Optimizing Your Recovery: The Best Service Stacks to Maximize Benefits
Each recovery service at Level Up Wellness offers unique benefits, but combining them strategically can enhance their effects. Whether you prefer to keep it simple with a single session or explore how different therapies work together, understanding the best order for stacking can help you maximize results. Here’s a breakdown of service combinations that work particularly well together, so you can make the most of your time in the studio.
Here are five effective recovery stacks for those looking to combine services for even better results:
1. Cold Plunge → Red Light Therapy
Cold Plunge: Exposure to cold water triggers vasoconstriction, reducing inflammation and muscle soreness by limiting fluid buildup in tissues. The body then responds with vasodilation upon exiting the plunge, increasing blood flow and helping to clear metabolic waste. Cold exposure also activates the nervous system, improving alertness and releasing dopamine, which enhances mood and mental clarity.
Red Light Therapy: Once inflammation is controlled, red light therapy penetrates deep into tissues to stimulate mitochondrial activity. This enhances ATP (adenosine triphosphate) production, which is crucial for cellular repair and regeneration, ultimately supporting muscle recovery and reducing oxidative stress. Additionally, red light therapy has been shown to improve sleep quality, which is essential for cognitive function and mental recovery.
Why this works: Cold exposure limits inflammation and enhances circulation, while red light therapy follows up with targeted tissue repair at the cellular level, helping muscles recover more efficiently while also supporting mental clarity and sleep quality.
2. Infrared Sauna → Cold Plunge → Red Light Therapy
Infrared Sauna: Heat exposure causes vasodilation, increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles while promoting relaxation. It also induces mild hyperthermia, which can activate heat shock proteins that help repair damaged cells and improve stress resilience. The deep heat also encourages parasympathetic nervous system activation, lowering stress and preparing the body for recovery.
Cold Plunge: The sudden cold exposure induces vasoconstriction, forcing blood toward the core. When you exit the plunge, rapid vasodilation follows, flushing out metabolic waste and reducing inflammation. This process also enhances cardiovascular efficiency and strengthens mental resilience by helping the body adapt to stress.
Red Light Therapy: After the body's circulatory response is fully engaged, red light therapy supports deeper recovery by stimulating collagen production, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing mitochondrial function. The calming effects of red light therapy can further promote relaxation and support cognitive function.
Why this works: Sauna increases circulation and primes the muscles, cold exposure reduces inflammation and improves stress adaptation, and red light therapy promotes tissue regeneration while aiding relaxation and cognitive recovery.
3. Compression Therapy → Infrared Sauna
Compression Therapy: By applying controlled pressure to the limbs, compression therapy improves venous return, increases circulation, and reduces muscle stiffness. This primes the body for deeper blood flow enhancement during heat exposure. It also helps the body relax physically, which can translate to a calmer nervous system.
Infrared Sauna: Once circulation is optimized, infrared heat penetrates deep into tissues, further enhancing blood flow, promoting nutrient delivery to muscles, and accelerating recovery. The heat also helps reduce cortisol levels, promoting stress relief and improving sleep quality.
Why this works: Compression therapy enhances circulation before heat exposure, allowing sauna benefits to be maximized by delivering oxygen and nutrients more efficiently to recovering muscles. The combination also encourages nervous system balance, helping both body and mind unwind.
4. Infrared Sauna → Cold Plunge
Infrared Sauna: Infrared heat penetrates deep into tissues, increasing circulation and oxygen delivery while promoting muscle relaxation. It also stimulates heat shock proteins, which support cellular repair, muscle adaptation, and overall resilience. Sauna use before cold exposure helps the body transition more effectively between temperature extremes and enhances vascular function. Additionally, sauna use has been linked to cognitive benefits, including reduced stress and improved mental well-being.
Cold Plunge: Cold exposure rapidly induces vasoconstriction, shunting blood to the core. Upon exiting, the subsequent vasodilation restores circulation, helping to flush metabolic waste, reduce inflammation, and support muscle recovery. The cold exposure also activates the release of norepinephrine and dopamine, which can improve focus, mood, and resilience to stress.
Why this works: The sauna helps loosen muscles and improve circulation, making the cold plunge more effective at reducing inflammation and supporting muscle recovery. This sequence strengthens the body’s thermoregulatory response and cardiovascular efficiency over time while also improving stress resilience and mental clarity.
5. Red Light Therapy → Infrared Sauna
Red Light Therapy: Starting with red light therapy enhances mitochondrial function and primes cells for optimal performance. By stimulating ATP production and reducing oxidative stress, it creates a strong foundation for the additional benefits of heat exposure. Red light therapy may also support neuroplasticity and cognitive function, helping with focus and relaxation.
Infrared Sauna: Once the body is primed at the cellular level, the sauna further enhances circulation, relaxation, and deep tissue repair. Heat exposure encourages detoxification through sweating and supports muscle recovery by increasing blood flow. The sauna also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing cortisol, making it easier to unwind.
Why this works: Red light therapy enhances cellular activity, which allows the body to utilize sauna-induced circulation and recovery benefits more effectively. The combination also supports stress resilience, making it beneficial for both physical and mental recovery.
Mix and Match to Fit Your Needs
You don’t have to stack multiple recovery services in one visit, but if you choose to, understanding the best pairings and sequencing can help you get the most out of your session. Whether you need **muscle recovery, circulation improvement, or performance support**, these service stacks provide a structured way to enhance your experience at Level Up Wellness.
Curious about trying a new combination? Book your next session and explore what works best for you!
