Cold therapy is Charlotte's hottest wellness trend. Here's where to try it

It might be summer in the Carolinas , but Charlotte is about to get freezing cold.

Why it matters: By the end of 2025, the city is set to have over a dozen venues specializing in cold therapy, ranging from wellness chains to locally owned-spas.

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Between the lines: Cold therapy has long been touted for its potential health benefits , from boosting the immune system to helping muscle recovery. Now, the centuries-old practice is one of the hottest new wellness trends .

• Some popular practices include cold plunging (brief immersion in cold water), cryotherapy (exposure to extremely cold air, often using liquid nitrogen), and contrast therapy (alternating between hot and cold treatments, such as a sauna and cold plunge).

Driving the news: We've rounded up the existing places to try cold therapy in the Charlotte area, plus upcoming spots to keep on your radar.

Editor's note: This list is neither exhaustive nor in any particular order.

Coming soon:

Sauna House , a Nordic-inspired bathhouse out of Asheville, is expected to open in late summer in Wesley Heights, next to Town Brewing at 1500 West Morehead St .

• Like a traditional European bathhouse, the saunas, cold plunges and lounge areas at Sauna House are part of a shared, communal space.

Rendering of the completed lounge area, courtesy of Sauna House

Sweathouz, a contrast therapy and recovery studio with franchises across the U.S., is targeting an early September opening in SouthPark's Sharon Square with additional Charlotte locations planned.

• Expect cold plunges, infrared saunas and vitamin C showers in a private suite.

BathHouse CLT , a locally-owned bathhouse, spa and social club, will open in South End this fall at 420 W. Palmer St . (formerly Charlotte Saw & Knife Co., near Frothy Beard Brewing ).

• Guests can reserve a two-hour slot for $70, which includes access to locker rooms, saunas, pools and a lounge area.

Rendering: Courtesy of BathHouse CLT

The Health Club , a locally-owned fitness center with recovery amenities including a cold plunge, sauna and steam room, is expected to open in Oakhurst Commons in winter 2024.

• Also coming soon to Oakhurst Commons is massage studio Mood House (July 2024), South End bottle shop Pop the Top (summer 2024), and recently-opened co-working club, Switchyards .

Rendering of The Health Club, courtesy of Priest Architecture and CBD Architects

Motion Fitness , a locally-owned fitness facility in SouthPark and Myers Park, is adding infrared and traditional saunas to both of its facilities.

• The SouthPark location, which opened earlier this year , is also in the process of adding cold plunging tubs.

Open now:

In Motion Fitness (not to be confused with Motion Fitness above) is a personal training studio in the Lake Norman area with a "recovery lab," that consists of a cold plunge, sauna and compression boots.

• IMF has two locations in Davidson, one in Cornelius and another in Mooresville.

The Plunge House , a private contrast therapy club from the team behind ISI Elite Training, recently opened at The Platform in Lower South End with 26 cold and hot plunges.

• Plunge House is membership-only and is expected to cap at 350 spots.

Sauna Culture , an ice bath and sauna studio, opened June 12 above Y2 Yoga in Cotswold.

• Memberships start at $90 for four visits per month. A 90-minute day pass is $40.

The Invigory , a health studio in South End and Waverly, offers a range of wellness treatments, like contrast therapy (ice bath and sauna), salt room therapy and cryotherapy.

• Find the South End studio at 100 W Worthington Ave ., by Brown Bag Seafood and the Waverly studio at 7314 Waverly Walk Ave.
• Of note: Services may differ by location.

Beem South End provides infrared and red light therapy sessions in a spa-like setting at its studio at The RailYard.

• A Concord location is coming soon and they have locations in Huntersville, Fort Mill and Greenville, S.C.

Freedom Lake Norman , a wellness center by the water, offers recovery services including cold plunges and saunas, red light therapy and compression boots.

• A one-hour session is $40 — your first visit is $20.

Icebox , a cryotherapy chain, offers three-minute cryotherapy sessions at its Lake Norman franchise.

• Read about what to expect here .

DI Thurma , a wellness and recovery studio in Cornelius, offers private contrast therapy with a cold plunge and infrared sauna.

• Participants can expect a 10-minute session in the infrared sauna followed by a five-minute cold plunge, repeated three times.

Restore Hyper Wellness , a med spa chain with multiple Charlotte franchises, has a range of recovery services, like cryotherapy machines, infrared sauna and red light therapy.

• Try it out at its Carmel, SouthPark or Rea Farms spas .

Charlotte's Community Cold Plunge holds plunges open to the public.

• The next is planned for June 23rd at The Village of Commonwealth in Plaza Midwood.

Go deeper: Looking for more self-care guides? Try float therapy or check out one of our spa and massage studio guide.

Are there any health and wellness trends you're excited to see gain traction in Charlotte? Share your thoughts with me at mckenzie.rankin@axios.com.

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