Why Ice Baths Are the Next Competitive Advantage for Commercial Spaces

Walk into any gym, spa, or wellness space today, and you’ll find the same offerings: fitness equipment, sauna, steam, maybe a massage. Although these facilities are useful, they’re not exactly groundbreaking. To stand out, spaces need something more. That’s where ice baths come in.

(Don’t forget: Our Gym Guide covers everything you need—from setup specs to daily capacity—so you can sidestep common pitfalls and make a smart, future-ready investment.)

Doubling your market potential

With a single strategic move, you can double your market potential. By adding wellness and recovery services to your facility, you unlock new revenue streams and secure long-term relevance in a shifting industry. People are no longer wanting to just look good; they also want to feel good.

Meeting the demand for recovery

Wellness used to sit on the sidelines. Infrared saunas, cold plunges, and compression therapy. Now it’s front and center, flooding feeds and shaping consumer demand. People aren’t searching “gym near me,” they’re searching “cold plunge” and “red light therapy.”

We’ve worked with a range of forward-thinking gyms and spaces, such as Arc London, combining community and wellness by offering a stunning social experience featuring the UK’s largest sauna, seating up to 65 people, and 8 custom double ice baths with a breathwork space.

Differentiation in a crowded market

Since the fitness industry’s formal start in the 1970s, the UK’s gym membership penetration rate has only reached 16.6%. In the last 30 years, while market penetration has doubled, the number of fitness offerings has quadrupled. Traditional fitness alone is no longer enough to capture or retain market share.

Cold water immersion isn’t just another add-on. It’s an experience. Gyms, hotels, and even offices that invest in deliberate cold exposure set themselves apart immediately. It signals innovation, performance, and a commitment to wellness beyond the basics.

Building retention and loyalty

Members who recover where they train stay longer, spend more time on site, and form deeper connections to the space. Ice baths create routine, resilience, and a sense of belonging, all powerful drivers of retention.

Elevating your brand

More than a trend, cold immersion speaks to resilience, clarity, and performance values modern wellness communities aspire to. By offering ice baths, commercial spaces tap into a cultural shift toward deliberate discomfort as a path to strength.

Ice baths are no longer a nice-to-have; they’re a strategic move. For commercial spaces looking to compete in the next wave of wellness, the advantage is already here.

Ready to give your members what they deserve and level up their overall wellness routine?

Find out everything you need to know in our free gym guide.

References

WIN BIG IN THE WELLNESS SHIFT - Casey Conrad