Cooling off between rounds is part of the Finnish tradition: a cold shower, a plunge or a roll in the snow.

The cold narrows the blood vessels in your skin and brings your body temperature back down. Many people find the contrast invigorating.

What studies suggest

A small study of winter swimmers who alternated sauna and cold water totalled about 57 minutes of heat and 11 minutes of cold a week, and ended on the cold. They handled cold better and burned more energy to stay warm.

The study compared a few men at a single point in time: it does not show that this routine caused the difference, or that it works the same for everyone.

Go carefully

Start with a cool shower of 30 seconds to a minute before trying a plunge. Get in slowly and breathe out long and steady: the first seconds of cold make you gasp.

The sudden cold is a real strain on the heart and raises blood pressure: if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, ask your doctor first. Get out if you shiver hard or your hands and feet go numb.

Keep heat and cooling in context

Time sauna rounds and breaks separately. You can note a cold plunge as part of a sauna session; this is not a dedicated ice bath timer or a measurement of water temperature.

Keep temperature, humidity, sauna type and notes together. Return to your session history to compare your routine over time.

Explore the sauna timer and session log

Sources

  1. Søberg S. et al. Altered brown fat thermoregulation and enhanced cold-induced thermogenesis in young, healthy, winter-swimming men. Cell Reports Medicine, 2021.

General information, not medical advice.