You Don’t Need a Cryo Chamber to Live Longer—’The Art of Being Well’ Says to Start Here

If you’ve been curious about longevity “hacks” that don’t involve biohacking labs or 5 a.m. ice baths, Dr. Will Cole and Sunlighten co-CEO Connie Zack have some simple solutions. On The Art of Being Well, they break down how light and temperature can work together to build resilience, support detoxification, and boost long-term energy.

Here’s how to bring those same light-and-heat habits into your daily routine—without turning your life into a science experiment.

Start warm, not wild

If you love to wake up with a cozy cup of coffee and curl up in a blanket, you’re in luck. “A typical contrast protocol would be you start first with heat,” Zack states. She recommends easing into your routine with heat to open up circulation and prepare your body for recovery. A short sauna session—anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes—is enough to kickstart the process. Think of it as a gentle prelude, not an endurance test. The goal isn’t to sweat for as long as possible but to create a steady rhythm your body can maintain.

Infrared heat works deeply, warming you from the inside out rather than blasting hot air at your skin. It helps your nervous system relax while signaling your cells to wake up and move. Zack notes that these sessions “increase your core temperature, increase the oxygen, increase your flow,” all of which sets the stage for better sleep, recovery, and focus later in the day. 

Consistency is key

Infrared therapy works best when it becomes part of your rhythm, not an occasional splurge. “All the studies with cardiovascular disease, sleep, depression…it’s all about consistency, not necessarily length of time,” Zack explains. A few sessions each week can build momentum that your body actually recognizes and adapts to.

Infrared light helps regulate the nervous system, lower inflammation, and even support heart rate variability, but only if your cells get that steady exposure. Think of it like brushing your teeth or stretching—it’s the repetition that makes it effective. Skipping the all-or-nothing mindset keeps the process approachable and sustainable. Zack’s advice? Start small, listen to your body, and stack those small wins over time. The payoff is gradual energy that lasts, not burnout from overdoing it.

Is colder really better?

When it comes to cold therapy, Zack wants people to ditch the “no pain, no gain” mentality. The real benefits come from controlled stress—not shock. She explains that many of the myths around cold plunging miss the point. “Extreme colder temperatures are not better for you, and length of time is not better for you.”

She recommends staying in the range where your body can actually adapt. For women, that often means 55 to 60 degrees for two to three minutes; for men, around 50 to 55. “Women should not do it the same way as men,” Zack says, noting that research shows differences in how each body responds to temperature stress.

The goal is to build resilience. Cold exposure trains your brain to stay calm under pressure, helping regulate mood and strengthen the nervous system over time. Find your breath. Center yourself. Let your body learn how to recover.

Your cells are like solar panels

“It’s like solar panels.” Zack uses this analogy to describe how our bodies respond to light—especially infrared and red light. Just like solar panels absorb sunlight to create energy, your cells take in light and turn it into power at the mitochondrial level. “It activates and it turns on,” Zack adds, explaining how near-infrared light penetrates the skin to supercharge your cells.

Because most people spend their days under artificial light or indoors, we’ve become disconnected from the natural wavelengths our bodies evolved with. Red and infrared light bridge that gap, mimicking the early-morning sunlight our systems are built to recognize. “The human body, our cells, our mitochondria, recognize that,” Cole says.

The result is a quick, restorative boost that feels less like a hack and more like returning to what your body already knows how to do. “You can notice a difference. I feel more energetic, my brain is clear, my brain is just so creative, and I just feel healthy,” Zack notes.

End how your body feels best

When it comes to contrast therapy—the alternating use of heat and cold—Zack says how you end is up to you. Research shows that finishing your session with cold can support vasoconstriction, boost brown fat activation, and leave you feeling alert and energized. But as she explains, there’s no single right way to wrap things up.

“My rule of thumb has always been I end with my sauna,” she says. “I want that to be the last thing I do before I change out of the wellness routine into my…‘let’s go take on the world’ self.”

So, think about what you want. If you’re looking for a jolt of energy, end cold. If you want to leave calm and centered, finish with heat. “In order to have the maximum benefit of any type of modality, you need to enjoy it,” Zack adds. 

The best routine is the one you’ll actually stick with—and that means letting your body have the final say.

For more insights, tune into The Art of Being Well, streaming now wherever you get your podcasts.

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