COLD THERAPY: A PRACTICE FOR YOUR WELLBEING

Opposites are complementary: it’s a recurring thread throughout life and the universe, and especially at Lefay SPAs, where Yin and Yang coexist in perfect harmony.

Cold and heat are natural therapies for wellbeing, each responding to different needs. Heat, which has been the focus for the past thirty years, is ideal for vasodilation, increased blood and oxygen flow, muscle relaxation and chronic stiffness. Cold, on the other hand, works on vasoconstriction, limiting swelling, inflammation and bruising, with a local analgesic effect. Furthermore, it reduces stress, improves sleep, strengthens the immune system, stimulates endorphin release and lowers cortisol levels.

These are proven benefits that have increasingly drawn attention to ‘cold therapy’ in recent years, developed through methods such as cryotherapy or the growing trend towards practices from Scandinavian traditions.

At Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti, Lefay SPA fitness experts have created the Cold Experience, a group activity held in the morning within the Red Phoenix area, which uses cold for our wellbeing.

It begins with breathing exercises, performed while placing ice under your feet, aiming to maintain consistent breath depth and length while keeping the focus away from the cold stimulus. Next comes a barefoot walk outdoors in the garden, through rain, snow, or simply over frost-tipped grass.

Indoors, the experience continues with a cold shower focused on the lower limbs, followed by the Kneipp path: alternating warm and cold water several times, stimulating a sort of massage on the peripheral cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, encouraging fluid return toward the centre of the body.

Finally, an ice scrub is performed on the legs and feet before the last step, a cold plunge at 10°C, completed in three rounds: immersion up to the knees for 40–50 seconds; up to mid-thigh for over a minute; then up to the pelvis for more than a minute and a half, which can be followed by a full-body immersion.

The procedure concludes in the dedicated relaxation area, sipping a warm herbal tea. Participants will leave feeling physically energised, as well as mentally stronger, braver, and more aware.