Author Tries $50 Cold Plunge After 200-Degree Sauna at Manhattan Spa
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Author Tries $50 Cold Plunge After 200-Degree Sauna at Manhattan Spa
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Summary
$50-plus sessions drew the author to a Manhattan contrast-therapy spa, where a first cold plunge followed a roughly 200-degree sauna.
Maria, a friend who said she goes four times a week and that the practice “cured” her, pushed the author to try it amid stress, inflammation and a recent panic attack.
Evidence for those sweeping health claims remains thin in the article, which says available studies point only to slight or marginal benefits such as muscle recovery and stress reduction.
The 90-minute midweek ritual is framed as both a wellness test and a social snapshot, with the packed spa highlighting how mainstream cold plunging has become.