Lakeville business provides space to ‘recover with intention’

There is no better way to anchor oneself in the present than by sinking into a tub of 48-degree water.

That’s the message that R-Labs — a new business in Lakeville specializing in contrast therapy — is spreading. Contrast therapy is a technique that uses hot and cold applications to promote healing and reduce pain.

In June, owners Mike and Cory James opened the business, located inside Millennium Fitness Gym, and have set their sights on showing people what it means to “recover with intention.”

“We’re not compensated to recover. We’re compensated to multitask, to move on to the next thing … productivity per hour. That’s the way society has taught us,” said Mike James.

R-Labs features a 48-degree cold plunge tub, a 104-degree hot tub and an infrared sauna. Clients begin a session with a cold plunge, followed by a dip in the hot tub and a session in the sauna.

This three-step process is the total package when it comes to helping the body recover from injury or stress, the couple explained. The cold-hot combination reduces inflammation and improves circulation throughout the body, which speeds up the detox and repair process. Then, the sauna completes the cycle by using infrared heat to warm the body from the inside out — and give the cardiovascular system a boost to improve blood flow.

The “R” in R-Labs stands for “recovery” and all the r-words related to it: replenish, revive, renew and restore. It’s also a play on the fact that New Englanders can’t say their Rs, noted Mike James with a chuckle.

The Jameses thought that Millennium Fitness Gym would be a great place to promote the service because a large percentage of the gym’s attendees are first responders — many of whom work in Lakeville, Middleboro and surrounding towns and need a reprieve from the stress of their jobs.

Firefighters, police officers and medical staff come to the gym to work on their bodies, but “none of them are doing the recovery,” said Mike James. “The least-used section of the gym is the foam-roller section.”

The couple noted that the benefits of hot and cold therapy are twofold for this population: it gives first responders a way to disconnect from stressful experiences at work and teaches them how to remain calm during emergencies.

“You come in the [cold] tub, and it’s an automatic ‘you’re here. Everything has stopped. I’m dealing with this right now,’” said Mike James.

Mike and Cory James advocate the cold plunge as an effective tool for teaching first responders how to manage stress.

“It forces your body into fight or flight. When your sympathetic nervous system kicks into play, blood goes from your extremities to your center, your pupils dilate, your breathing changes. All this happens automatically,” explained Mike James.

The experience familiarizes them with these symptoms, so when they’re at the scene of a crash, putting out a fire, or dealing with some other emergency and the symptoms return, they’ve learned to keep them under control, said Cory James.

Bridgewater firefighter Mike Rosa said he “detests” the cold, but “mental toughness is a really important part of the job.”

“You can develop mental toughness by coming in here and getting in the cold water. It really helps clear your mind and gives you a nice little reset,” he said.

However, hot and cold therapy isn’t just for first responders, athletes or fitness fanatics. Middleboro resident Ellen Cooley, 63, has experienced chronic dizziness since she broke her neck in a car accident five years ago. The only way she found relief was by putting pressure on the back of her neck — until she tried the cold plunge.

“Within two minutes, the dizziness stops, and I don’t have my neck pressed against anything,” she said. 

This has led her to believe the dizziness is related to a circulation issue, a discovery she plans to bring to her neurology team. The treatment has given her a glimmer of hope.

“It makes me believe we’re getting closer to figuring out what’s going on,” she said.

R-Labs offers several different membership options ranging from $120 to $199 per month, as well as drop-in 15-minute sessions for $22 and drop-in 45-minute sessions for $55. Sessions can be booked any time from 6 a.m. to noon on weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.