Want to try something new? Sit in a sauna, then do a cold plunge at this Idaho Falls business.
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IDAHO FALLS — A local business in Idaho Falls that offers a Nordic-style sauna and cold plunge has one goal: to help you feel better.
Husband and wife Cade and Cari Baldwin are the franchise owners of PLUNJ, located at 3510 South 25th East.
The idea behind PLUNJ is contrast therapy. It’s “the practice of alternating between hot and cold temperatures to invigorate the body and mind. It’s as simple as moving from the sauna to the cold plunge and back again,” the website said.
“We wanted to do something that was fun and healthy…get people active and conscious about their mental and physical health,” Cade said.
Baldwin told EastIdahoNews.com that PLUNJ has two identical suites inside. There’s a sauna and cold plunge, along with a bucket shower and a place with chairs to rest.
If someone visits for the first time, a host will walk them through the facility and show them what to do. Towels are given for the experience, and a dressing room and restroom are available. Tea and water are offered for free, and snacks are for sale.
“They will want to bring a swimsuit with them when they come. Most people like to start with the heat in the sauna. You go and sit in the sauna for about 10 to 12 minutes. The saunas are right around 190 degrees,” Baldwin said. “Then you’ll step outside the sauna and we got bucket showers there to rinse off with.”
After that, it’s time to get into the cold plunge.
“Cold plunges are anywhere from 46 to 48 degrees. You’ll get into the cold plunge if you can get up to your shoulders,” Baldwin said. “Then you sit in the cold for a couple of minutes.”
Once you are done, you come out of the cold, sit in some chairs, and let your body rest. All of that together takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
Baldwin said each session is an hour long. People can typically do the hot and cold about three times.
“It’s a really fun thing to do in groups. If you have six to eight people… (you can) kind of challenge each other and you can see how long you can sit in the cold,” Baldwin said. “Kind of fun to push your body to the extreme a little bit.”
Watch the video below to see how it works.
The cold plunge is considered more than just a thrill. It has health benefits. According to its website, cold plunges can help reduce inflammation, soothe sore muscles and speed up recovery. It can also help reduce stress.
“The cold is very good for mental health. Things like depression and anxiety,” Baldwin said. “It actually increases dopamine.”
The benefits of the heat include helping loosen stiff muscles, increasing flexibility, and reducing tension.
Baldwin said he and his wife love saunas and cold plunges. They both served church missions in Denmark in the 1990s, and Baldwin said saunas and cold plunges are part of Scandinavian culture, which intrigued them.
“We’ve gone back several times to Denmark, and we’ll do saunas and cold plunges there now when we go,” he said.
Baldwin said they tried PLUNJ in Utah a few years ago and enjoyed it, so they wanted to bring it to eastern Idaho.
“It’s very relaxing to me. I just sleep way better at night. That’s another benefit. It’s actually helped my blood pressure a little bit,” he said.
General admission is $30 per session. There are also group rates, which are $150 for up to eight people.
PLUNJ has been open for one year, and to celebrate its anniversary, there is a membership sale currently happening.
“With the Lagom membership, you get four visits in a month, and it’s only $65 (a month). So that’s about half the price of what they normally are. Then with that, you can also bring a buddy and they only pay $20,” he said.
PLUNJ’s first session starts at 7 a.m., and the last session is at 9:30 p.m. It’s open Monday through Saturday.
“We just invite people to come out and enjoy it, use our facilities, and tell friends about it,” Baldwin added.
