The age of cold plunging is upon us, with many finding endless benefits in the practice of cold therapy for their physical and mental well-being. A new trend gaining traction is the concept of contrast bathing.
This wellness therapy alternates between hot and cold water immersion to enhance circulation, reduce muscle soreness and support overall recovery. Hot water dilates blood vessels and relaxes muscles, while cold water constricts blood vessels, reduces inflammation and numbs pain.
The practice begins by participants immersing themselves in warm water, usually between 98-104°F, for about 3-5 minutes. The warmth helps to relax muscles and increase blood flow. Then, participants switch to cold water, typically between 50-59°F, for about 1-2 minutes. The cold helps reduce inflammation and numb the area. These immersions are then repeated for about 3-4 cycles, ending with cold water.
We spoke with Dr. Marcus Coplin (MC), a naturopathic medical doctor who specializes in integrative physical and rehabilitation medicine, oncology and balneology. He’s also the medical director at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, where over 50 geothermal pools, cold plunges, and water features allow guests to participate in contrast bathing. He provided expert insight into the wellness benefits of this therapy and how spas can implement contrast bathing into their programming.
WS: What is contrast bathing?
MC: Simply put, contrast bathing is alternating immersing your body between two ranges of temperature baths, one hot and one cool. As simple as it sounds, the effects are quite sophisticated and wide-reaching. Using two opposite temperature ranges and moving your body between them passively forces your body to adjust and adapt to these healthy stressors.
A healthy stress is something that stimulates the body without hurting it, and as our body attempts to keep itself in a physiologically optimal space in response to heat and cold, those two different environments activate two different adaptation responses. When used in tandem, the effects become like a system of exercise, not only for the body, but the circulation and biochemistry all the way to the cellular level.
Related: Why Your Clients Want Thermal Bathing Experiences
WS: What are the wellness benefits of contrast bathing?
MC: I have used methods of contrast bathing for over 15 years as a central component of the treatment of a variety of complex and chronic conditions. The great thing about contrast bathing is that even though it has a very sophisticated action and effect on health, it is easy, and with some basic instruction, safe to include as part of a self-care routine. Contrast bathing not only provides its own set of researched benefits, but will also amplify the other lifestyle components you are using to build your optimal self, including your diet, exercise and sleep routines.
The healthy stress that your body undergoes to maintain its optimal temperature in a hot water bath or a sauna and in cold water plunges actually sets into motion a variety of activities that have a positive benefit on our health. These benefits can include: improving circulation, normalizing blood pressure, balancing hormonal signals, erasing accumulated mental stress, easing muscle tension, protecting joint cartilage, regulating immune function, reducing inflammation, enhancing tissue waste elimination and improving metabolic function.
WS: Why do you think contrast bathing is trending in wellness?
MC: Plain and simply because you feel the results. From even just one cycle, the effects on the circulation and the nervous system are profound. As you make this a focused part of wellness weekend, a longer stay health vacation, or a regular part of a self-care routine, the cumulative effects of multiple circuits, just like any exercise condition, are deeper acting and more long-lasting.
WS: How can spas offer contrast bathing packages or treatments effectively?
MC: Understanding the elements is key. Even though the application of a contrast bath is seemingly simple, to get the benefits, a few factors need to be understood. Contrast bathers and spas looking to implement this therapy might often ask, "What is the best temperature to use?" Surprisingly to some in our culture, more is not always better. The real sweet spot of this therapy is to activate the intrinsic regulatory mechanisms - your body's systems of health regulation and protection - that offset the healthy stressors, without overwhelming or exhausting the systems. In a clinical setting, this is straightforward because as a physician trained in this approach to treatment, you understand the way to monitor and assess what a patient needs and when those needs change. With a wellness setting where guests are not under direct medical supervision, the keys are to educate and offer alternatives.
At Murrieta, we build a lot of education into the passive experience of our guests. Little cues are peppered throughout the guest journey, and if we are doing it right, guests don't even realize they are learning about how to care for themselves as they find their pathway to wellness just by exploring and having fun. Because we are so fortunate to have access to such a rich resource of naturally flowing, unadulterated, alkaline mineral water, our only task becomes how quickly we move it from the source to the different pools to create a variety of temperature experiences.
For guests who want to delve deeper into the science of balneology, or therapeutic mineral water bathing, we have educational pamphlets and key signage that discuss the different temperatures, and how they have been classically prescribed, as well as some of the researched benefits of the components of the water. However, for most guests, we encourage them to listen to their bodies, hydrate, rest and not overdo it. One of our most popular features at Murrieta is our guided contrast Vitaliy Plunge. Our guests are guided in specific techniques and fortified with the knowledge of how to get the most from a contrast circuit based on their body's own signals.
