Cold Plunges And Heat Therapy Meet Rising Demand For Recovery
As much as we wholeheartedly embrace the prevailing culture of health and wellness, Mark Twain’s quote bears repeating: There’s no such thing as a new idea. The notion of the myriad benefits of alternating exposure to heat and cold has been around for thousands of years. Adam Rice, a longtime entrepreneur with a keen understanding of market trends, and Amanda Hall, a franchise pro who built her career in the health and wellness sector, channeled history by launching Plunge House, a high-end club specializing in contrast therapy.
Rice played baseball at Coastal Carolina, and saw firsthand the therapeutic effects of cold plunging, which he credits for aiding both recovery time and mental well-being. In 2013, he parlayed his fitness knowledge to open athletic-based fitness brand ISI® Elite Training, which he began successfully franchising six years later. Plunge House, which he launched with Hall (the duo also co-founded parent company Relentless Brands), is the next jewel in the crown of a burgeoning wellness empire.
How It Works
The first Plunge House opened in Charlotte, N.C. in 2024, with franchise opportunities available out of the gate. The facility features 28 state-of-the-art plunge pools — half hot, half cold — in addition to saunas. Plungers typically arrive 20 minutes prior to a session, and decompress in the sauna. They then move to an individualized pod, where they alternate between hot and cold baths during a 30-minute session. The practice was once embraced in ancient Rome, where bathhouses would include caldariums and frigidariums, to fortify the immune system.
The Romans were far from the first to embrace the practice; and Rice and Hall are just the latest in a long line of advocates for the therapy’s salutary effects. “Contrast therapy moves the body between cold and heat to create controlled physiological stress,” Hall explains. “During a cold plunge, your breathing deepens, circulation shifts and your nervous system learns to stay calm under pressure. When you transition to heat, everything opens back up. The result is better recovery, reduced inflammation and a natural boost in energy and focus.”
The Studios
Studios typically range 2,000 to 2,500 square feet and feature a standardized layout with plunge units, saunas, lockers and recovery amenities. These include Normatec compression boots, which use air pressure to improve circulation, ease muscle soreness and support faster recovery. Locations also offer separate men’s and women’s locker rooms with Vitamin C showers and large steam saunas. Members can relax at a hot tea bar or unwind on a well-appointed patio with plush seating and fire pit tables.
Staffing is lean and focused on service and session flow. Franchisors provide full training on operations, safety and creating a luxury experience. Day to day, owners focus on member relationships and creating a calm environment that people want to visit multiple times a week. For potential franchisees, the initial buy-in for Plunge House ranges from $600,000- 900,000 with a baseline $250,000 liquidity and a net worth of $750,000. Rice, who has built a career in the sector, sees few competing opportunities with a higher ceiling.
Research from the Global Wellness Institute shows the market has grown by 35% since 2019, and is expected to expand an additional 7.6% annually through 2029. The spend on wellness is now 60% as high as all health/medical expenditures — a formidable number. “We are the first hydro-based contrast therapy franchise opportunity in the market,” says Hall. “Our studios, protocols and experience were built specifically for this category. We also have a headquarters team with more than 100 years of combined franchise experience, which gives our owners proven systems and strong support.”
Wellness and Contrast Therapy
People are no longer thinking about wellness only in terms of workouts or spa days. More consumers want simple routines that help them recover, reset and feel better in their everyday lives. Interest in those recovery-focused experiences is helping bring contrast therapy further into the mainstream. According to Research and Markets, the global contrast therapy units market is projected to grow from $15.4 billion in 2025 to $16.81 billion in 2026. Plunge House meets that demand with a high-end experience built around recovery, energy and self-care. Here are some interesting facts about contrast therapy.
- The practice has been around for thousands of years. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all embraced its health benefits. Even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was an advocate!
- Plungers can alternate either between hot and cold pools or a cold pool and sauna.
- Cold, or cryotherapy, constricts blood vessels, numbs pain and reduces inflammation. Heat, or thermotherapy, dilates blood vessels and helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles.
- The combination creates a pump-like effect, improving circulation, reducing soreness and promoting tissue recovery. The therapy can also aid in relaxation and stress relief.
For more information, visit Plunge House’s franchise website.
