What is contrast therapy?

Alternating heat and cold. At CBR that means moving between an infrared sauna and a cold plunge in your own private suite, then finishing with a shower.

How many rounds should I do?

Two or three rounds fit nicely in a 55-minute session. If you're new, start with fewer and see how it feels.

Should I start hot or cold?

Most people start in the sauna so the first plunge feels less abrupt. Finish however you like: cold for the jolt, warm if you'd rather leave cozy.

Which session length is best for contrast?

55 minutes for most first visits. A 25 fits one or two quick rounds, and 85 leaves time to sit and rest between them.

Can I do contrast therapy with my partner?

Yes. Add a guest for $20 and share the suite. Taking turns between the sauna and the plunge works well.

What are the benefits of contrast therapy?

Studies of alternating hot and cold water found less muscle soreness and less strength loss after hard exercise than resting (PLOS ONE, 2013). Many people also find the switch leaves them calm and alert at the same time. None of this treats a medical condition, so if you have one, ask your doctor before you start.

San Diego · Contrast therapy

Contrast therapy in San Diego.

Contrast therapy in San Diego, without the walk across a gym. In our Sports Arena Blvd suite the infrared sauna and the cold plunge share one private room, so switching from hot to cold takes a few steps.

Book your first visit 50% off · from $29.50 Been here before? Book a session

4.9 on Google · 164 reviews · Oct 2026
Open 7 days, from 5am on weekdays
4030 Sports Arena Blvd, San Diego
16 Google reviews mention the contrast therapy · Oct 2026

The San Diego contrast therapy suite: cold plunge under a green neon sign, with the infrared sauna nearby — The San Diego suite

Why people book it

Contrast therapy benefits, in brief.

Soreness and strength
Pooled data from 13 trials found alternating hot and cold water left people less sore, with less strength loss, than resting after hard exercise (PLOS ONE, 2013). Those studies used water for both; ours pairs an infrared sauna with a plunge.
The heat side
A review of the evidence suggests regular sauna bathing may be linked to better cardiovascular health (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018).
The cold side
A five-minute cold bath left first-timers more alert and less nervous in a 2023 study (Biology, 2023).

See the research in our contrast therapy guide

Research, not a promise. Results vary, and none of this is medical advice.

What it's like here

Hot and cold, one room.

Contrast therapy means going back and forth between heat and cold. Here that's the infrared sauna, up to about 170°F, and the plunge, at 45 to 49°F, with your own shower to finish.

A common rhythm is 10 to 15 minutes of heat, 30 seconds to two minutes of cold, two or three times. Treat that as a starting point. Some days you'll want more heat, and some days one plunge is plenty.

With one suite in San Diego, nobody is waiting on the bench or eyeing the tub, so you set the pace. Our full guide to contrast therapy has more ways to structure it.

A simple first round.

Heat first: 10 to 15 minutes in the sauna.
Cold next: 30 seconds to 2 minutes in the plunge.
Sit and breathe for a minute before you go again.
Repeat two or three times. End on whichever you prefer.
Drink water, and check with your doctor first if you're pregnant or have a heart condition.

Heat

Cold

Sessions and prices

Time for three rounds.

Contrast takes a few minutes to settle into. For a first visit, 55 minutes leaves room for three rounds and an unhurried shower.

Making it weekly? Packs take a 25-minute visit down to $19.95. Every plan, compared.

First visit · San Diego

50% off your first visit

Regular price25 min $59 · 55 min $89 · 85 min $119

Israel R.Google review, San Diego
“Was able to come here straight from the gym, shower and change then get into the cold plunge then sauna.”

Who comes, and when

When people come for contrast.

After training
End of a hard week
After the heavy lifting or the long ride, rounds of hot and cold are a good way to close the week.
Weekend
Slow Sunday
An 85-minute session, then lunch in Liberty Station.
Two of you
Take turns
Add a guest for $20. One of you heats while the other plunges, then you trade places.
Weeknight
After work
Open until 9pm, so a 55 still fits after a long day.

Getting here

Contrast in the Midway District.

Find us at 4030 Sports Arena Blvd, Suite B. Free parking is behind the building, and our entrance is inside Self Made Training Facility.

Conscious Body Recovery · San Diego

4030 Sports Arena Blvd, Suite B
San Diego, CA 92110

Get directions (858) 305-2226

See the San Diego studio page

Drive times to the studio

Old Townabout 5 min
Point Loma5 to 10 min
Little Italyabout 10 min
Downtown10 to 15 min

Contrast FAQ

Contrast questions.

Not sure how to structure your rounds? Call (858) 305-2226.

What is contrast therapy?
Alternating heat and cold. At CBR that means moving between an infrared sauna and a cold plunge in your own private suite, then finishing with a shower.
How many rounds should I do?
Two or three rounds fit nicely in a 55-minute session. If you're new, start with fewer and see how it feels.
Should I start hot or cold?
Most people start in the sauna so the first plunge feels less abrupt. Finish however you like: cold for the jolt, warm if you'd rather leave cozy.
Which session length is best for contrast?
55 minutes for most first visits. A 25 fits one or two quick rounds, and 85 leaves time to sit and rest between them.
Can I do contrast therapy with my partner?
Yes. Add a guest for $20 and share the suite. Taking turns between the sauna and the plunge works well.
What are the benefits of contrast therapy?
Studies of alternating hot and cold water found less muscle soreness and less strength loss after hard exercise than resting (PLOS ONE, 2013). Many people also find the switch leaves them calm and alert at the same time. None of this treats a medical condition, so if you have one, ask your doctor before you start.