The hot-cold contrast routine works best in one order: infrared sauna first, whole body cryotherapy second. You spend the first stretch of your visit building a deep, relaxing sweat, then finish with 3 to 5 minutes of cold air in the cryo chamber. Ending on cold is what creates the awake, re-energized feeling people chase with this pairing. Many clients leave looser and sharper than when they walked in.
Why sauna comes first
An infrared sauna runs at a lower, more comfortable temperature than a traditional sauna, so you can actually settle in, let your shoulders drop, and work up a deep sweat without feeling like you are baking. That warm, relaxed state is the setup. Whole body cryotherapy is the finish: 3 to 5 minutes in roughly -100 to -110F cold air that snaps your attention back on.
Run it in reverse and you walk out warm and sleepy instead of refreshed. That is fine for a slow Sunday, but most people pairing the two want the cold finish. Still weighing the services individually? Our cryotherapy vs infrared sauna breakdown covers when each one makes sense on its own.
It is July in New Orleans. Why pay to sweat?
Fair question. The difference is the kind of sweat. Standing outside in late July means humidity sitting on you while you try to function. An infrared sauna is dry, controlled heat you choose, in a quiet room, with nowhere to be. Many clients find it is the most relaxed stretch of their week. Then the chamber erases every trace of the heat in a few minutes, something a Magazine Street sidewalk in summer will never do for you.
How to schedule the back-to-back
Book both services for the same visit and run them in order: sauna, a short changeover to towel off, then the chamber. A few practical notes:
- Book the pairing together. Tell us you want sauna then cryo and we will sequence the visit for you.
- Hydrate before and after. You will sweat more than you expect, especially this time of year.
- Get completely dry before the cold. Take the changeover seriously, because dry skin before cryotherapy is a must.
- Parking is the easy part. We have off-street parking at 6045 Magazine St, so the visit does not start with a parking hunt.
How often to run the routine
Consistency beats intensity. For most people, once a week is the sustainable rhythm, and a standing slot, same day and same time, is what keeps the habit alive past the first month. If you want it more often, ask the front desk about the Chill Membership, built around roughly once a week, and the Super Chill Membership, which covers one to two services per week. They can match the pairing to the right plan. We are open seven days, so the routine can live wherever your week has room.
Quick answers
Should I do sauna or cryotherapy first?
Sauna first, cryotherapy second. The infrared sauna relaxes you and builds a deep sweat at a comfortable temperature, and the 3 to 5 minute cold finish sends you out the door feeling alert and re-energized. Reversing the order tends to leave you warm and drowsy, which is fine for winding down at night, but not the contrast effect most people are after.
How often should I do hot-cold contrast?
Once a week is a realistic, sustainable rhythm for most people, and it lines up with how our memberships are structured. Some clients go more often during heavy training blocks or brutal workweeks. Frequency matters less than consistency: a standing weekly session beats an ambitious schedule you quietly abandon by September.
What should I do before the session?
Keep it simple: hydrate well, skip a heavy meal right beforehand, and arrive a few minutes early so you are not rushing. Between the sauna and the chamber, towel off until you are completely dry. Everything else, like what to wear in the chamber and how the timing works, gets handled when you arrive. No special prep required.
Is the cold finish bearable for first-timers?
The chamber sits around -100 to -110F, but it is cold air rather than ice or water, and the session lasts only 3 to 5 minutes. Many first-timers find the anticipation harder than the cold itself, and coming straight out of a warm sauna makes the contrast feel invigorating rather than punishing.
Ready to try it? The sauna-then-cryo pairing is one of the simplest ways to feel noticeably better in a single visit, and we are open seven days a week at 6045 Magazine St with easy off-street parking. Book Your Session online or call (504) 381-4207 and ask for the contrast pairing.