What is contrast therapy?

Contrast therapy is a post-session recovery technique that combines exposing the body to hot and cold temperatures. If you find recovering from a workout slow-going, contrast therapy can help. 

Find out more about contrast therapy benefits, including how it works, and how you can easily incorporate it into your recovery routine. 

Contrast therapy explained 

The idea behind contrast therapy, also known as hot and cold therapy, is that these alternating temperatures can help increase blood flow and relax muscles (hot temperatures), while also reducing swelling (cold temperatures). 

4 common contrast therapy methods

There are several methods for integrating it into your post-session recovery. A benefit of this is that you’re not just stuck with one method; you can try others to find the one that works best for your recovery and your preferences. 

1. Hot and cold baths

This hot and cold therapy is exactly what it sounds like: you alternate between a hot bath and a cold bath. Make sure to keep your time in each bath to 1-2 minutes to limit your exposure to hot and cold temperatures. 

2. Sauna and cold plunge

Start your regular sauna session (an infrared sauna also works for this method) to heat up your body, then switch to a cold plunge to drop your body temperature. Repeat for up to 4 cycles. 

3. Contrast showers

Like hot and cold baths, contrast showers involve switching between hot and cold temperatures in the shower for 30-60 second sessions. This method is more direct as you’re only in one location and it doesn’t require leaving the shower. 

4. Localised contrast therapy

This is a targeted method that focuses on a particular region of the body, using hot and cold compresses. For example, if you’ve sprained your ankle, you can first apply a cold compress to help reduce the inflammation. You can then alternate to a hot compress for improved blood flow and to encourage muscle repair. 

Contrast therapy benefits

Contrast therapy provides a number of health benefits that can help your body heal faster after a workout. Here are a few of the benefits that have been found.

Recovery support

A 2025 study determined that contrast therapy can be a great addition to your established recovery routine. Its ability to reduce inflammation and assist in pain relief makes it a no-brainer to include the next time you’re feeling sore after the gym. 

Improved circulation

The same study found that switching between hot and cold temperatures stimulates blood flow and circulation. Better circulation is tied to the health of your heart and cardiovascular system, improved muscle and joint functions, and giving a boost to your cognitive abilities. 

Relaxation aid

It’s been shown that contrast therapy can act as a relaxation tool by helping relieve muscle soreness. What’s better after a workout than feeling the endorphins of exercise combined with a relaxing recovery session?

How to make contrast therapy part of your recovery routine

If you’re already incorporating a traditional or infrared sauna into your recovery session, then adding a cold plunge to make it a contrast water therapy is an easy way to transform it into contrast therapy.

Just make sure you control the temperatures - exposing yourself to extreme heat or cold for too long can be harmful. 

Should you be hot or cold on contrast therapy?

Contrast therapy can be an effective method of recovery after exertion. It’s important to note: if you have any health conditions, you should consult with a health professional before trying it out.

If you’re interested in experiencing contrast therapy for yourself, you can try it out at one of Virgin Active’s rest and recovery facilities.