Leave the bubble bath at home.<\/p>\n
New York City\u2019s trendy new wellness destination bills itself as a \u201cbathing club\u201d for all ages \u2014 and unlike some of their splurgier counterparts across the city, they want you to get your schvitz on multiple times a week.<\/p>\n
And if you do? Studies show frequent sauna time\u2019s linked to benefits for your heart, brain and sleep quality. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the next best thing after exercise that you can do for your health,\u201d Lore<\/a> co-founder James O\u2019Reilly, 42, told The Post.<\/p>\n Lore is a new \u201cbathing club\u201d in Manhattan, where members can come for contrast therapy \u2014 that\u2019s saunas and cold plunge \u2014 several times a week. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n So what exactly is a bathing club? Fellow co-founder Adam Elzer, 45, was hoping you\u2019d ask.<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought people would ask this question, \u2018What\u2019s a bathing club? Why do I need to be a member of a bathing club?’\u201d he said of the new space, which opens this month in Flatiron.<\/p>\n Inspired by winter swimming clubs that are mostly popular in Scandinavia, he and O\u2019Reilly liked the idea of a community that gets together for a self-care practice. In this case, it\u2019s contrast therapy<\/a> \u2014 a mix of hot saunas and cold plunge baths.<\/p>\n \u201cOur anticipation is you\u2019re going two or more times a week,\u201d O\u2019Reilly explained of the membership model. \u201cThe great thing is that it correlates pretty tightly with the science of what makes this practice really good for you.\u201d<\/p>\n The health benefits of contrast therapy<\/p>\n In fact, studies have linked saunas to a bunch of benefits \u2014 perhaps most notably for your heart.<\/p>\n In 2018, scientists at Eastern Finland University<\/a> found that the more time people spent in saunas, the less likely they were to die<\/a> of diseases affecting the heart or blood vessels. Doing it just two to three times per week lowered heart attack and stroke risk by 25%, while four to seven sauna sessions reduced the risk by 77%.<\/p>\n Another study that same year determined that sitting in a sauna could be as beneficial as moderate exercise<\/a>.<\/p>\n After sweating in the sauna, a dip in the cold plunge gets your body to a shiver. Then it\u2019s back in the sauna. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n Other research<\/a> has tied sauna use to longevity, brain<\/a> function, improved sleep<\/a>, boosted immunity<\/a> and \u2014 for older women \u2014 less weight gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cold therapy seems to have some benefits too, with some evidence showing it can help with muscle soreness, immunity, workout recovery and even depression \u2014 though there are also some potential downsides<\/a>.<\/p>\n All those perks are why it was important that Lore be a place that people could go frequently \u2014 that is, two or more times a week \u2014 not just as an \u201coccasional indulgence.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, memberships are priced at $89 per week and $200 per month with unlimited access to book sessions. Nonmembers pay $55 for a single visit, $145 for a 7-day pass and $225 per month.<\/p>\n Memberships are priced at $89 per week and $200 per month with unlimited access to book sessions. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n What do you actually do in a bathing club?<\/p>\n After coming through the cafe-like reception area serving coffee, tea, juice and bone broth, clubbers hit the changing room to get into their swimwear.<\/p>\n During a 75-minute session, you can alternate between saunas and the cold plunge pool as many times as you want, with the recommendation being one to three times.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an infrared sauna that reaches 130 to 140 degrees, plus a larger 700-square-foot Finnish sauna that gets up to 190 degrees. Once you\u2019ve reached your limit \u2014\u00a0perhaps after 15 to 20 minutes \u2014 you can take a dip in the cold pool, which hovers between a chilly 40 to 50 degrees. That\u2019s recommended for anywhere from two to seven minutes.<\/p>\n Lore co-founders James O\u2019Reilly (left) and Adam Elzer were inspired by winter swimming clubs that are mostly popular in Scandinavia. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n \u201cThe suggestion in the cold plunge is to try to get your body to a shiver, so instead of being focused on how much time you\u2019re spending in there, you\u2019re really just trying to bring your core temperature down,\u201d Elzer explained.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the cold plunge, [you can] sit on the heated benches to just relax, allow that to set in \u2014 and then you can run that whole program again.\u201d<\/p>\n Similar sauna spots likes Bathhouse<\/a> and Othership<\/a> are thriving across the city \u2014 but the Lore founders say they are taking a stripped-down approach with minimal programming.<\/p>\n There is one 15-minute guided moment per session, which can range from aromatherapy to aufguss<\/a> to stretching.<\/p>\n Saunas are becoming a popular third space for people to socialize without alcohol. EMMY PARK<\/p>\n Generation schvitz <\/p>\n