Date nights out are so fun – especially in a town as vibrant and dynamic as Columbus.
I’ve prided myself on coming up with creative and unique date ideas over the years. In my current relationship, however, I’m finding that dates are actually the most fun when someone else plans them!
I was thrilled when Andrew told me a few weeks ago that he’d planned a fun surprise date for us for early September. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but he dropped a few clues as the day came closer.
“Bring or wear a swimsuit,” he said with a smile, and watched my eyes light up. I immediately assumed he must have gotten us a float tank experience – something I’ve never experienced personally, although I did curate a fun father-daughter float tank date once upon a time. (I remember thinking back then, “Wouldn’t it be great if one of them realized that it might be nice to buy Mom a ticket too, and then I could have the experience as well?” But alas, that never happened. Typical of my old life!)
On the day of our date, we headed downtown to Grandview and parked. I still had no idea what to expect. We entered a sleek-looking business with a cryptic acronym or abbreviation on the sign: SWTHZ. I was still stumped! What could this possibly be?
A friendly staffer greeted us in the lobby and offered a choice of aromatherapy scents on a cold (iced!) towel as she gave us a tour of the facility. We were shown around a long, neon-lit hallway with a makeup bar at one end and doors along each side. Then, we were ushered into our private suite, which featured an infrared sauna for two, a cold plunge tank for two and a swanky big shower boosted with vitamin C infusion.
Are you picking up what I’m putting down? This man took me to Sweat Houz in Grandview for a contrast therapy date!!
When the door closed to our suite, he and I found ourselves alone together in our comfortable, private space to enjoy the hot, hot sauna and freezing cold plunge pool – plus a vitamin C-infused shower for extra skin and hair benefits. It was all ours for one hour of contrast therapy and self-care, and it was so much fun!
Contrast therapy seems to just keep getting buzzier. I have been hearing about cold plunges for years, but the latest trend seems to be bouncing between a hot sauna and an icy cold dunk tank. Actually, this is not a new health trend at all but rather a long-standing practice in Nordic countries such as Finland, where people have been cycling between a sauna and frigid romps outside in the snow for centuries.
So how was my experience with contrast therapy? I LOVED IT! I am always up for new self-care experiences and this one felt amazing.
The hot-and-cold contrast experience used to be available only at high-end spas or luxurious international travel destinations, but now anyone can try it with Sweat Houz locations popping up all over.
I’ve always loved sweating it out in a sauna – my old gym had one (RIP Esporta/LA Fitness Polaris, so sad to see it empty and dark). I had never tried a cold plunge before and although I loved it, I found it way too difficult to get in! I need to practice forcing myself into a cold pool before I go back to Sweat Houz. I have never been good at getting into cold water past my legs. During our date, I was only able to go in up to my knees and then dunk my head a separate time. My honey was able to do almost a full dunk several times; I’ll do better next time!
The Sweat Houz staffer suggested that we alternate between hot and cold, with a shower in between to help modulate our body temperature. She said if we end on hot, we’ll leave relaxed and cozy, whereas if we end on cold, we’ll leave alert and energized. We did the latter and both left feeling rejuvenated and amazing!
I highly, highly recommend Sweat Houz for a date, a fun thing to do with your bestie after a workout class, or a very cool solo experience. We both noticed physical and mental health benefits during our hot-and-cold experience, afterward and even the next day. I can’t wait to do it again!
And no, this was not a sponsored post, but if Sweat Houz would like to put me on retainer as their in-house blogger, please give me a call. Think of how productive I could be in between hot and cold sessions!
