I Tried A Cold Workout To Cool Down & Felt The Burn

I’m in the minority when it comes to cold weather. Sure, I love a good island vacation moment, but when it comes to my daily life, I often prefer cool weather to the sweltering heat, even in the depths of a frigid winter.

BRRRN is the first-ever fitness studio that specializes in cold workouts. Translation? All the workouts are conducted below 65℉. The duo behind BRRRN, Jimmy Martin and Johnny Adamic, conceptualized the idea after a meeting of the minds to research and delve deep into the science-backed benefits of working out in colder temperatures. You're probably thinking the whole world has gone mad. Stick with me!

Jimmy and Johnny ran the stats and found that of the 36,000 fitness concepts in the United States alone, zero operated below 68°F. Together, they developed and worked with former NASA scientist Ray Cronise and boutique fitness architect (think: Soul Cycle, Equinox, Exhale) Peter Bryant to construct a space conducive to their vision and backed by research. Studies1 that have outlined the merits of a cold workout, cite benefits like higher calorie burn and faster recovery time – when paired with a heat immersion.

"We wanted to present an offering that allows everyone to sit at our table. We have no-impact to low-impact to high-impact offerings," says Jimmy.

After all, the company’s "coldture" prides itself on cultivating "a body-positive community focused on progress, not perfection; a sanctuary for both hard and soft bodies to become the heroes of their own stories." Inclusivity as a boutique gym offering? Consider that a vision worth backing.

I opted for the 2nd° class, coincidentally, on one of the city’s recent warm spring days. Before the group entered the chamber of a workout room, our instructor Scott met us outside for a mini pep talk and loosely explained to us what to expect of the class—but really, expectations are little to none when you’ve agreed to work out in an icebox.

The exercise consisted of the same moves you'd find in your average boot-camp class, but I think the combination of cold temps, club lights, upbeat music (extra points for a fire playlist), and the instructor’s infectious energy somehow cajoled me into moving through the exercise with a sense of playfulness. As I looked around to survey the rest of the class, everyone just seemed to be winging their own version of the various moves. The hesitation and slight confusion were palpable with each new move but entertaining as a participant nonetheless. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing, even mid-plank. "Only in New York," I reasoned.

The highlight of the class was definitely the sliding board component. Wearing our slipper booties over our sneakers, we slid from slide to slide, picking up momentum with each glide between the sets. This was supposed to be a "recovery" exercise, but I was hooked on the motion. The smoothness was akin to flying down an ice rink, and the flightiness of it all was exhilarating.

I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone, per BRRRN’s philosophy of "stepping into discomfort." By the end of the class, the cold sensation felt fantastic, particularly for my impending soreness. I skipped out on the sauna; I wanted to preserve the coolness for as long as possible before stepping back onto the hot city concrete.

If there was ever a time to open up a cool fitness spot, it’s on the heels of summer. As temperatures rise and summer sheds its skin, a cold-hot element to exercise might just be the solve to making the most of your workout.