Perhaps your fitness center turned up the heat years ago with a sauna, hot tub and, maybe even more recently, hot yoga.

The benefits of heat therapy are far-reaching and numerous: increased blood flow and circulation; looser muscles; better sleep; stress management; and improved cardiovascular health and metabolism.

But lately, wellness seekers seem to be moving toward cooler temps. If your facility hasn’t yet delved into this arena, it might be time to warm up to the cold plunge.

One of this year’s most popular wellness trends, the act of voluntarily submerging oneself in cold (50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit per the Health and Fitness Association) water for one, five or 10 minutes at a time has skyrocketed in popularity. No longer a treatment reserved exclusively for elite athletes, cold plunging has entered the mainstream and been incorporated into the fitness routines of ordinary gym-goers. While many employ the plunge as a post-workout recovery tactic, others tout its benefits as a general wellness practice.

Why the cold treatment?

The cold plunge (aka ice bath or cold water immersion) and other treatments involving near-freezing temperatures offer an array of health perks. These type of therapies are capable of:

• minimizing inflammation;
• aiding with pain management;
• increasing energy;
• improving circulation; and
• reducing stress and anxiety.

Some practitioners attribute regular dips in frigid water to improved mental clarity and stronger immune systems as well.

Ready to jump in?

With an array of freestanding, self-contained units on the market, it’s relatively easy to bring a cold plunge amenity into a wellness environment. Fitness centers and other facilities can utilize spaces of any size for the activity. With no plumbing or drain required, set up and operation is as easy as finding a nearby electrical outlet to power the unit(s).

A variety of shapes and sizes currently on the market allow for the incorporation of cold plunges in any space – even those short on extra square footage. If you’ve got an entire room to dedicate to the activity, consider bringing multiple tanks or tubs with room for full horizontal immersion into the fold. If space is limited to the corner of a locker room, pool deck or existing recovery zone, a smaller barrel or pod option where users remain in a vertical or seated position serves the purpose just as well.

Built-in chiller and sanitation/filtration systems render modern-day cold plunges relatively low maintenance, but regular cleanings, changing out the water and monitoring of chemical levels is still required. To make this task even easier, opt for a unit that offers skim filtration to target debris and contaminants – like body oil and dead skin – floating on the surface of the water. Additionally, adding Epsom salt to the water further reduces bacterial growth. But do this as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, proper cleaning and sanitation.

Tips for maximizing ROI on your icy amenities

If you’re ready to introduce a cold plunge at your facility, we’ve got a few suggestions to promote optimal usage and maximum ROI for your center.

1. Warm up the space. Add seating and soothing decor (think live greenery) to make your cold plunge environment more enticing. Presenting this amenity as a destination where members can gather and socialize adds to the allure.
2. Incorporate cold plunging in group fitness classes. Whether it’s a breathwork class or the final component of an intense sweat session, using the cold plunge as a group exposes a greater number of members to the amenity.
3. Set the stage with social media. Use your social channels as well as local influencers to drum up anticipation for the arrival of this hot (well, cold) new amenity, offer irresistible previews of the experience, and keep the offering top-of-mind for followers with regular messaging/posts.
4. Consider a dual-temp unit. Get even more bang for your buck by investing in a tub that offers both hot and cold water treatments to appeal to the greatest number of users and broader functionality. This also enables your center to offer contrast hydrotherapy – another growing practice where an individual alternates between cold and hot water immersion – in spaces where  you’ve got at least two tubs available.

Whether you’re looking to boost revenue, appeal or the holistic nature of your wellness offerings, a cold plunge amenity is a worthy investment given the popularity and health benefits of the endeavor. To determine the best approach for bringing this service to your own center, contact Aquila – an industry veteran with decades of facility design and management experience in the wellness sector – for more information and guidance.