Hot and cold therapy continues to be a growing trend in spas today because of the many benefits to the skin and body. Heat helps to boost the flow of blood and nutrients to the body, and it calms and soothes skin. Cold therapy helps improve circulation, promote deeper sleep, increase energy levels, and reduce inflammation. When hot and cold therapy experiences are offered together within a spa, the sudden temperature change that occurs during this method can help to combat stress and stimulate the body and mind.
Check out some of the interesting hot and cold therapy experiences offered at spas today:
The Lodge at Woodloch Spa (Hawley, PA) has three hot/cold offerings, including the Co-Ed Himalayan Salt Sauna, which includes a Himalayan Salt Wall. When heated, Himalayan salt releases negatively charged ions, which serve to purify the circulating air as well as allow our bodies to reap health benefits including stress reduction, energy increases, and mood boosts at a biochemical level. The Tyrolean Bucket Shower is a cold water bucket shower that involves the cold water being released when a rope is pulled that is attached to a bucket that hangs overhead. This causes a temporary thermal shock that makes the body stronger. The benefits include strengthening the immune system, increasing metabolism, improving blood circulation, helping to regulate body temperature, keeping skin pure and glowing, and improving overall wellbeing and stress.
The Snow Room at The Lodge at Woodloch Spa is a great alternative to the age-old Tyrolean tradition of the cold bucket shower, as it is a more gentle form of cooling. In the Snow Room, the compact dry snow and the crisp cold air allow for rapid and efficient cooling that is extraordinarily gentle, mild, and pleasurable.
At the Rainforest Spa at Sugar Beach, a Viceroy Resort (St. Lucia), guests can enjoy time in the Temazcal, a traditional stone igloo steam room blending traditional St Lucian culture, a strong Caribbean aesthetic and experience, with modern techniques and sensibilities.
Awana Spa & Wellness at Resorts World Las Vegas features the theatrical Art of Aufguss, which is inspired by European saunas that provide rejuvenation and encourage social gathering for the shared goal of greater wellbeing. The spa showcases a theater-inspired heated room with aromatherapy, choreographed music, lighting, and dancing towels. This avant-garde experience helps guests relax and enjoy the entertainment as the sauna meister curates a 30-minute themed experience. In addition to the Art of Aufguss offering, guests looking to turn back the clock can enjoy the spa’s state-of-the-art Fountain of Youth experience. Inspired by tales of the mythical spring that restores the youth of anyone who bathes in its curative waters, the Fountain of Youth experience boasts six vitality pools, a heated crystal laconium room, tepidarium chairs, vapor-filled steam rooms, cool mist showers, and the experiential rain walk. The co-ed facility features LED screens and immersive experiences that change throughout the day to transport guests to multiple picturesque destinations. The room’s temperature, as well as other added touches, match the displayed setting to complete the experience.
Willowbrook Spa at The Lake House on Canandaigua (NY) features two two private sauna barrels with outdoor showers and resting areas that form a self-contained al fresco contrast bathing circuit. They are open year-round, and offer an immersive experience with views of the lake and garden. The sauna experience comes with a soothing mask that is made in-house, a carafe of herbal water, a Born Bathing mist, and oshibori cold towels, which are inspired by Native American and Scandinavian tradition. The spa offers warm steamed towels for cleansing the face, and a bowl of cold towels immersed in crushed ice so when the guests get hot, they can drench themselves in the ice water and get the benefits of that contrast.