Ice Bath or Sauna First? The Order That Actually Matters

It’s the question we get asked more than almost any other at HICE HQ: do you hit the sauna first, or get straight in the ice bath? The order isn’t just a personal preference thing — it changes what your body actually gets out of the session. Here’s the short answer, and the reasoning behind it.

The short answer

Sauna first, then the ice bath. This is sometimes called the “Nordic Cycle,” and it’s the sequence backed by both centuries of Scandinavian tradition and modern research into how the body responds to heat and cold. Going in cold first and warming up afterwards isn’t dangerous, but it doesn’t get you the same benefit — you’re missing the setup the heat provides.

Why heat-then-cold works

Two things are happening in your body during a contrast therapy session, and the order determines whether they work together or against each other.

Heat exposure — your time in the Finnish sauna — triggers the release of heat shock proteins, which help protect and repair cells and prime your body for the stress that’s coming next. It also dilates your blood vessels, sending blood flow out to your skin and extremities.

Stepping into the ice bath afterwards flips that switch: your blood vessels rapidly constrict, pushing blood back toward your core. That expansion-then-contraction cycle is what gives contrast therapy its name, and it’s a genuinely useful bit of cardiovascular conditioning you don’t get from either heat or cold alone. Doing it in reverse — cold first, heat after — skips the priming step entirely, so you’re left with less to show for the same time spent.

How we run it at HICE HQ

In practice, a full round looks something like this: 15–20 minutes in the sauna, working up a proper sweat, followed by 1–3 minutes in the ice bath. If you’re newer to it, one round is plenty — there’s no badge of honour for pushing straight to three. Regulars tend to build up to two or three rounds over time, easing the cold exposure up gradually rather than diving for the coldest, longest dunk on day one.

However many rounds you do, finish on cold, not hot. Ending on the ice bath is what locks in the benefit — your body’s natural rewarming afterwards (skip the towel-off, let it happen on its own) is part of what makes the session work, and it’s also just a genuinely good feeling once you’re through it.

A few rules worth following

A handful of things are worth knowing before your first session:

Ease in. Your first few visits aren’t the time to chase your longest possible ice bath — a shorter, more frequent habit beats one brutal session you don’t want to repeat.

Drink water. Contrast therapy is more physically demanding than it looks from the outside, and staying hydrated makes a real difference to how you feel afterwards.

Speak to your GP first if you have a heart condition, are pregnant, or have any concern about whether cold exposure is right for you — the temperature swing is a genuine stress on the cardiovascular system, and it’s worth a five-minute conversation if you’re unsure.

And you’re never doing this alone at HICE HQ — one of the advantages of a proper studio over a garden tub is that there’s always someone on hand, which is exactly how contrast therapy should be done.

When to come in

If you’re chasing the alertness side of things, an ice bath earlier in the day tends to leave people feeling sharper and more awake — it’s a popular one before work. If you’re after the sleep benefit, an evening sauna-and-plunge session, finishing a couple of hours before bed, is what most of our regulars build into their week. With sessions running most days from 8am through to 9pm, there’s room to try both and see which fits your week better.

Ready to try it?

Whichever order you land on, the easiest way to find out how it actually feels is to come in. Book your session or walk in during opening hours — and if you fancy sitting with a coffee afterwards while your body does the rest of the work, the social space is right there waiting for you.