What Is an Ice Bath?

An ice bath, or cold water immersion, involves sitting in cold water to promote recovery and enhance well-being. At Thrve Centr, we offer two ice baths, each set to different temperatures to accommodate both beginners and those more experienced with cold therapy. Our beginner-friendly bath is set between 8–12°C, while the more advanced option chills to 2–3°C for a more intense experience.

Sessions typically last for 30 minutes, though you don't need to stay the entire time. The cold may feel intense at first, but after the first 5 to 10 minutes, your body adjusts, making it easier to handle.

How Does an Ice Bath Work?

When you immerse your body in cold water, your blood vessels constrict as your body tries to conserve heat. Once you exit the bath, the blood vessels dilate, allowing fresh blood to circulate through your muscles. This process helps remove waste products like lactic acid, reducing muscle soreness and speeding up recovery.

This constriction and dilation also support the lymphatic system, helping eliminate toxins and reduce inflammation throughout your body.

The Benefits of Ice Baths

Ice baths have become increasingly popular in Melbourne for their wide-ranging health benefits. Here's how they can support your physical and mental recovery:

1. Muscle Recovery

Cold water immersion is commonly used to help recover from intense exercise. Ice baths can significantly reduce muscle soreness and inflammation that often occurs after strenuous activity. Research shows that they’re most effective at reducing muscle fatigue and inflammation in the 24 to 72 hours following exercise.

However, it’s worth noting that while ice baths aid short-term recovery, frequent use immediately after strength training may interfere with muscle growth and strength gains. For optimal results, ice baths are best used straight after exercise, particularly when your primary goal is rapid recovery.

2. Inflammation Reduction

One of the key benefits of ice baths is their ability to reduce inflammation. By lowering swelling, ice baths help speed up muscle recovery and enhance overall function. This is especially beneficial for athletes or anyone dealing with soreness after physical exertion.

3. Boosts the Immune System

Cold water immersion can also help improve immune function. Regular exposure to cold water has been shown to enhance immune response, helping the body fight off illness and recover more quickly.

4. Mental Health & Stress Relief

Ice baths aren’t just great for the body—they’re excellent for the mind too. Cold water immersion activates the Vagus Nerve, which is responsible for regulating your body's relaxation response. This can help reduce stress and anxiety, leaving you feeling calmer and more focused.

Over time, your body becomes more resilient to stress, so regular ice baths can help you stay centred and manage daily pressures more effectively.

What Happens to Your Body During an Ice Bath?

Protects Muscle Fibres: The cold constricts blood vessels, preventing additional damage to muscle fibres after intense activity.

Speeds Up Recovery: The process of constricting and dilating blood vessels helps remove waste products like lactic acid, allowing you to recover faster.

Improves Mental Health: The cold water stimulates the release of endorphins, which can improve mood, boost confidence, and promote a sense of euphoria.

Promotes Better Sleep: The relaxation triggered by cold immersion can help improve the quality of your sleep, helping you unwind after a busy day.

What Temperature Are the Ice Baths?

At Thrve Centr, we offer two different temperature settings to cater to your needs:

For Beginners: Our more beginner-friendly bath is set between 8–12°C, making it perfect for those new to cold immersion or who prefer a less intense experience.

For Experienced Users: Our second bath is set at 2–3°C for those comfortable with the cold and looking for a more intense experience.

If you’re unsure about which temperature is right for you, our staff can adjust it to your preference before your session.

How Long Should You Stay in an Ice Bath?

The recommended duration is typically 15 minutes, but this can vary depending on your tolerance to the cold. If it’s your first time, start by gradually building up your time in the bath and listen to your body. With regular sessions, you’ll be able to tolerate longer periods over time.

How Do Ice Baths Affect Mental Health?

Ice baths release endorphins—your body's natural "feel-good" hormones—which can elevate mood, reduce anxiety, and even boost confidence and libido. The adrenaline rush from cold exposure can create a sense of euphoria and improve mental clarity. This makes ice baths an effective tool for improving both physical and mental well-being.

Can Ice Baths Help with Stress?

Yes, ice baths are an excellent way to manage stress. Cold immersion activates the Vagus Nerve, helping to stimulate your body’s relaxation response and reduce stress levels. Over time, regular exposure to cold water helps your body adapt and become more resilient to stress, promoting a sense of calm and emotional balance.

How Can Ice Baths Improve Health and Performance?

Ice bath recovery is a popular method used by people of all ages in Melbourne to improve overall health and performance. Whether you're an athlete or simply looking to reduce muscle soreness, ice baths can help by boosting circulation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing immune function. For those who push their bodies hard in training, cold water immersion can be a valuable addition to any recovery routine.

Ready to Experience the Benefits of Ice Baths?

At Thrve Centr, we’re here to guide you through your ice bath experience, ensuring that you get the most out of each session. Whether you're an athlete recovering after a workout or someone looking to boost mental clarity and reduce stress, we can help you achieve your wellness goals with cold water immersion.

What Is a Traditional Sauna?

A traditional sauna is typically a room made from Red Cedar wood, designed to create a relaxing and therapeutic heat experience. It uses heated stones to generate steam when water is poured over them, raising the temperature and encouraging sweating. While traditional saunas were once heated by fire, modern versions at Thrve Centr are typically powered by electricity or gas.

Temperatures in a traditional sauna usually range from 70°C to 90°C, with sessions lasting between 10 to 20 minutes. Afterward, it’s common to take a break—often involving a cooling ice bath—before re-entering the sauna for another round. This cycle of heat and cold can be repeated for maximum benefit.

Saunas have a long history and have been a part of many different cultures for thousands of years. In places like Scandinavia, saunas are a social experience, often enjoyed with friends or colleagues. In Melbourne, while saunas are increasingly being used for relaxation, they are also a popular choice for athletes looking to enhance recovery following intense workouts or competitions.

What Are the Benefits of a Traditional Sauna?

Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or someone who enjoys unwinding after a busy day, regular sauna use offers a variety of health benefits. These include improved performance, better cardiovascular health, and faster recovery from exercise.

Here’s a closer look at the key benefits:

1. Improved Cardiovascular Health

Studies show that regular use of a traditional sauna is beneficial for your heart health. A 2015 Finnish study followed middle-aged men over 20 years and found that frequent sauna use was linked to improved cardiovascular function. In fact, another 2016 meta-analysis found that regular sauna sessions could reduce the risk of heart-related issues and help protect the body from the stresses of exercise, improving overall cardiovascular health.

2. Faster Muscle Recovery

The heat in a traditional sauna helps to relax muscles, improve blood circulation, and speed up the removal of metabolic waste products such as lactic acid. This can aid in faster recovery following intense physical activity, reducing soreness and stiffness in the muscles.

3. Detoxification

Sweating is one of the body’s natural mechanisms for eliminating toxins. Research supports the idea that saunas can help with detoxification. A 2012 study found that phthalates (chemicals often found in plastics) are excreted through sweat, while another study from the same year revealed that sweating can help eliminate harmful metals like cadmium, lead, and mercury.

4. Preserving Muscle Mass

Saunas don’t just help the body recover—they can also play a role in preserving muscle mass. Heat exposure has been shown to protect the body from the damaging effects of intense exercise, ensuring that your muscles recover more quickly and retain their strength.

5. Relaxation & Stress Relief

One of the most immediate benefits of using a sauna is the deep relaxation it promotes. The heat helps to relax tense muscles, soothe joint pain, and calm the mind. Saunas have been shown to lower levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, allowing you to feel more relaxed and less stressed after each session.

6. Better Skin Health

The sweating induced by a sauna session helps to open pores and cleanse the skin, which can promote a healthier complexion and reduce acne. The improved circulation also supports skin health by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to skin cells.

Why Should You Use a Traditional Sauna?

Whether you’re recovering from intense training, seeking a moment of relaxation, or looking to improve your overall health, a traditional sauna can be a powerful tool in your wellness routine. Regular use of the sauna helps to:

Improve cardiovascular function

Speed up muscle recovery

Enhance detoxification

Reduce stress

Promote better skin health

At Thrve Centr, we encourage clients to incorporate sauna sessions as part of a balanced recovery plan to support both physical and mental well-being. The combination of heat and relaxation can significantly improve your overall health and help you recover more effectively after training or physical exertion.

Ready to Experience the Benefits of a Traditional Sauna?

Join us at Thrve Centr to experience the rejuvenating benefits of our traditional saunas. Whether you're looking to recover from a workout, reduce stress, or simply enjoy a moment of relaxation, our saunas are the perfect way to enhance your wellness routine.

The Proven Benefits of PROPulse Compression Therapy at Thrve Centr

At Thrve Centr, we’re proud to offer PROPulse Compression Therapy, a cutting-edge recovery tool designed to help you recover faster, reduce soreness, and enhance your performance. Whether you're an athlete pushing your limits or simply looking to recover from a strenuous workout, our PROPulse Compression Therapy is here to support your recovery process with powerful, targeted benefits.

1. Reduces Inflammation and Swelling

After intense physical activity, inflammation is a common response. This can lead to muscle stiffness, swelling, and discomfort. PROPulse Compression Therapy helps to reduce the space where swelling can accumulate by applying gentle, dynamic pressure to your muscles. This helps to reduce inflammation and alleviate the pain often associated with post-exercise soreness.

2. Speeds Up Muscle Recovery

When your muscles are pushed to their limits, they experience micro-tears, leading to delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). PROPulse works to accelerate muscle recovery by enhancing blood flow, delivering vital oxygen and nutrients to your muscles while flushing out metabolic waste products like lactic acid. This helps your muscles heal more quickly, so you can get back to doing what you love sooner.

3. Improves Circulation

One of the core benefits of compression therapy is improved blood circulation. PROPulse mimics the natural muscle pump of your legs, promoting more efficient circulation throughout your body. The result? Enhanced blood flow that supports muscle repair, reduces fatigue, and helps you feel more energised and ready to take on the next challenge.

4. Dynamic Compression for Better Results

Unlike traditional static compression garments, which apply constant pressure, PROPulse uses dynamic, pulsing compression. This means that pressure is applied and released in a rhythm that replicates the natural flow of blood you would experience from movement like walking or cycling. This dynamic action makes the therapy far more effective in stimulating circulation and reducing muscle tension, while also feeling comfortable and soothing.

5. Superior Pressure for Enhanced Recovery

PROPulse Compression Therapy provides up to four times more pressure than standard compression garments, such as those worn during workouts or recovery. This higher pressure is scientifically proven to be more effective at boosting circulation, removing waste products from muscles, and accelerating recovery. The increased pressure helps to support deeper tissue recovery and more effective detoxification from intense exercise.

Why Choose Compression Therapy?

Whether you're looking to reduce soreness, enhance circulation, or speed up recovery, PROPulse Compression Therapy is a powerful tool to add to your recovery regimen. Some of the key benefits include:

Faster muscle recovery with enhanced blood flow and faster removal of metabolic waste.

Reduced inflammation and swelling after exercise, helping to alleviate discomfort.

Improved circulation and tissue oxygenation, which supports healing and overall recovery.

Dynamic, pulsing pressure that is far more effective than static compression, giving you a superior recovery experience.

Higher pressure compared to standard compression garments, ensuring deeper muscle relief.

How Compression Therapy Works

Our PROPulse system uses dynamic compression to apply targeted pressure to your muscles, replicating the natural muscle pump that occurs when you’re active. This pulsing effect boosts circulation, accelerates waste removal, and helps relieve muscle tension. The pressure applied by PROPulse is adjustable, ensuring the most effective and comfortable experience for your body, while the dynamic nature of the therapy enhances your recovery results.

The therapy helps to reduce swelling, flush out toxins like lactic acid, and ease the discomfort that often follows intense physical exertion. It’s like having a personal massage therapist working on your muscles—without the need for manual therapy or effort on your part.

Ready for Faster, Better Recovery?

At Thrve Centr, we are committed to providing the most effective recovery tools available, and PROPulse Compression Therapy is an essential part of that. Whether you're looking to recover from a workout, reduce muscle soreness, or improve circulation, our PROPulse system offers the relief and results you need. Book your session today and experience the benefits of dynamic compression for yourself!

What Is an Infrared Sauna?

At Thrve Centr, we offer both infrared and traditional saunas to cater to your wellness needs. While they both share the same primary function—heating your body to induce sweating—the way they produce heat differs significantly.

In a traditional sauna, heat is generated by steam and hot stones, warming the air around you. In contrast, an infrared sauna uses infrared light panels to emit heat. This light penetrates your body directly, raising your core temperature before warming the surrounding air. As a result, infrared saunas offer a deeper heat experience compared to the more surface-level warmth of traditional saunas.

Infrared saunas operate at a lower temperature than traditional saunas—typically around 60°C, compared to 70-90°C in a traditional sauna. The absence of steam, combined with the lower temperature, makes the infrared sauna a more comfortable choice for many people. Many of our clients at Thrve Centr find that the dry, penetrating heat of the infrared sauna allows them to sweat more intensely, despite the lower ambient temperature.

How Does an Infrared Sauna Work?

Traditional saunas use convection and conduction to transfer heat to your body, warming both the air and your skin. Infrared saunas, on the other hand, rely on radiation emitted by infrared light panels. This radiation is absorbed by your skin, directly increasing your body temperature, which in turn triggers your body’s natural cooling system and causes you to sweat.

Because infrared saunas don’t rely on steam or humidity, they offer a much drier experience than traditional saunas. This makes them an excellent option for those who are sensitive to high humidity levels. Despite the cooler overall temperature, the heat of an infrared sauna is often perceived as more intense due to the way it penetrates the body, rather than simply heating the air.

Infrared saunas are specifically designed to penetrate deeper into the skin and raise your core temperature, unlike traditional saunas, which mainly heat the surface layers of your body. The ability to adjust the wavelength of infrared light (far infrared, mid-infrared, and near infrared) allows us to target different layers of tissue. Far infrared, in particular, is the wavelength that raises your core body temperature and most closely mimics the effects of a traditional sauna.

Why Choose an Infrared Sauna?

Deeper Penetration: The infrared light in the sauna penetrates deeper into your skin, raising your core body temperature more effectively than the surface-level heat of a traditional sauna.

Comfort: With a lower temperature and dry heat, infrared saunas are often more comfortable for those who find traditional saunas too hot or humid.

Intense Sweat: Despite the lower temperature, the infrared heat induces a deep, detoxifying sweat, helping to eliminate toxins and promote relaxation.

Customisable Experience: Infrared saunas allow for a more tailored experience by adjusting the intensity of heat at different wavelengths, making them suitable for specific health and recovery needs.

The Benefits of an Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas provide a range of benefits for both your body and mind, and can be an excellent addition to your wellness routine:

1. Detoxification

The deep sweating induced by infrared heat helps to flush toxins from the body, promoting detoxification. Studies have shown that infrared saunas can help eliminate heavy metals and other harmful substances, giving your body a natural cleansing boost.

2. Improved Circulation

The heat from an infrared sauna increases blood flow, which helps to improve circulation, deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and accelerate muscle recovery.

3. Muscle Relaxation & Pain Relief

Infrared saunas help to soothe sore muscles and joints, promoting relaxation and reducing inflammation. They’re especially beneficial after intense physical activity, helping to alleviate muscle soreness and speed up recovery.

4. Skin Health

Sweating in an infrared sauna helps to open pores and cleanse the skin, improving the appearance of your complexion. Regular sessions can lead to healthier, more radiant skin by promoting better circulation and detoxification.

5. Stress Reduction

Infrared saunas can help to reduce stress and promote relaxation. The calming heat soothes your nervous system and stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural "feel-good" hormones, helping to boost mood and reduce tension.

Infrared Saunas vs. Traditional Saunas

While both types of saunas offer benefits, the key difference lies in how the heat is generated and how deeply it penetrates the body:

Infrared saunas use radiant heat from infrared light panels to directly warm your body, which penetrates deeper into the skin. They operate at a lower temperature and offer a drier experience, making them more comfortable for those who find traditional saunas too hot or humid.

Traditional saunas heat the air, which in turn heats your body. They operate at higher temperatures and are often more humid, making them feel more intense on the surface but offering a different type of thermal experience.

Ready to Experience the Infrared Sauna?

At Thrve Centr, we offer both infrared and traditional sauna experiences, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs and preferences. Whether you're looking to relax, recover after a workout, or improve your skin health, our infrared saunas provide a gentle yet effective way to experience the many benefits of heat therapy.

Come and try an infrared sauna session at Thrve Centr and discover how this modern approach to heat therapy can improve your overall wellness.