How Heat and Cold Affect Wellness

Outdoor sauna and round cold plunge overlooking a lake and mountains at sunrise.

Introduction - Saunas and Cold Plunges at Home: Where to Start

If you’re like most people, you probably tried out a sauna and/or a cold plunge for the first time at a gym, a hotel, or a friend’s house. You also probably enjoyed how you felt afterwards…and now maybe you’ve started wondering if you should have one or both at your own home.

This article will cover what is going on physically when you sit in the heat or get into the cold, what a typical session is really like, and a few simple factors that will determine if using a sauna and cold plunge in this manner becomes a regular part of your week.

Not sure whether a sauna, a cold plunge, or both fit your space and routine? Talk with Ridgecrest today.

Key Takeaways

A traditional sauna heats the air, which then warms you. An infrared cabin heats the body directly, which is why infrared cabins run at lower air temperatures.
Cold shock response does not measure how strong someone is as there is an adaptation response to cold water immersion that takes place over approximately four sessions.
Alternating between a sauna and cold plunge can be intensely fun but it may also cause blood pressure swings that should be taken seriously. Be sure to take a few moments in-between sessions.
Never plunge alone, and check with your physician first if you have any cardiovascular or respiratory issues.

Direct Answer - How Heat and Cold Actually Work

Heat and cold both work by triggering your body’s own responses rather than acting on you directly. Heat builds gradually; cold triggers an immediate shock response that fades within the first minute and lessens with repeated sessions. Whether either one becomes part of your routine depends on practical questions such as space, electrical service and upkeep, not on the equipment itself.

Detailed Discussion

How Saunas Work: Traditional vs. Infrared Heat

There are two types of saunas, and they each have a very different approach to heat. This can affect how they feel to you.

A traditional sauna heats the air, and then the hot air warms you. This is why traditional saunas get so hot, often as high as 175 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. It is intense, dry, and honestly, most people stay in for shorter stretches.

Infrared cabins have infrared emitters that warm your skin and that warmth works its way inward through your tissue and bloodstream. An infrared cabin does not need to use hot air to reach you, and this is why infrared cabins will typically keep you warm at significantly lower air temperatures than traditional saunas. It’s much easier on your breathing, and sessions in an infrared cabin often run longer than in a traditional sauna.

Knowing this is important when evaluating models, because comparing the temperature shown on the manufacturer’s spec sheet across the two types is going to be misleading. Just because a model says it’s hotter doesn’t mean it provides a stronger session.

What Happens When You Get Into a Cold Plunge

Your body will react immediately as you step into a cold plunge: you’ll take a big involuntary breath in, your breathing will become rapid and shallow, and your heart will beat faster than normal. For a brief moment, it may feel like you’re stepping into a lot more than you bargained for.

This kind of reaction is called a reflex, and it happens to everyone, including people who are already very experienced.

The discomfort usually subsides quickly. In most cases, your breathing will stabilize within the first minute. Then your breathing settles. Many people say this is the moment they come back for.

Alternating Between a Sauna and a Cold Plunge

Taking a cold plunge right after being in the sauna is something that people have been doing for years. People enjoy the shock of the contrast between the two extremes: the heat is slow and you sink into it. Then, as the cold hits you, all of your focus goes onto the cold. Together, they create a much sharper experience than either one on its own.

You will also hear an explanation involving blood vessels opening in the heat, closing in the cold, and pumping blood through your muscles. It is a satisfying story, and it has not been well demonstrated in people actually doing this, so we will leave it there.

Heat causes low blood pressure while cold causes high blood pressure, and this is why moving from one temperature to the other creates a large fluctuation in blood pressure. For safety’s sake, it’s a good idea to take a moment between sessions, instead of just jumping directly from the sauna to a cold plunge. This is especially important during your first few times, while your body is getting used to it.

Also, these rapid changes in temperature can pose serious risks to pregnant women or to those who have a history of cardiac or pulmonary problems. If either of these circumstances applies to you, be sure to consult with your physician prior to making this a routine practice.

What Wellness Actually Means for Heat and Cold

The term wellness has become such a generic expression that it should be helpful to provide a specific description of what this term really refers to. There is no regulatory authority or governing standard that provides a definition, nor is there a legal constraint as to how this is defined. This is why so many products from mattresses to bottled water claim to be “wellness” related.

But most frequently, wellness is described as a proactive activity, or something that a person actively pursues. Understood this way, wellness is best measured by what a person does rather than by what they own.

Equipment may help to facilitate a wellness practice, but it is not the same thing as the wellness practice itself. In other words, a sauna or a cold plunge only matters if it gets used. The useful question is not whether a product is marketed as wellness-related, but whether it makes an activity you already intend to do easier.

Practical Considerations

Health & Safety: Heat and cold exposure can place significant stress on the body and may not be appropriate for everyone. Before beginning sauna use, cold water immersion, alternating heat and cold exposure, or another heat- or cold-exposure practice, consult a qualified healthcare provider if you have a medical condition, take medications that may affect your response to heat or cold, are pregnant, or have questions about whether these activities are appropriate for you. Always follow the product manufacturer’s safety instructions and warnings.

The unattractive questions are usually the key ones:

How long does it take before it warms up? Most saunas take 20 to 40 min to warm up and cold plunges require some time to lower the temperature of the water as well. They will also need to be heated and cooled at the same time.
What electrical requirements are needed? Electrical needs vary greatly from model to model, and it’s one of the most common reasons a straightforward purchase becomes complicated.
How much work am I looking to do to maintain my new purchase? Cold plunges need to be treated chemically and filtered periodically. A sauna needs little routine maintenance by comparison.
What is the monthly operating cost to run each?
Will it physically fit through doorways, gates, or stairwells to get to where it needs to be in my home or on my property?

Installation Readiness

Electrical is usually where the biggest surprises happen. The number of circuits needed for sauna use can range anywhere from one dedicated circuit to two, and traditional heater installations may require that an electrician install a 240v service. Cold plunge requirements vary depending on the chiller.

Check the Ridgecrest Installation Readiness™ Guide → Each product page includes its Ridgecrest Installation Readiness™ assessment, which shows the installation level and what the product needs: delivery access, site readiness, utility requirements and installation planning.

Summary

Heat and cold each work through your body's own response systems, and the practice matters more than the equipment: adaptation happens with consistent use, not from the purchase itself. Alternating between the two adds a sharper experience but also a real blood-pressure swing worth taking seriously. Whether either belongs in your home comes down to the practical questions above — electrical, maintenance, and whether it fits where you'd actually use it.

Every Ridgecrest purchase includes complimentary Ridgecrest Guide Service™, which coordinates freight delivery and works alongside your Ridgecrest Installation Readiness™ assessment. Book a pre-purchase consultation with Ridgecrest.

As always, please consult your physician for any health-related concerns.