Exploring the Benefits of Cold Therapy

Cold therapies—which include cold plunges and cryotherapy—aren’t new, but they are trendy. After all, the reported health benefits include stress relief, improved recovery, and boosted energy and mood. Here are a few spots in BC where you can experience it for yourself.

Tality Spa

With surprising beginnings as a kombucha brewery, Tality Spa has branched out into a hydrotherapy spa with four locations—three in the Lower Mainland, and one members-only location in Kelowna. The flagship location in the Shipyards District of North Vancouver has a roomy red-cedar sauna—big enough for you and 24 of your closest friends—and four cold plunge baths. The outdoor patio is equipped with lounge chairs and a gas fireplace, so it’s the perfect place to lounge and relax. Plus, heralding back to the spa’s roots, find unlimited kombucha on tap. Robes, towels and flip-flops are always provided, so all you have to bring is yourself and a bathing suit.

Nordic Spa

Tucked away on the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s elevated sixth-floor pool deck is the Nordic Spa, which operates seasonally during the cooler, winter (and winter-adjacent) months. Enjoy views of Vancouver’s harbour while soaking in the outdoor hot tub or just soak in the warm glow from inside the cedar-plank sauna. Follow that with a cold plunge, then don a robe and unwind in one of the relaxation areas before repeating the whole process again (and again). If all this sweating and shivering has worked up an appetite, enjoy sips and bites from the generous spa menu that includes seasonal dishes and an array of cocktails and champagne. After all, a great spa experience indulges all the senses.

Vital Cryotherapy 

For those new to the practice, cryotherapy involves exposing the body (or parts of the body) to extreme cold—we’re talking -140°C. Think of it as a cold plunge, only there’s no need to towel off afterwards. While many spas offer “spot” treatments, Vital Cryotherapy in Vancouver offers full-body treatments that take just three minutes in a cryotherapy chamber to execute. The treatment was developed in the 1970s to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but since then many benefits have been identified: reduced inflammation, increased energy, boosted collagen production, improved mood, and faster recovery, just to name a few. Plus, each session burns between 500 and 800 calories. Quicker than a coffee break, and more fun than a workout. That’s a win-win in our books. 

Löyly Floating Sauna

Small yet mighty, Löyly brings the Nordic Cycle to Kelowna—specifically, Okanagan Lake. The floating spa is situated directly on the lake, and even uses its waters for the cold plunge. The spa’s owners, Nick and Jess Rastas, both share Scandinavian heritage, and are well-versed in the benefits of contrast therapy. With that in mind, they brought the practice into their own backyard, with all the benefits of unobstructed, waterfront views. A typical session involves a stretch in the sauna, followed by a plunge in the lake-immersed outdoor pool, then a few minutes of rest, before repeating the cycle again. Leave feeling relaxed and invigorated, and maybe with a few new friends. The folks at the Löyly say: “Often we find after the sessions, strangers leave as friends… it’s a really cool thing to see the connections being built while people get out of their comfort zone.”

Wildwood Saunas

Just a hop, skip and jump (or thirty minutes by car) from downtown Victoria is where the idyllic Wildwood Saunas can be found. This Nordic sauna experience is located on Bilston Creek Farm, which is also home to an orchard and a lavender field—sounds like the setting of a fairytale to us. The location is quiet and intimate, with two wood-burning saunas, cold-plunge tubs, outdoor showers, and a relaxation area complete with firepit. With the surrounding forest as a backdrop, the setting is dialled in for relaxation. Sauna-goers can choose from private or community sauna, depending on whether they would like a private experience or a friendlier one. The company specializes in building saunas—be sure to keep that information on file—and has another location in Ucluelet as well. 

Tuff City Saunas 

The Nordic Cycle meets peak West Coast at Tuff City Saunas in Tofino, where the cold plunge is the Pacific Ocean—or the falling rain, a snowdrift, or a chilly walk on the beach. If the weather cooperates, that is. If the weather really cooperates, prepare to settle in and do some storm watching as you sweat. The saunas here are wood-fired, so they require a little love from guests—just add a log or two from time to time to keep the fire burning. The Tofino area is home to two locations: the Pacific Sands Resort and Mackenzie Beach Resort. Both are situated waterfront and outfitted with lounge chairs to relax in, outdoor showers, and everything you need—including a whole ocean—to enjoy the experience. It’s a more rugged and hands-on approach to sweat-shiver-repeat, but we can’t think of a better way to take in the West Coast.

Sparkling Hill Resort

The European approach to health and wellness is the foundation of Sparkling Hill, an adults-only resort located in the northern Okanagan Valley. And although the whole resort sparkles—literally and figuratively—the real gem of the property is KurSpa. It’s the largest luxury spa in BC, where the signature treatment (of the over 100 services on the spa menu) is cryotherapy. Here, the chamber is set to -110°C, and guests are assured a comfortable experience despite the out-of-this-world temperatures. Of course, a protective head band, face mask and gloves help. During the treatment, the skin cools to 5°C, which stimulates both the nervous and circulatory systems, to help reduce pain, improve recovery, and even give your mood a jumpstart. It takes just three minutes, and after that, there’s the rest of the spa to enjoy.