Growth Without Standards
Contrast therapy is growing quickly.
New cold plunge studios are opening.
Saunas are being redesigned.
Hotels and wellness spaces are adding cold exposure as a headline feature.
From a public health perspective, this interest is encouraging.
Cold and heat exposure, when applied correctly, can support stress resilience, metabolic health, and nervous system regulation.
But alongside that growth, I’m hearing something more often:
Questions about safety.
Questions about benefits.
Questions about delivery.
Cold and heat exposure are not passive experiences.
They are physiological stressors. They influence cardiovascular response, autonomic balance, circulation, and metabolic processes.
And yet, in many spaces today, members are given basic guidelines — sometimes no screening — and left to regulate themselves.
Most of the time, nothing serious happens.
But “most of the time” is not a standard.
As participation increases, and as people with different health backgrounds enter these spaces, relying on general advice is not enough.
If contrast therapy is going to mature as a legitimate health modality, delivery standards must rise alongside popularity.
This is precisely why I developed the Thermalist® Method.
Not to make contrast therapy more complicated.
But to make it clearer.
To translate over a decade of research in metabolism and cold exposure into something studios can actually apply — consistently and responsibly.
A defined framework for:
– Screening
– Duration and sequencing
– Staff guidance
– Member education
– Safety clarity
Because equipment alone does not define quality.
Delivery does.
As this space continues to grow, we have an opportunity to shape how it evolves.
Toward structure.
Toward responsibility.
Toward standards.
If you are operating a studio and are thinking seriously about how contrast therapy is delivered in your space, I’m always open to thoughtful conversations.
We are currently onboarding a limited number of studios into the next Thermalist® cohort for operators ready to implement a defined, science-based method.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a licensed Thermalist® Studio see the link below.
Susanna
