This centuries-old practice improves sleep, reduces stress and soothes sore muscles how do it at home

Schvitz and shine.Bathhouses are making a splash these days, with newbies to these relaxation havens raving about how much they help reduce stress, soothe their muscles and aid their slumber.

But this isn’t your average spa day.Much like taking a spin classes, bathhouses encourage you to work for your wellness — in this case, by sweating it out in a sauna and then shocking your body by jumping into a cold plunge.The art of alternating between hot and cold — also known as contrast therapy — yields plenty of health benefits, and while it may be the newest wellness trend, it’s actually an ancient remedy.

“Contrast therapy is far from new — it has been practiced for centuries,” Dr.Hany Demian, CEO of BioSpine and Co-Founder of Pain Care Clinics, told the Post.

“Historical records show that soldiers used it post-battle to accelerate recovery and restore energy.”Here’s how to practice it yourself — and if you don’t want to shell out at a bathhouse, we’ve also got the skinny on how to do it at home.“Contrast therapy involves alternating exposure to hot and cold temperatures,” Dr.

Steven Quay, founder of the Biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics, told the Post.In traditional Finnish culture, this typically involves a sauna session followed by — ideally — taking a dip in an ice-cold lake, while the Japanese experience centers around hot baths and ice baths.

Either way, the underlying physiological mechanisms are the same.“The core principle involves alternating between cold — promoting vasoconstriction, which tightens blood vessels — and heat — promoting vasodilation, which expands them,” Demian said.

“This dynamic process boosts circulation, speeds up muscle recovery and reduces pain by flushing out metabolic waste and reducing inflammation.”It also just makes you feel like a golden god — here’s why.According to Quay, peer-reviewed research suggests contrast therapy has several benefits, including: While ...