Contrast therapy studio SweatHouz held its grand opening in Reston on Oct. 22, marking another milestone for the franchise as it rapidly expands in Northern Virginia.
Located at 12100 Sunset Hills Road, Suite R9, the Reston Town Center West location is SweatHouz’s third location in Virginia, joining others in the Mosaic District in Merrifield and the Ballston area of Arlington.
Contrast therapy, a concept similar to the ancient Roman bath, involves alternating between a heat source, such as a sauna, and cold water to induce health benefits including muscle recovery, anti-inflammation and circulation stimulation.
Sweathouz adds a layer of luxury to healing, said Natalie Siewers, owner of the Reston studio.
“We were really thoughtful of every single detail,” she said. “[With] the tiling, which I think is the centerpiece of each of the rooms — that gorgeous floor-to-ceiling tiling — and of course, state-of-the-art equipment, we wanted it to feel like an escape.”
SweatHouz has several private suites, each with its own infrared sauna, Vitamin C-infused shower and cold-plunge bath. There is one suite that accommodates up to four guests. It also features a beauty bar with salon-size mirrors, blow dryers and flat irons.
There’s no one way to go about cold therapy; each guest has their own approach, but SweatHouz recommends this three-step process: Thirty minutes in the sauna (at least 145 degrees) followed by a lukewarm shower and two to five minutes of cold plunge in a small bath. Repeating the full process three times per 60-minute session is ideal, Siewers said.
“Over the last two weeks, I have developed a ritual that works for me,” said Jeff Holland, a SweatHouz Reston client. “I spend 25 minutes in the sauna at 175 degrees, followed by five minutes in the cold plunge set at a constant 50 degrees. Then back in sauna for five minutes to warm up and I end it with a Vitamin C shower. Total time [is] 55 minutes.”
Member Carolyn Weste, a coach, says she prefers 45 minutes in the sauna, “followed by a modified plunge for five minutes and completed with a Vitamin C shower.” She said this helps with inflammation reduction, toxin removal and injury prevention.
For Weste, a favorite perk of the private suite is total seclusion, but a member can bring one guest for an additional fee.
Sharing her positive experience with cold helped her clientele while doing grassroots marketing at small fitness studios around Reston before her studio opened, said Siewers, who was a member of Sweathouz while living in Boston.
SweatHouz forms synergic relationships with nearby fitness studios because they share the same clientele. Solidcore, a pilates studio, is in the same building as SweatHouz in RTC West.
The location is why Siewers isn’t overly worried about the effects that the ongoing federal government shutdown may have on membership — an expense furloughed or laid off workers may cut first.
“It’s definitely something we want to be sensitive about,” Siewers said of her existing customers who may be affected. “We are a luxury product, and we are in this area where plenty of people have the means to buy luxury things.”
Siewers already has solid plans to expand into Loudoun County. She will open her second SweatHouz location next year in Potomac Station in Leesburg.
