Health Matters With TSET: Hot & Cold Therapy

In this edition of Health Matters with TSET, health coach Dottie Small discusses the rising popularity of hot and cold therapy and demonstrates the benefits of cold plunges and saunas.

Hot and cold therapy involves alternating between cold and hot temperatures to improve recovery and overall health.

A local physical therapist, Tyler Eckel, said hot and cold therapy can help with blood flow and soreness.

"Hot, cold therapy is when you're gonna put your body into a colder temperature and then go into a hotter temperature," Eckel said. "We use cold immersion, so a cold tub or we have the cryo sauna. When blood flow constricts, they stay there for a while. Then when they come out, the blood flow will increase and kind of flush out the soreness that they've been having."

Eckle said the therapy can help with workout recovery and immunity.

"There’s been a lot of research on that. It does boost immunity, so if you feel like that’s coming on, or you feel sick, you’ll get in to increase your body’s ability to fight off illness and disease," Eckel said.

Small also shared her experience in the cold plunge, saying,

"I already feel good. I know. I feel really good. I would do that regularly. It wasn’t as bad as I expected."

Eckel offered alternatives for those without access to a cold plunge or sauna.

"The most often recommended is the shower. Start the morning off with a quick five-minute shower, alternating from cold to hot. Letting the cold water hit the back of your neck or your chest and then turning the water up to hot will give you the same effect."