Adding a Recovery Zone to Your Gym: Sauna, Ice Bath and the Business Case
The Short Answer
A recovery zone, typically a sauna, an ice bath and often compression boots, is one of the higher return additions an existing gym can make. 20 to 40 sqm is usually enough space, the equipment sits roughly in the $15,000 to $40,000 or more range depending on what you buy, and gyms typically charge a recovery add-on of $10 to $20 a week on top of membership. Done well, it lifts revenue per member and gives you a genuine point of difference in a market where most gyms look the same.
Why Gyms Are Adding Recovery Zones in 2026
Contrast therapy, moving between heat and cold, has gone from niche recovery habit to mainstream expectation. Members who once trained and left now want somewhere to recover before they walk out the door, and a growing number will choose one gym over another purely because it has a sauna and an ice bath. For an existing strength or functional training facility, a recovery zone is rarely a replacement for anything on the floor, it is additional square metreage doing additional revenue, and it gives members a reason to visit on rest days, which is good for visit frequency and retention on top of the direct revenue.
The trend sits alongside a broader shift in what members expect from a gym membership: not just equipment, but a full experience around training. A gym that offers strength training, a recovery zone and possibly a reformer Pilates room, see our reformer Pilates guide, gives a member several reasons to keep a single membership rather than splitting their spend across a gym, a separate recovery studio and a separate Pilates studio. Consolidating that spend under one roof is good for the member's wallet and good for your revenue per member at the same time.
The Business Case: Revenue Per Member and Differentiation
The maths works because a recovery add-on layers on top of an existing membership base rather than requiring you to find new members. Take a worked example, not a promise, for a 200-member gym: if 40% of members take up a $15 a week recovery add-on, that is 80 members generating roughly $1,200 a week, or about $5,200 a month, on top of existing membership revenue, from equipment that occupies a corner of your building.
| Scenario | Recovery take-up | Approx additional monthly revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 200 members, $10/week add-on | 30% take-up (60 members) | Roughly $2,600/month |
| 200 members, $15/week add-on | 40% take-up (80 members) | Roughly $5,200/month |
| 300 members, $20/week add-on | 35% take-up (105 members) | Roughly $9,100/month |
These are illustrative, not a promise of results for your gym: your own take-up rate depends on your membership base, your pricing and how well you market the zone once it exists. Beyond direct revenue, a recovery zone is a genuine differentiator in a market where most independent gyms look similar on Google Maps: it photographs well for marketing, it gives members something to post about, and it is a specific answer to the question "why here and not the gym down the road."
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Request Your Free DesignHow Much Space You Actually Need
20 to 40 sqm is enough for a compact, functional recovery zone: a four-person sauna, one or two ice baths, a bench for compression boot sessions, and enough clearance to move between them safely. This is not a full day spa, it is a purpose-built recovery corner, and most gyms carve it out of an underused area rather than sacrificing training floor. Confirm power and water requirements with your electrician and, if your lease requires it, your landlord or council before you commit to a location: sauna power draw and ice bath chiller plumbing both need proper sign-off.
Common spots that work well in an existing gym: a corner near the change rooms, where plumbing is often already close by, an underused storage area, or a section of floor that was earmarked for equipment that never quite earned its keep. If you are still in the design phase of a new fit-out rather than retrofitting an existing gym, it is far easier to plan power and drainage for a recovery zone from the start than to add it later. Our gym fit-out guide covers how to sequence these decisions across a full build.
What to Buy
A functional recovery zone typically combines three pieces of equipment, each doing a different job. The MYSA Mirage 4 Person Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna anchors most recovery zones: it seats a small group rather than one person at a time, which matters when several members want to use it after the same evening class.
The VERVE Nord 1 Person Ice Bath with 0.6 HP Chiller pairs with the sauna for genuine contrast therapy, and the built-in chiller means you are not buying bags of ice every day to keep it cold. Our full contrast therapy guide covers how members should actually move between the two.
VERVE Compression Recovery Boots round out the zone as a lower-cost, lower-space addition: a couple of recliner chairs and boot units let members recover passively without needing plumbing or power beyond a standard outlet, useful if your available space is at the smaller end of the 20 to 40 sqm range.
Pricing the Recovery Add-On
Most Australian gyms price recovery one of two ways: bundled into a premium membership tier that costs more than the base membership, or as a standalone add-on, typically $10 to $20 a week, that any member can opt into. A standalone add-on is usually the easier sell to an existing member base, since nobody has to upgrade their whole membership to try it. Consider also a pay-per-session rate for non-members: it turns the zone into a small standalone revenue stream and a low-commitment way for people to discover your gym.
Operations and Cleaning
Water treatment and chiller maintenance for the ice bath, and a regular wipe-down and ventilation schedule for the sauna, are not optional extras, they are what keeps the zone usable and safe. Put signage up covering safe use and general contraindications, and tell members with underlying health conditions or who are pregnant to check with their doctor before using either the sauna or the ice bath: this is general safety guidance, not medical advice, and your own signage should reflect that. Budget staff time or a cleaning contractor specifically for the recovery zone rather than assuming it gets covered by your existing cleaning routine.
Build a simple daily and weekly checklist for whoever is responsible: daily water clarity and temperature check on the ice bath, daily surface wipe-down in the sauna, weekly deeper clean and chiller filter check, and a monthly review of towel supply and signage condition. A recovery zone that looks and smells clean is part of what members are paying for, and a zone that starts to look neglected undoes a lot of the differentiation you built it for in the first place.
One regional gym that planned its recovery zone from day one, a 400 sqm facility on Tasmania's north-west coast, treated the sauna zone as part of the membership pitch rather than an afterthought: more reasons to visit, more reasons to stay a member. The pattern is worth borrowing at any scale, because recovery and training tend to reinforce each other rather than compete for the same square metreage.
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Request Your Free DesignFrequently asked questions
How much space does a gym recovery zone need?
20 to 40 sqm is usually enough for a functional zone: a four-person sauna, one or two ice baths, and space for compression boot recliners. It does not need to be a full day spa to work commercially.
How much does it cost to add a sauna and ice bath to a gym?
Equipment typically runs from around $15,000 up to $40,000 or more depending on the sauna size, number of ice baths and any compression boot units you add, before installation and any plumbing or electrical work.
How much can gyms charge for a recovery add-on?
Most Australian gyms charge $10 to $20 a week for a recovery add-on, either bundled into a premium membership tier or offered as a standalone opt-in on top of a standard membership.
Does a recovery zone actually increase gym revenue?
It can, by layering additional revenue onto an existing membership base rather than requiring new members. A worked example: 80 members out of 200 taking up a $15 a week add-on adds roughly $5,200 a month, though actual take-up varies by gym.
What equipment do I need for a basic recovery zone?
A four-person infrared sauna and a one or two person ice bath with a chiller cover genuine contrast therapy. Compression recovery boots are a lower-cost, lower-space addition worth considering if your zone is on the smaller side.
Is a recovery zone safe for all gym members to use?
Sauna and ice bath use is not appropriate for everyone. Post clear safety signage and tell members with underlying health conditions or who are pregnant to check with their doctor first. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
How do I maintain a gym sauna and ice bath?
The ice bath needs regular water treatment and chiller maintenance, and the sauna needs a routine wipe-down and ventilation schedule. Budget specific staff time or a cleaning contractor for the recovery zone rather than folding it into general gym cleaning.