath portion of the contrast bath should be between 100 and 111 F. The intensity of the heat should match the bather's tolerance. The cold bath portion should be between 50 and 61 F. Hot bath immersion should not exceed ten minutes, and the cold immersion should not exceed three minutes and can be limited to even five seconds depending on bathers' preferences and tolerance levels.

Bathers with unstable health conditions should exercise extreme caution
when undergoing contrast baths. For those in robust health, contrast baths
offer a simplistic and rejuvenating health maintenance treatment.

1.   Wash body well with olive oil soap.
2.   Submerge in a pure hot water bath or a botanical mineral bath for eight      
      minutes.
3.   Submerge in a pure cold water bath for not more than three minutes. Be
      sure to rub the body while submerged in the cold water.
4.   Return to the hot water bath for not more than ten minutes.
5.   Repeat the process a couple of times.
6.   Hot water submersion should always be followed after cold. This means
      the bather should finish the contrast treatment in the hot bath.