Bluffton fitness studio opening soon wants to heat up your workout... to 125 degrees
Lots of gyms have saunas, but a new fitness studio coming to Bluffton is taking this idea to the next level.
It’s called Hotworx, and members will do their workouts in one of nine saunas heated to an average 125 degrees with infrared light.
“It’s not like a dry sauna that is suffocating,” said co-owner Melanie Langan. “It’s nice, and it’s manageable.”
Hotworx expects to open at 7 Venture Drive, Suite 104, in Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place by mid-May but is selling discounted memberships as part of a pre-sale. Eventually, the cost will be $99 for a membership fee and $59 per month with a three-month commitment and two-month cancellation notice.
Melanie Langan owns the business with sister Kristin Langan and their parents Paul and Martha Langan. The sisters live in Bluffton, and their parents live on Hilton Head.
Hotworx will be the first of its kind in Beaufort County, but the family is considering opening additional locations of the Louisiana-based business in Pooler and Charleston, Melanie Langan said.
Members will be able to choose from an array of workouts taught by virtual instructors via television monitors. There are 15-minute Hiit workouts or 30-minute isometric workouts, such as hot yoga, hot pilates, hot buns and hot core, among others. A portion of the studio apart from the saunas will house weights and other equipment that can be used between sauna sessions or for warmups.
The studio will be open 24/7, and members will use an app or punch in a code to open the doors.
While it may seem strange to some, Melanie Langan claims working out near an infrared heater offers several health benefits.
It purportedly helps clear up acne, eczema and psoriasis — “It’s really good for your skin,” she said — as well as relieves joint pain. In addition, for about an hour after a workout, your body will burn about double the calories as it returns to normal temperatures.
“It’s an immune booster,” Melanie Langan said, “and, in general, a mind booster.”
A consumer health column on the Mayo Clinic’s website explained that use of infrared saunas has shown some benefit for the treatment of chronic health problems like high blood pressure, headaches and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. The column did not address workouts. It said no adverse effects were reported but more studies were needed.
