A plunge into icy water doesn't have to follow a sauna unless after sports, says a rehabilitation expert, who suggests 'gently' cooling down
Are you one of those sauna-goers who dreads the subsequent cold plunge or shower but does it anyway because it is supposed to be good for you? Well, you need not worry if you do not, a medical expert says.
"You don't have to be so hard on your body," says Dr Karl-Ludwig Resch, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and vice-president of the Federation of German Spa Doctors.
"To avoid stress, you can try to gently bring your body back to normal temperature," for example by taking a warm post-sauna shower.
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A bath in a pool with a "feel-good" water temperature of 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) would be ideal, he says. "It's a wonderful way to normalise your body temperature very pleasantly, without gasping and your internal organs sounding the alarm."
As a general rule, do not subject yourself to temperatures lower than what you are comfortable with, Resch advises.
"You don't have to grit your teeth, but should be able to look in a mirror and see yourself completely relaxed."
Cooling down "lite" is especially suited to people who spend an entire day at a wellness facility and want to continue relaxing afterwards.
However, it is not suited to those who have a sauna session after sport or a workout to aid muscle recovery and want to be active afterwards.
"Then it's important to definitely end the relaxation process," Resch says, and the water should be sufficiently cold.
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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
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2025-01-21T08:30:31Z