As you know, earlier this year, we had a great event that was hosted at Lore Bathing Club, which is located in NYC’s NoHo neighborhood! With 6,200 square feet, it’s a membership-based thermal wellness and social space that focuses on contrast therapy and communal bathing. At our Athleisure Mag Summit Series event, we were able to enjoy a 75 minute session which allowed us to navigate between what our bodies needed from cold plunges, saunas, red light therapy saunas, and the ability to take a moment and to be connected to ourselves without cellphones.
The concept of bathing culture, why it’s needed in this time more than ever, the importance of community, and the need for a regular practice is something that Adam Elzer, one of the co-founders of Lore Bathing Club shared with us that we want you to know about when you begin to think about how and why this can be included in your routines.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Why is bathing culture important?
ADAM ELZER: Bathing is one of the oldest wellness practices we have, predating gyms and modern exercise. For thousands of years, people across cultures have gathered around heat and water—from Finnish saunas and Roman baths to Japanese sento & onsen, Turkish hammams, sweat lodges and Russian banyas. While the rituals differ, the core concept remains the same: heat, water, recovery, and time spent together. These practices have endured because they truly make people feel better.
AM: Why does bathing feels particularly relevant now?
AE: In our fast-paced, screen-dominated world, a bathhouse offers the antidote. It forces you to unplug from your phone and just breathe. Beyond the clear physical benefits of sauna and cold exposure, the practice provides immense mental clarity. Heat demands your full attention; when you are in a hot sauna, it is difficult to worry about emails or tomorrow's tasks. The period of rest after the cold plunge allows your body to settle and your mind to simply exist, a reset that feels increasingly valuable today.
AM: Why is community important when we’re talking about bathing culture?
AE: Historically, bathing was a communal activity, not a solitary one. While you can use a home sauna or take a cold shower alone, a bathhouse provides these wellness benefits within a community. Even without direct conversation, a sense of familiarity builds over time as you recognize faces, share an aufguss session, or sit in the cold pool together. It serves as a vital "third place" where people can gather without the pressure of drinking, eating, shopping, working, or staring at screens.
AM: Why does regular practice of bathing culture matter?
AE: I believe bathing should be viewed as a routine practice rather than an occasional spa treatment. There is growing research linking regular sauna use and cold exposure to improved cardiovascular health, circulation, stress relief, and recovery. Beyond the science, a regular ritual forces you to slow down and listen to your body. There is no need for a complicated protocol—simply come regularly, get hot, get cold, rest, and connect with those around you. Over time, the consistency of the ritual becomes the benefit itself.
Whether you have included bathing culture within your routines or realize the benefits that it can add to your life, we hope that sharing these additional aspects along with the amenities and activities available during your sessions will assist you in booking your upcoming class. As mentioned in this article, we also agree that the regularity of enjoying these sessions is something that you will want to do in order to truly see the benefits that this will have for you!
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