The Benefits and Joy of Hot & Cold Therapy

Finnleo Dealer Spotlight: Everything Billiards & Spas

(Locations in Charlotte & Greensboro)

I have been a Hot Spring Spas and Finnleo dealer since 2013, and immediately began integrating sauna and spa products into my life and routine. I am a very active person and I thoroughly enjoy intensity in every part of my life. Some of the activities I most enjoy are snowboarding, running, cycling, Crossfit, riding dirt bikes, and when I’m not doing those things… working.

I first got a Hot Spring Envoy Hot Tub years before I became a dealer and was instantly a believer. Hot tubs just make life better. Never mind the jets; just relaxing in hot water, 106 degrees Fahrenheit for me, is amazing. Mostly in the mornings with coffee, sometimes again in the evening with my wife. It’s a great time to unplug and unwind and truly relax.

A few years back, I really started getting into the world of sauna bathing. My preferred method is a traditional sauna, around 170 - 180 degrees Fahrenheit, with plenty of added steam. My wife enjoys that kind of intensity sometimes, but trends more toward the Infrared technology because of the health benefits. I love the intensity of the traditional, where I get my heart rate between 140 - 150 beats per minute while sitting completely still. I also like to add Eucalyptus to the sauna steam, which cleans out my sinuses and does wonders for my skin. These are just some of the benefits of sauna. We currently own the InfraSauna-565 Finnleo combination unit (traditional and infrared) with the SaunaLogic2 control & mobile app. This unit allows us to get the best of both worlds and has plenty of room for two comfortably, while seating up to 4 in a pinch.

Now for the kicker… Not sure how many of you have heard of the Iceman, but I started researching the methods and practices of Wim Hof last year and began toying with the idea of cold water. I hate it. It’s rough. I’m scared every time I get in, but the benefits are amazing! This started with cold showers between sauna innings; and let me tell you, it’s tough to stand under a cold shower no matter how hot you are.

Here at Everything Billiards and Spas, we began selling the Hot Spring Cool Zone system because of customer demand in 2018, only selling a few units here and there. This summer (2020) the demand skyrocketed for us and I decided, if I’m going to be selling this Cool Zone system to our customers, I need to have the personal experience of this unit to share with them. My wife and I just moved into a new home in June and I added the Cool Zone system to our Envoy hot tub. The system allows us to keep the water anywhere between 50 degrees and 106 degrees. We started at 50 degrees on day one which was a big mistake! I almost couldn’t bring myself to go back in the second time. Since then, I have settled in at 60 degrees which still takes my breath away and I get nervous every time I do it, but I feel absolutely phenomenal afterwards, every single time. My routine consists of 15 minutes of sauna and steam followed by 3-5 minutes of cold-water plunge. It's hard to get in the cold water, but once I’m in and seated (which I do very quickly), staying put isn’t a problem (unlike a shower).

I haven’t had my hot tub above 60 degrees in a month now, and likely won’t turn it back up until September / October. There are so many amazing health benefits that could be listed for each and every therapy I’ve mentioned above, but since I’m not a doctor, I won’t even bother. I’ll just share my experience. It works! I feel better! I look forward to it! I feel amazing afterwards! Every! Single! Time!