Recovery Guide · Denver, Colorado

Contrast Therapy and Recovery in Denver

How to build your routine. Big days out, a routine at home, and the order that ties them together.

"Heat. Cold. Then compression. Build the routine once, run it all season."

Snowboarder carving a deep powder turn with snow spraying behind

Man relaxing on a leather couch at home in RECON Elite Compression System boots

Mountain biker cornering on a forest downhill trail

By the Numbers

5,280 Feet above
sea level

4 Steps in a
contrast session

185° Common sauna
temp (°F)

50° Common cold
plunge temp (°F)

Why Denver

Why Denver Athletes Build a Recovery Routine

Denver sits at 5,280 feet, and a lot of the training around here happens higher than that. Trail runs and rides in the foothills, fourteener weekends, ski days off I-70. The big days stack up fast, and Monday still shows up on schedule.

That is why recovery here works best as a routine, not an afterthought. Same tools, same order, on a schedule you can keep through ski season and trail season.

01

Altitude

You live and train a mile up, and weekend objectives often go higher. Plan recovery the way you plan water and layers: before you need it.

02

Trails

Trailheads are a short drive from downtown, so back-to-back big days are easy to stack. A routine keeps the next one on the calendar.

03

Snow

Ski and ride season means long days on the hill and a long drive home. The routine is what you do when you walk in the door.

The Basics

What Contrast Therapy Is

Contrast therapy is a routine that switches between heat and cold: a sauna session, then a cold plunge, for one to three rounds. A common setup is 15 to 20 minutes in a sauna around 185°F, then 2 to 3 minutes in a cold plunge around 50°F. It is simple, it is intense, and you walk out wide awake.

Compression bookends it: boots on for a seated start before the heat, boots on again after the last cold plunge to finish. If you are on the other side of this, building the room rather than booking a session in one, the operator version of the same question is what it takes to open a recovery lounge that seats more than two people at a time.

The sauna runs around 185°F for 15 to 20 minutes. You will sweat hard and feel the heat build, so step out before you feel overheated. Then the cold plunge: about 50°F for 2 to 3 minutes. The first seconds are a shock, then your breathing settles. The switch between hot and cold is the whole experience. One round is a full session. Two or three rounds is the full routine.

10 to 15 minutes of sequential compression before the heat gives the session a calm, seated start. Chambers inflate in order from foot to thigh. Start at a moderate setting. You should feel the wave travel up the leg, firm but comfortable. Then boots off and into the sauna.

After the last cold plunge, boots go back on for 15 to 20 minutes in sequential mode. Chambers inflate foot to thigh in a steady wave while you warm back up and catch your breath. You finish seated and settled, and legs feel lighter when you stand up.

The first seconds of a cold plunge trigger a gasp. Slow, controlled breathing gets you through it, keeps you calm, and helps you stay in the water for the full 2 to 3 minutes. The same breathing carries into the compression finish as a quiet wind-down.

No. The routine runs the same whether you race Hyrox or train three times a week and sit at a desk. First-timers usually start with shorter sauna rounds (10 to 15 minutes) and shorter cold exposure (90 seconds to 2 minutes). The dose scales. The order does not change.

At Home

Build Your At-Home Routine

You do not need a sauna in the garage to run a solid routine. Compression, PEMF and red light cover the days between contrast sessions, and they run on your schedule. The order flips depending on when you train.

When	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
After trainingThe default	Compression 20 to 30 min, Recovery Cycle, moderate pressure	PEMF 8 Hz Unwind preset	Red light the finish
Before trainingPre-session routine	Red light first up	PEMF 10 Hz Everyday preset	Compression (optional) about 10 min, light pressure (50 to 80 mmHg), then 1 to 2 min of percussion and your normal warm-up
EveningWind down	Compression if legs are heavy	PEMF 3 Hz Wind-Down preset, 35 to 40°C	Lights low, screens off

01

Activate / Circulate

Compression and mechanical recovery tools. Sequential compression runs foot to thigh in a steady wave, and legs feel lighter. It leads the routine after training.

02

RECON Renew

PEMF mats built for recovery routines. Pick a preset, lie back, and let the session run. Always the middle step.

03

Restore Red Light

Red and near-infrared light across 8 wavelengths (630 to 1060nm). The finish after training, the opener before it.

Woman relaxing in the RECON Elite Compression System on a Renew PEMF mat

Woman lying on the RECON Renew PEMF Mat during an evening session at home

"RECON is a sequence. After training: compression, then PEMF, then red light."

Contrast Day

The Contrast + Compression Sequence

On a contrast day, compression bookends the heat and cold. Select each phase to see how it runs.

The Contrast + Compression Routine

Click a phase to explore

Heat, then cold, then compression to finish

Phase	Step	Duration	Tool	How It Runs
00	Compression Pre-LoadSequential mode	10 to 15 min	Boots	Seated start, steady foot-to-thigh wave before the heat
01	Sauna HeatAround 185°F	15 to 20 min	Sauna	Sweat it out, step out before you feel overheated
02	Cold PlungeAround 50°F	2 to 3 min	Cold plunge	Breathe through the first seconds, stay calm
03	Compression FinishSequential mode	15 to 20 min	Boots	Steady foot-to-thigh wave while you warm back up
04	RepeatOptional	×2 to 3 rounds	Sauna + plunge	Back to phase 01. Compression finish after the last cold plunge only.

// RUNS THIS ROUTINE

Elite Compression System

8 chambers inflate in order from foot to upper inner thigh, with pressure adjustable up to 260 mmHg. Arm and hip attachments run off the same hub. Built for the compression steps on both sides of a contrast session, and every after-training routine in between.

$649

See the Elite →

Denver FAQ

Contrast Therapy in Denver: Quick Answers

Denver has a growing number of recovery studios and events where you can try contrast sessions. Once you know the routine, you can run the compression, PEMF and red light steps at home on the days in between.

Yes. After a big day, run it in the after-training order: compression to start, sauna, cold plunge, then compression to finish. On days without a sauna, run the at-home order: compression, then PEMF, then red light.

The order and the times stay the same. Bring water, and keep your first few sauna rounds on the short end while you learn how the heat feels.

No. The at-home routine runs on compression, PEMF and red light. Save contrast sessions for when you can get to a studio or an event.

If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or any medical condition, or use an implanted device, check with your doctor before using a sauna, cold plunge, compression or PEMF.

Build Your Routine

Start With Compression

Compression leads the routine after training. Before training it is an optional light step, then your normal warm-up. Add PEMF and red light from there.

Shop Elite Compression See the Full Protocol

RECON Wellness: Recover Anywhere. Thrive Everywhere.

// KEEP GOING

How to Run a Compression Session After Training →