Cold Plunge and Fire & Ice Contrast Therapy

Man sitting up to his shoulders in a cold plunge pool with his eyes closed

Heat. Ice. Repeat. Fire & Ice is the hot-cold ritual that athletes, sea swimmers and Wim Hof fans swear by, and at PURE you do it in your own private wellness room at Union Square in Aberdeen or Lothian Road in Edinburgh.

Step out of a glowing infrared sauna. Lower yourself into a plunge as cold as 3°C. Feel every nerve wake up, then sink back into the warmth. You walk out buzzing, clear-headed and lighter than you walked in.

Start with a 10-minute Cold Water Therapy session for £15, or go all in with a full hour of Fire & Ice Contrast Therapy for £40.

The ritual everyone is talking about

Ice baths have gone from the changing rooms of professional sport to everyone's phone. Footballers and rugby players plunge after matches. Runners plunge after long runs. Wim Hof fans plunge for the rush. Winter swimmers in Scandinavia have paired a hot sauna with an icy dip for generations, and Danish researchers studied exactly that habit in swimmers who moved between the two.

Now you can do it without buying a tub, without filling a bath with ice and without a freezing loch. Our plunge is cold, clean and ready, with a specialist therapist on hand to guide you through your first dip.

What a cold plunge feels like

You lower yourself in up to your shoulders. The cold hits. You gasp, your breath quickens, and then, within a minute, it settles. Breathe out slowly and something shifts. Your head clears. Your skin tingles. You feel completely, sharply awake.

Stay in for one minute or build up to ten. You choose. Then climb out into the warm glow that follows, the part everyone comes back for.

What Fire & Ice feels like

Fire & Ice is 60 minutes moving between an infrared sauna and the cold plunge. Warm right through. Plunge. Back into the heat as your skin flushes and prickles. Do it again. By the final round you feel loose, light and completely reset.

Your therapist helps you set the rhythm, so your first visit feels as good as your fiftieth. And because it is a private wellness room, the hour is yours: no queue for the plunge and no strangers in the sauna.

What the research shows

Legs that feel fresh again

A Cochrane review of 17 trials found cold water left people less sore for up to four days after exercise than simply resting. A 2022 review of 52 studies found people felt less sore and more recovered the day after hard, sprint-type exercise, exactly what a match or an interval session asks of you.

The hot-cold rhythm

A review of 18 studies found that alternating hot and cold water left people less sore after exercise than resting. That rhythm is the heart of Fire & Ice.

Wide awake

In a 2023 study, people felt more active, alert and attentive after five minutes in cold water, and brain scans showed large brain networks working together more closely.

Calmer by evening

A 2025 review of 11 trials found people reported feeling less stressed 12 hours after a cold plunge. Plunge at lunchtime and feel the difference by bedtime.

Easier every time

The first plunge is the big one. In a study of 21 men, just five short cold dips made the cold-shock gasp noticeably smaller. Come back a few times and the cold becomes the part you crave.

Your first plunge, step by step

  1. Arrive and settle. Your specialist therapist shows you round the private wellness room and talks you through the plunge.
  2. Warm up. On Fire & Ice, start in the infrared sauna and let the heat soak right into your shoulders and back.
  3. In you go. Lower yourself in slowly, up to your shoulders, head and hands relaxed. Breathe out long and slow as the cold takes hold.
  4. Ride the rush. Within a minute the gasp settles and the clarity arrives. Stay as long as feels good.
  5. Back to the heat. Climb out, feel the tingle, and sink back into the warmth. Repeat until you are glowing.

Who books it

  • Runners, footballers, rugby and hockey players after a hard session or a match.
  • Gym-goers who love a plunge on their rest days.
  • Sea and loch swimmers who want to keep their cold habit going all winter, with a warm-up built in.
  • Wim Hof fans who want a proper ice-cold plunge with a guide beside them. Do your breathing first, then sit back and own the cold.
  • Curious first-timers who have watched a hundred ice-bath videos and want to feel it for real.
  • Anyone who needs a sharp, clear-headed hour in the middle of a busy week.

Go further

Want more than heat and ice? The Biohacking Wellness Package lets you build a 60-minute session around the cold plunge with our other wellness technology, such as Therabody compression boots, LED light therapy and mild hyperbaric oxygen. It is £79 midweek and £89 at the weekend.

Bringing someone? At Lothian Road, the Wellness Suite for Two gives you 120 minutes in a private basement suite with an infrared sauna, a hot or cold plunge and a relaxation lounge, for £310. See all our private wellness suites and packages.

Where to go and prices

Experience Length Price Spa
Cold Water Therapy 10 min £15 Union Square, Aberdeen · Lothian Road, Edinburgh
Contrast Therapy, Fire & Ice 60 min £40 Union Square, Aberdeen · Lothian Road, Edinburgh
Biohacking Wellness Package 60 min £79 midweek, £89 weekend Union Square, Aberdeen · Lothian Road, Edinburgh
Wellness Suite for Two 120 min £310 Union Square, Aberdeen · Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Treatments of 60 minutes or longer include 60 minutes of spa and wellness facilities. Facilities vary by spa, so visit our spa page for details. Both spas open seven days a week and late.

Ready to feel the cold? Buy Fire & Ice online now, for yourself or as a gift, and book the hour that wakes you up.

Pregnant or under medical care? Have a quick word with your GP before you book.

A wellness experience, not a medical treatment.

Frequently asked questions

How long should you stay in a cold plunge?

At PURE you choose anywhere from one to ten minutes. On a first visit, one or two minutes is a brilliant start: the gasp settles within a minute, then the clear, buzzing feeling kicks in. Your therapist guides you, and each visit gets easier. Book a 10-minute Cold Water Therapy session online for £15 and find your number.

How cold is the PURE cold plunge?

Our plunge runs as low as 3°C, properly ice-bath cold, and that is exactly what gives you that sharp, wide-awake rush the moment you climb out. Buy a Cold Water Therapy session for £15 at Union Square, Aberdeen or Lothian Road, Edinburgh, and feel it for yourself.

What is Fire & Ice contrast therapy?

Fire & Ice is 60 minutes moving between an infrared sauna and a cold plunge in your own private wellness room. Warm right through, plunge, then sink back into the heat, round after round. It is the hot-cold ritual athletes and sea swimmers love. Buy Fire & Ice online for £40 and book your hour today.

Is a cold plunge good after a workout?

A Cochrane review of 17 trials found cold water left people less sore for up to four days after exercise than resting, and a review of 52 studies found people felt more recovered the next day. Runners and team players plunge after big sessions; lifters love it on rest days. Book Cold Water Therapy or Fire & Ice online now.

Can I use the PURE cold plunge for the Wim Hof method?

Yes. Wim Hof fans love having a proper ice-cold plunge without buying a tub. Do your breathing first, on dry land, then lower yourself in, sit back and own the cold while your therapist keeps you company. Book a 10-minute plunge for £15, or the full 60-minute Fire & Ice for £40, online today.

Where can I try contrast therapy near me?

Fire & Ice contrast therapy is at PURE Union Square in Aberdeen and PURE Lothian Road in Edinburgh, in a private wellness room. Both spas open seven days a week and late, so it fits around work or training. It is £40 for 60 minutes, including spa and wellness facilities. Buy online now and book your visit.

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