Yahoo Lifestyle Ice Baths Are All the Rage. We Tested Out a $15,000 Tub and Here’s What Happened.
The initial signal to my brain is that something has gone horribly wrong. Sure, it had coordinated the correct neurological connections required for me to step over the lip of the 30-inch-high tub and slide into the 95 gallons of water in one fluid movement. It’s the temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit that has my respiratory and muscular systems assuming all decision-making functions have failed. Yet there’s no cognitive breakdown; rather, I’m experiencing the new Kohler x Remedy Place Ice Bath.
“Give it 90 seconds,” says Jonathan Leary, founder and CEO of Remedy Place, branded as a Social Wellness Club with outposts in New York and Los Angeles. “The most important thing when in an ice bath is getting your breath under control.” To assist with this challenge, a moving light bar at eye level serves as a visual metronome for every inhalation and exhalation (to be done solely through the nose). Soon, focusing on something we’re rarely conscious of is the only thing my mind can fixate on—not the light pin-like pricks that accompany any movement—and the urge for flight is eventually replaced by a calming sense of mental stasis.
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As for the physiological effects, “the cold triggers your circulatory system to kick into high gear, constricting blood vessels and then rapidly dilating them once you step out,” says Leary, a chiropractor. “This process boosts blood flow, reduces inflammation, and speeds up muscle recovery.”
A regular practitioner of this holistic reboot for 13 years, Leary teamed with Kohler, the over 150-year-old kitchen and bathroom atelier, on a soaking system able to meet the needs of his athlete clients but with a sophisticated aesthetic that would make it a residential showpiece. According to Katie Stevens, Kohler’s general manager of wellness products, both partners “share a deep understanding of how design impacts well-being, so there was a thoughtful approach and consideration behind every detail” when it came to the approximately $15,000 setup that took about two years to develop.
The 550-pound single-person bath—constructed with a high-pressure laminate on the exterior—can be attached to a primary plumbing line for indoor use. Along with a UV-filtration system, it features a single panel that controls the temperature (you can also take a normal hot bath), time, and ambient lighting. There’s even a slot for a smartphone or tablet to be mounted if app-guided sessions with the doctor are desired.
After six minutes of submersion, what Leary has found to be the general “sweet spot” with regard to duration, I exit with a sense of accomplishment accentuated by the spike in endorphins and dopamine that was promised. Yet that’s not the regimen’s raison d’être. “This isn’t just about surviving the cold—it’s about thriving in it,” he says. “You’re training your mind to stay calm under pressure, to embrace discomfort, and to push through barriers.” That would explain why, at least for the moment, I feel so blissfully chill.
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