• Thrive25
  • Posts
  • Issue #134: Best Hot/Cold Protocols

Issue #134: Best Hot/Cold Protocols

Your Guide to Health & Longevity

Author

Ryan Schneider
March 03, 2026

Good morning. It’s Thursday, February 23rd. We hit on winter sports two weeks ago - today is Curling is Cool Day across the US...bet you didn't know.

28.X_Weekly Theme_09 Science

To keep the body in good health is a duty … otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.

The Buddha

  • From the Lab: Body Temp & Circadian Rhythm

  • Take Action: Hot/Cold Best Practices

  • Speed Read: Forest Therapy

  • Thursday Night In: Salmon Sushi Bowl

  • Moment of Fun: Technology

28.4 (134)_Stat of the Day (Canva)

The new normal for human body temperature (see below).

From the Lab

Today we’re going to put all of the protocols together.

If you can add a couple of years by hitting up the sauna every week and jumping in freezing cold water - then get ready for your 100th birthday if you put together everything we’ve got for you today! 

First - your body temp isn’t 98.6 all day long (in fact, it’s probably not normally 98.6 - our body temps have been going down for years and this is a very outdated benchmark).

Our core temp aligns with the 24-hr circadian rhythm (for more see Issue #12 and #14) with the lowest point about 2 hours before we wake up. The temp then increases until the afternoon and then starts going back down - getting us ready to go back to sleep.

So the timing of when we get into hot and cold is key!

Morning - Remember to get moving first thing in the AM. Even if you don’t have time for a full workout do 25 reps of something (anything) - see our Challenge #1 on Instagram:

Thrive25 on Instagram: "“💪 Nothing affects our health & longevity like exercise. In fact, studies show that it has the absolute biggest effect on our lifespan - reducing our mortality by 500%. This is even a more significant factor than smoking vs not smoking! 🚶🏽Exercise is all about moving - even walking just 20-30 min a day has been shown to have massive health benefits. 🏃🏽 The best exercise routines include cardio fitness - focused primarily on Zone 2 training (70-80% of max heart rate) with some high intensity training (HIIT) for short bursts. If you are running - mix in 4 sprints for 10 seconds or if you are at the gym - try high knees in place or burpees for 10-20 seconds. Anything that will get you close to your max heart rate. 🏋️ Don’t forget about strength training. We lose at least 1% of our muscle strength per year after the age of 40 and it’s absolutely essential for everyone to incorporate resistence training at least 2x per week. 📝 Thrive25 Challenge #1: Do 25 reps of something as soon as you wake up. Try push-ups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, sit-ups. The actual movement is less important than just doing something. This jump starts your metabolism for the day and gets you into the athlete mindset focused on your health all day long. Looking for more tips on how to get in the best shape of your life? 👊 Subscribe to our free newsletter at Thrive25.com for quick tips and inspiration to live longer, better, and smarter. #thrive25 #health #zone2 #longevity #longevitylifestyle #cardiotraining #heartrate #hearratetraining #heartratemonitor #biohack #exercisemotivation #exercisephyisology”"

13 Likes, 6 Comments - Thrive25 (@thrive25labs) on Instagram: "“💪 Nothing affects our health & longevity like exercise. In fact, studies show that it has the absolute biggest effect on our lifespan - reducing our mortality by 500%. This is even a more significant factor than smoking vs not smoking! 🚶🏽Exercise is all about moving - even walking just 20-30 min a day has been shown to have massive health benefits. 🏃🏽 The best exercise routines include cardio fitness - focused primarily on Zone 2 training (70-80% of max heart rate) with some high intensity training (HIIT) for short bursts. If you are running - mix in 4 sprints for 10 seconds or if you are at the gym - try high knees in place or burpees for 10-20 seconds. Anything that will get you close to your max heart rate. 🏋️ Don’t forget about strength training. We lose at least 1% of our muscle strength per year after the age of 40 and it’s absolutely essential for everyone to incorporate resistence training at least 2x per week. 📝 Thrive25 Challenge #1: Do 25 reps of something as soon as you wake up. Try push-ups, squats, lunges, jumping jacks, sit-ups. The actual movement is less important than just doing something. This jump starts your metabolism for the day and gets you into the athlete mindset focused on your health all day long. Looking for more tips on how to get in the best shape of your life? 👊 Subscribe to our free newsletter at Thrive25.com for quick tips and inspiration to live longer, better, and smarter. #thrive25 #health #zone2 #longevity #longevitylifestyle #cardiotraining #heartrate #hearratetraining #heartratemonitor #biohack #exercisemotivation #exercisephyisology”"

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co5OTaXpM0L/

After that - get in the cold. Remember cold temps on the skin will boost our core temp so better to do this in the morning. Cold plunges at night may disrupt your sleep! 

Afternoon/Evening - on the flip side, heat will lower our body temp and some smart health experts swear that sauna is one of the best tools for optimal sleep. So do this in the evening as you're winding down. Plus, the heat may boost your growth hormone (hGH), which is released at night so this gives you the biggest opportunity to really kick this up!

Take Action

Some other best practices:

  1. 🥵 Fasted Sauna: high levels of glucose inhibits growth hormone (hGH) so again try to have a somewhat empty stomach in the heat (don’t forget to hydrate though)

  2. 🥶 Fasted Cold Plunge (theme here?): going into the cold somewhat fasted will further increase adrenaline and dopamine even more so don’t jump in on a full stomach

  3. ☕ Caffeine Before Cold Plunge: caffeine has dopamine receptors - if you typically drink coffee or green tea, try it about an hour before the plunge to get the most benefit of this motivation molecule

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

Bodhi Surf + Yoga is an award-winning B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member surf and yoga camp located in the small, coastal community of Bahia Ballena, Osa, Costa Rica. 

Their surf sessions give you mastery of the waves and encourage ocean stewardship inside the spectacular Marino Ballena National Park — one of the best beaches in the world for learning to surf. 

Bodhi Founder - Travis Bays (Instagram)

Can't make to Costa Rica right now? Get 1 month FREE Bodhi Online Membership.  

Experience a taste of Bodhi's award-winning Costa Rican surf and yoga camp experience, right from your living room. Yoga practice and philosophy. Healthy and delicious recipes. Discussions about living well and awakening purpose. 

Email [email protected] to take advantage of the free membership. 

Speed Read

Health & Longevity in the News

To the Core!: A research team full of geologists, microbiologists and engineers are going to drill closer to the earth’s core than ever before. Where to: the Atlantis Massif - a fourteener in the Atlantic Ocean. To do what again: navigate 5,400’ of water to deepen a hole that is 15” wide to 6,750’ into the underwater mountain. Why: take samples to determine whether a special mix of rock and water spawned life. What we can do boggles the mind. (WSJ)

Our Brain’s Evolution: Speaking of - the human brain has evolved over thousands of years to deal with immediate risks, like hunger and danger (snakes, the dark), not what we face today. Our brains are irrational and are ill-equipped to deal with the major risks we face (obesity, climate change, nuclear apocalypse, etc.). We feel first, think second. Remember to take a beat to get to System 2 and take control (Issue #19). (Big Think)

Forest Therapy: This might help. A forest bathing protocol, Shinrin-yoku was developed in Japan during the 1980’s. Now you can find various excursions around the world, spending hours mindfully exploring in the forest. (Outside)

Thursday Night In

Craving some sushi? Here's a super healthy quick recipe for a date night at home. Lots of great healthy fats with the salmon and avocado. Not into the cauliflower rice, white rice works too. 

Pro Tip: Go for the tamari sauce and Primal Kitchen mayo!

For easy access, save this image to your phone or computer in a folder called Thrive25.

Moment of Fun

What is scarier - the technology that picks up everything we say OR our partners using that technology to manipulate us??

Thrive25 Referral Program

Do us the favor - tell your friends about Thrive25! Earn Thrive25 swag and other rewards from our Sponsors via our referral program:

2023.01_Referral Campaign

Thanks for joining us today! 

Why Thrive25

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity. 

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

To health!