Are you ready to jump into (for realz) one of next year’s biggest wellness trends? It won’t be easy, but it might help boost your circulation and energy levels, plus reduce inflammation. Take a page out of a polar bear’s book and join the cold plunge therapy craze. According to Yelp’s 2024 Trend Report, interest in this activity jumped 521 percent since 2022. The company analyzes search trends yearly to identify which habits are growing and where people’s interests are leaning. Across millions of Yelp reviews posted by more than 33 million users, certain keywords and phrases emerged as leaders, and that’s why we’re all going to have to take a deep breath, lower ourselves into the icy water and find some calm in our shivering. It’ll definitely be...chill.
According to Yelp, lots of places are introducing cold pools, like gyms, spas, hotels, and physical therapy centers. Whereas that small, icy bath in the corner of a hotel’s spa might’ve once been an interesting oddity, it’s now becoming more mainstream. And of course, you can do an open-air plunge in northern cities like Seattle.
The key is to go slowly, shiver (your shivering actually provides much of the benefit), and get out after just a few moments. Pregnant women and anyone with a heart condition should find another way to experience an adrenaline surge. We can attest that trying this really is exhilarating, and you feel a sense of accomplishment for having engulfed your body in something so cold you initially resist it. You step out, completely out of breath...and yet ready to go in for a second round after you catch it again. And history buffs among us, you can't help but think of the poor people struggling in the Atlantic after the Titanic sank.
Next, for those who are curious what beat out the cold water plunges as the most trending wellness trend? It’s waxing. Yep, the skinny brow is back. Searches for the phrase “waxing services” increased by almost 700 percent since last year! That retro '90s look is returning, thanks in part to social media influencers who focus on brow sculpting and maintenance.