If you’ve stood at our front desk in Nashville and asked, “Wait, do I have a sauna before or after class?” you’re not alone. It’s the question we hear more than almost any other, right alongside “how cold is too cold?” and “is this actually going to help my sore muscles, or is it just trendy?”
So, we pulled together the questions our clients (and the internet at large) ask most about combining Pilates with sauna, cold plunge, and contrast therapy, and answered them in one place — the “move and restore” way.
A quick note: this is general wellness guidance, not medical advice. If you’re pregnant, have a heart condition, or take medications affected by heat or cold, talk to your doctor before trying sauna, cold plunge, or contrast therapy. Our team can walk through modifications with you any time.
Should I sauna or cold plunge before or after my Pilates class?
For most people, after is the better call. Pilates already warms up your muscles and joints through movement, so you don’t need the sauna to do that job beforehand — and jumping into a cold plunge right before a reformer class can leave your muscles stiff and your nervous system on high alert, which isn’t ideal for the control and precision Pilates asks of you.
After class is when heat and cold do their best work: your body is already warm, your circulation is up, and you’re heading into recovery mode. The one exception is if you’re using the sauna purely to relax and loosen up before a gentler session (not a strength-focused one) — some clients like a short pre-class sauna for that reason alone. If you’re unsure, ask us and we’ll help you plan it around your specific class.
What exactly is contrast therapy, and how does it work with Pilates?
Contrast therapy just means alternating between heat (sauna) and cold (plunge) in the same session. The idea is straightforward: heat dilates your blood vessels and increases circulation, while cold constricts them — and going back and forth creates a kind of pumping action that many people find helps with circulation, recovery, and that “flushed out” feeling after a workout.
Paired with Pilates specifically, the thinking is that Pilates does the work of building strength, stability, and mobility, and contrast therapy supports the recovery side — helping you feel less stiff the next day and, for a lot of our clients, just feeling like a well-earned reset after class.
How long should I stay in the sauna and the cold plunge?
Based on what we recommend at Marathon Pilates: start with 10–20 minutes in the sauna, followed by 1–2 minutes in the cold plunge, and repeat that cycle 2–3 times. Many women find around 1.5 minutes in the cold plunge is their sweet spot! You don’t need to white-knuckle it for five minutes to get the benefit.
If you’re brand new to either one, it’s completely fine to start smaller — a shorter sauna round and 30–60 seconds in the plunge — and build over a few visits. There’s no prize for going straight to the deep end.
How often should I do contrast therapy, and how many rounds?
2–3 sessions a week is a good general target for most people, with 2–3 rounds of heat-then-cold per session. If you’re new, once a week is a perfectly reasonable place to start. Consistency matters more than frequency when you’re getting your body used to it.
One timing note worth knowing: if you’ve just done a heavy strength-focused session, some coaches suggest waiting a bit (roughly 30–90 minutes) before a full cold plunge, since jumping straight into cold immersion right after strength work may blunt some of the muscle-building benefits. This matters less for a typical Pilates class than it does for heavy lifting, but it’s a good rule of thumb if you’re stacking an especially intense session with an immediate plunge.
Is cold plunge safe for beginners? What does it actually feel like the first time?
Yes, for most healthy adults, with a few common-sense caveats (see the next question). The first 20–30 seconds are the hardest part; your body has an initial “cold shock” response — faster breathing, quicker heart rate — that peaks fast and then eases as you settle in. Slow, steady breathing (breathwork is key!) through those first seconds makes a real difference.
Our best advice for first timers: ease in rather than jumping, breathe out slowly instead of gasping, and know that it gets easier every time you do it. You never have to go in alone; our team is right there. We like to guide our first timers and set everyone up for a successful experience.
Are there people who shouldn’t do sauna, cold plunge, or contrast therapy?
Yes. If you’re pregnant, have a heart condition or high blood pressure, are on medications that affect your body’s response to heat or cold, or have any condition your doctor has flagged around temperature extremes, check with them first. We’re always happy to talk through modifications — a shorter sauna round, or skipping the cold plunge and focusing on Pilates and gentle heat instead.
Will sauna and cold plunge actually help my Pilates recovery and soreness?
For most people, yes — many of our clients tell us they feel noticeably less stiff the day after class when they add a sauna or contrast therapy round, and better circulation and reduced inflammation are widely reported benefits of both heat and cold exposure. We’ll be straightforward with you, though: recovery tools like this work best as part of a consistent Pilates practice, good hydration, and sleep. It’s not a replacement for any of those.
Can sauna or cold plunge help with sleep, stress, or things beyond muscle recovery?
That’s what a lot of our clients come back for. Heat exposure tends to trigger a relaxation response that can help with winding down, and the post-plunge “clear-headed” feeling is one of the most reported effects of cold immersion. Many people also find the heat helps their skin and just their overall stress level after a long week. Individual results vary, but it’s a big part of why we built sauna & contrast therapy into our studio in the first place.
Ready to try it for yourself? Book a Pilates class and add on sauna, cold plunge, or full contrast therapy at either Marathon Pilates location in Nashville. Or ask our front desk about our wellness membership, which includes monthly sauna sessions built right in.
Try your intro session today: marathonpilates.com/intro-offers
Marathon Pilates
Move + Restore
