Recovering quickly after a workout matters just as much as what you do during the workout itself. If you’re training hard, your body needs time and support to repair, reset, and perform again. Skipping recovery steps can lead to slower gains, fatigue, and a higher risk of injury.
Building a consistent post-workout routine is a great way to help you stay on track with your workouts while avoiding injuries and fatigue. Cold therapy or contrast therapy is part of the recovery process of many athletes and is worth considering if you are looking for a better way to help your body recover. With a contrast therapy tub at home, this process can be even easier. Our Contrast8 tubs and cold therapy tubs at Wind River Spas are here to help Denver residents stay more consistent without having to rely on gym facilities or ice baths.
Why Recovery Matters Just as Much as Training
Recovery gives your muscles time to grow and repair, which is when the real progress of your workout happens. Every time you push through a difficult workout, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This microdamage is how the muscle becomes stronger, but it needs enough time and the right conditions to heal properly.
During the rest and recovery process, your body increases blood flow to the damaged tissues, reduces inflammation, and begins rebuilding your muscle proteins. Other systems are working hard during this stage, too, such as your hormones and your nervous system. Helping your body out during this time can make the process faster and give you better results from your workouts.
What Is Contrast Therapy?
Contrast therapy is when you alternate between cold and warm water immersion to boost your body’s natural healing and recovery processes. During the shift in temperature that happens, your blood vessels will either dilate or constrict, which promotes circulation and helps reduce inflammation. While a cold bath after a workout can be beneficial in and of itself, switching between cold and warm water can have many benefits that cold water alone can’t achieve.
A typical contrast session includes short intervals of just a few minutes each in both warm and cold water. This can be challenging to do at home, so some people go to a spa or gym to take advantage of their facilities and technology.
The Benefits of Contrast Therapy for Athletes
Reduces Muscle Inflammation and Soreness
One of the benefits of contrast therapy is its ability to reduce post-exercise inflammation. While inflammation is helpful after a workout because it helps your body heal your muscles, too much inflammation can cause stiffness, swelling, and prolonged soreness. Chronic inflammation can reduce performance, delay recovery, and increase the chance of injury. Alternating between hot and cold immersion limits excess inflammation while still allowing the body to repair itself.
Accelerates Recovery After Intense Workouts
Serious training can follow a tight schedule, so whether you are building strength, training for an event, or trying to maintain your performance, long gaps can throw off your progress. Contrast therapy helps bridge the gap between going back to your training schedule too soon and losing your progress. It can be useful during multi-day events, competitive seasons, or high-volume training cycles.
Boosts Circulation and Immune Function
With healthy circulation, your body gets all of the nutrients and oxygen it needs while also removing waste. Better blood flow means better healing and more efficient energy usage. Contrast therapy benefits your body by causing both vasodilation and vasocontriction for a vascular “pumping” effect.
Offers Mental Recovery and a Nervous System Reset
Physical recovery is only part of the equation when you are working towards fitness goals. In general, exercise is a good way to reduce stress, and it is known to decrease levels of stress hormones in the body and increase endorphins. However, after particularly intense workout sessions, your body may have the opposite response, leading to elevated levels of cortisol in the body after exercise. Recovery is important to prevent increased levels of resting cortisol.
Who Can Benefit From Contrast Therapy?
While contrast baths are often used by professional athletes, the benefits go far beyond elite training. Anyone who exercises regularly, whether through weightlifting, running, cycling, or recreational sports, can use this type of therapy to help their body recover. While you should still check with your doctor before using contrast therapy, it is suitable for most healthy adults.
Making At-Home Recovery Easier With Contrast Therapy Tubs
Cold therapy or contrast therapy at home can sometimes involve a lot of improvisation. While it is possible to achieve this at home, it can be a hassle to try to get the temperature of your shower right or to fill your tub with ice water every time you want to enjoy cold water therapy. Trying to find a gym or a spa that offers contrast therapy can be a hassle after workouts, and the cost can add up over time.
At Wind River Spas, we have solved the problem of accessible contrast therapy with our Contrast8 tub. This tub has two different sides that offer warm and cold water immersion. The cold therapy side drops to temperatures as low as 39°F while the heated side provides temperatures up to 104°F. Our contrast therapy tubs are built in Colorado with materials and features that hold up to year-round use, so you don’t have to adjust your routine when the seasons change.
How to Get Started With Contrast Therapy at Home
Getting started with cold therapy or contrast therapy begins with choosing a system that fits your routine and recovery goals. In addition to our Contrast8 tub, we also offer the Plunge+, which is a compact cold therapy tub that can also be used as a hot tub. You can talk with us to find the right setup for your space and needs. Once installed, your system will be easy to manage. The ozonator technology keeps the water clean without added chemicals, and the temperature controls allow you to keep your tub ready for you the moment you want to recover from a spur-of-the-moment workout.
Use contrast therapy after your most demanding workouts or as part of your daily routine. Start with shorter intervals of one minute or less, and gradually work up to three or four minutes in both warm and cold water. As you practice, you will find a rhythm that works for you and that makes your body feel the most energized.
Recovery Smarter and Train Harder With Our Contrast Therapy Tubs in Denver, CO
Contrast therapy can help you recover faster, reduce inflammation, and stay consistent with your training schedule. Having a system at home eliminates the hassle of cold plunges and spa visits and makes it easier to stick to your routine. At Wind River Spas in Englewood, CO, we build tubs that combine hot and cold therapy in one unit using chemical-free ozonator technology. To learn more or get started, contact us through our website, explore our online Build A Spa feature, or call (303) 789-2656. We can find the right tub for you!