Infrared Sauna
Inside Our Two Person Infrared Sauna: the Sunlighten Amplify.
Recovery Zone
Training is only part of the process. Recovery matters too.
Welcome to our state of the art Recovery Zone
Our Recovery Zone gives members access to dedicated recovery facilities away from the main gym floor, giving you space to relax, recover and reset.
This brand new area is fully equipped with a Sunlighten Amplify Infrared Sauna, MyoIce cold plunge, massage chair and Normatec compression boots. A combination of using the four facilities, provides the ultimate recovery area for those who are suffering with injuries or to use after training to prevent injuries.
The health benefits of using each individual product are really quite impressive. Each with their own list of benefits, but utilising the products together, really dials up the intensity of getting the most bang for your buck!
Our Facilities
Everything you need for hot and cold therapy and recovery, in one private lodge next to the gym.
Cold Plunge
The MyoIce cold plunge, powered by MyoMaster.
Massage Chair
[DANIEL: one line about the massage chair?]
Normatec Compression Boots
[DANIEL: one line about the compression boots?]
Why Use It?
Add dedicated recovery time to your week
Relax after hard training
Support your overall training routine
Try different recovery methods
Ask the team about packages & availability
Create better balance between training and recovery
Sauna Before Or After Ice Bath: Which Should I Do First?
The benefits of alternating extreme temperatures, also called contrast therapy or the nordic cycle, have been taking over the fitness world and are being advocated by athletes and health experts alike.
Exposing yourself to both extreme hot or cold temperatures for certain periods has significant health benefits for your body. Combining the two into a sauna cold plunge routine can amplify these benefits even further.
It is recommended to first sauna then ice bath and not the other way around, as sauna sessions increase the blood flow and heart rate and make our muscles relax, which cold plunges slows down the heart rate and makes our blood vessels contract.
Start with heat so you get the sweating and detoxifying benefits and end with an ice bath.
Your Ice Bath Questions
Why should I use an ice bath after a sauna?
Jumping into an ice bath after the sauna will cause your blood vessels to constrict and thus elevate blood pressure and improve blood circulation in the long run.
The contrast between muscle relaxation and increased blood flow to cold exposure, increased breathing, and other cold plunge triggers can stimulate mental toughness and train yourself to better cope with your body’s stress response.
How long should I soak in the ice bath after the sauna?
Generally, you should keep your sauna visits between 15 and 20 minutes, followed by an ice bath for at least one minute up to 12 minutes. As a general rule of thumb, 1 minute per degree the ice bath is optimal.
You can start with a short one minute (or less if you start feeling uncomfortable or in pain) and then slowly start increasing the ice bathing periods to as much as you feel comfortable.
Is it safe to go from the sauna to the ice bath?
If you do not suffer from any cardiovascular diseases, jumping into ice-cold water after extreme heat exposure should not be a threat to your health. It is a bit of a shock to your system, but this is supposed to strengthen both, your body and mind and not be unsafe.
As always, consult with a doctor first to make sure you are safe and in good physical health to start with such therapy.
What are the benefits?
Increased energy levels
Regular sauna sessions trigger the body to release endorphins and make your body and mind relaxed, which has a positive effect on your energy levels. In combination with a cold plunge, your body releases even more positive hormones, especially norepinephrine, which boost focus, attention, and energy.
Burn fat
Both methods trigger certain reactions in the body, which will assist in burning excessive fat.
While a sauna increases the heart rate and makes your body sweat, which in turn can assist in increasing the metabolic rate, an ice bath will trigger your body to activate its brown fat, which burns energy to keep you warm.
Please note that the weight loss you might be experiencing after the sauna can be due to losing a lot of your water weight and not actual fat; therefore, make sure to hydrate yourself enough after sweating in the sauna.
Increases blood flow
When you are in a hot sauna, your blood vessels expand and facilitate the transport of oxygen through the body while lowering your blood pressure. The opposite occurs when you are in cold water: your arteries and capillaries contract, and this, in turn, leads to higher blood pressure, which then sends the oxygenated blood even faster through your body.
This pumping motion of your blood vessels can improve your overall blood circulation.
Improves immune function
As your core body temperature increases in a sauna, a mild fever is being mimicked in your body, which causes it to create white blood cells to fight off bacteria and pathogens. The increased oxygen flow through your body also aids in killing off these anaerobic organisms.
Cold therapy will release crucial antioxidants which activate your body’s natural killer cells that aid your immune system in fighting off diseases as well.
On top of that, exposing your body to such a vast temperature spectrum will make your immune system less fragile to catch colds or flu with the changing of the seasons and be more resilient to extreme weather in general.
Reduces stress
The release of endorphins and norepinephrine has a positive effect on stress release and elevates your mental health.
While taking a cold plunge does not sound very relaxing at first, exposing your body to the extreme change of hot and cold will trigger your sympathetic nervous system, i.e. put you into a flight or fight response. When cold plunging, you learn to slow down your breathing and focus, thereby regulating this nervous system.
Training this skill will aid you in mastering daily-life stressors better.
Improves sleep quality
Reduced stress and a relaxed mind are always beneficial for better sleep; however, scientifically, a lowered core temperature is necessary for a good night’s sleep, with which dilated blood vessels after a hot sauna followed by an ice bath can certainly assist.
Boosts your mood
The feeling of relaxation and having done something good for your physical and mental health on top of having a natural high from hormones such as dopamine and norepinephrine will elevate your mood in the long run and help you to sustain it.
Ready to feel the difference for yourself?
Benefits of Using Both Hot & Cold Therapies
Infrared Sauna
- Muscle Recovery
- Athletes and fitness enthusiasts often use infrared saunas to aid in muscle recovery after intense workouts.
- Detoxification
- Those seeking detoxification benefits may find infrared saunas helpful due to increased sweating, which can aid in eliminating toxins from the body.
- Relaxation
- Individuals looking to relax and de-stress may benefit from the soothing warmth of an infrared sauna.
Ice Bath
- Inflammation Reduction
- Ice baths are popular among athletes and individuals recovering from injuries due to their ability to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Enhanced Circulation
- Ice baths can promote circulation and help with muscle soreness and recovery.
- Mental Toughness Training
- Some people use ice baths as a form of mental toughness training, as enduring the cold can build resilience and discipline.
Book the Recovery Zone
Book the Recovery Zone for one hour of exclusive use, with a range of packages to choose from.
Gym members and Personal Training clients get a discount.
[DANIEL TO CONFIRM: session prices, packages and member/PT discount]
Train hard. Recover well. Repeat.