Frequently Asked Questions

490 refers to the temperatures of our cold plunge and sauna respectively; 4 degrees Celsius (39°F) cold plunge and 90 degrees Celsius (194°F) sauna.

We’re located in River Edge, NJ inside the New Jersey Orthopedic and Sports Massage office. There are 2-hour parking spots in the commuter lot located next to us on the corner of River Edge Road and Center Ave.

490 LAB

38B River Edge Rd,

River Edge, NJ 07661

You book an appointment for 15, 30 or 60 minutes. Your appointment is private; you will be the only person in the room unless you decide to bring a friend or 2. Show up 10 minutes prior to your appointment time to check in at the front desk. We ask that you take a quick shower with soap before entering the sauna and cold plunge. This ensures that you have a pleasant experience and the room stays clean for everyone following you, the same as it was prior to your arrival. Throw on your favorite playlist or podcast on the bluetooth speakers built into the room and the sauna. Track your sauna and cold plunge using the timer on the wall. Relax, stay mindful, and focus on your breathing. Shower, get dressed, and enjoy the rest of your day.

We take cleanliness and hygiene very seriously. While we sanitize the room in between each guest and deep clean every evening, the room is only as clean as the people who occupy it, which is why we ask all guests to shower before entering. In the sauna, sweat coming out of a clean body is much different from sweat which passes through dirt, oil and bacteria. While our cold plunge is a commercial unit with a powerful filtration system, entering the plunge un-showered and with personal care products like lotions, deodorants, makeup, and hair products places a heavy strain on the filters. On top of the practical concerns and good hygiene practice, showering makes the overall experience more enjoyable for you, the participant. Not only will you be more comfortable and relaxed at the start of your session, but when starting off in the sauna your pores will be open and primed to sweat even sooner. When transitioning from sauna to cold plunge, it is required to rinse off before entering the plunge. This is for 2 reasons:

1. So the water in the plunge stays clean.

2. So you have a cool down period in between the high temperature of the sauna and the low temperature of the cold plunge. Exiting the sauna and going directly into the plunge without a cool-down period can result in unsafe swings in blood pressure. We recommend a cold shower in between so the temperature contrast is less extreme.

We use non-toxic cleaning products to sanitize the room, and the shower is stocked with non-toxic soap and shampoo (you’re also welcome to bring your own). We purposefully include gap time between appointments so the room can be cleaned and you can shower without that time taking away from your session time. Show up early.

We recommend a bathing suit.

The simple answer is: it depends, based on your goals and schedule. 15-20 minutes per sauna session and 2-5 minutes per cold plunge are good times to aim for, but these numbers should be viewed as general guidelines and not strict rules. Beginners may want to start with shorter durations and work their way up to these times, while those with experience may want to challenge themselves to push past them.

In terms of frequency of sessions, if you’re practicing less often, you may prefer from 60-minute sessions which allow for multiple rounds of sauna + cold plunge contrast per visit. If you’re practicing on a more frequent basis, you may find coming in more often for shorter sessions of 15 or 30-minutes works better for you.

In Dr. Jari Laukkanen’s 21-year sauna study at the University of Eastern Finland, participants who sauna bathed for 20 minutes, 4 times per week achieved the maximum results for increased longevity, but the study also proved strong benefits can be achieved with as little as 1-2 sessions per week. For cold plunge, max benefits are achieved after 11 minutes of cumulative (total) cold exposure per week, meaning the 11 minutes can be divided into any number of sessions, however even a single cold plunge per week has powerful benefits.

That being said, as long as you aren’t staying in for too long (+10 mins cold plunge, +30 mins sauna) there is no “right” or “wrong” method. On your first visit you’ll have an opportunity to sit down with one of our staff to design a protocol that aligns with your schedule and your goals. 

The latest data point to :
i) 57 minutes of hot sauna per week
ii) 11 min of cold exposure per week
as reliable thresholds to derive major benefits on metabolism, insulin & growth hormone pathways.

(Can be done same or separate days)
(Ideal Temp: uncomfortable but safe)

— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) November 17, 2021

Climb into the plunge gently and under control so as not to splash, and find a comfortable position, as if you’re taking a bath. Submerse yourself up to the neck (just below the chin), relax, and take control of your breathing. Place an emphasis on long, slow and controlled exhales. The sooner you’re able to regulate your breath, the better. We include guided plunging with breath work coaching at no additional charge in every session.

New guests may find that our cold plunge is colder than what they may be used. It’s okay to go in for shorter durations while working your way up to a full 2-5 minutes. 3 minutes is a great sweet spot to aim for. Practice makes perfect and it often takes multiple sessions to work up to your target number, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get there your first time. Beginners often find it easier to leave their hands outside of the water. Once you’re comfortable, you can try full submersion plunging, and eventually, dunking your head.

That’s right; it’s supposed to be hard. If it was easy, you wouldn’t be placing your body under enough stress to trigger hormesis* and the subsequent cascade of health-boosting responses. Don’t be discouraged if you need to take breaks or limit your exposure at first. Take it slow and build up to longer sessions gradually, over time as your body becomes adapted to the heat and cold. Outside of all the nerdy, science stuff, the main purpose of 490 is to practice pushing your comfort zones, and become more resilient to stress.

*Hormesis is defined as adaptive responses of living organisms to stress factors. Hormesis is considered an ability of living beings to cope with stressors, which generates adaptive responses to mild stress or stimulates resilience. 

You should avoid heat & cold exposure if you are pregnant, have a cardiac, blood pressure, or circulatory condition, a communicable skin condition, are sick or have tested positive for COVID 19, or have any other medical condition or symptoms which are contraindications to use of sauna & cold plunge. You should always consult with your doctor before booking your first appointment.

We offer traditional sauna (specifically; Finnish sauna), for the simple reason that we based our process on the most conclusive data from the largest sauna study to date; a 21-year long, 2000 person study conducted by Dr. Jari Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland. In Finland, sauna is part of the culture and has been a common practice for the last 2000 years. Fun fact: there are an equal number of saunas as television in Finish homes (approximately 3.3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million people). The University of Eastern Finland study has proven regular sauna use prevents disease and extends life span in a decade-long study across thousands of people. To date, no such research has been conducted on infrared sauna use, although the literature on traditional sauna is often conflated with infrared sauna. Infrared and traditional saunas differ in their operating temperatures and the ways they heat the body. Traditional saunas are hotter, heating your body from the outside-in by raising the ambient temperature in the room, like a convection oven. Infrared saunas are cooler, heating your body from the inside through radiation, like a microwave oven. The most conclusive data on sauna bathing has shown health benefits are achieved from temperatures between 80-100 degrees Celsius, or 176-212 degrees Fahrenheit. We keep our sauna set in the middle of this range at 90°C (194°F). Have you ever been disappointed by the sauna at your gym or spa not getting hot enough? This is a common occurrence when a sauna is uncalibrated which results in a discrepancy between the temperature that the heater is set to, and what you actually experience sitting several feet lower and away from the temperature sensor. We’ve calibrated our sensor so that 90°C / 194°F is the actual temperature you experience at head/shoulder height of the top bench. Infrared saunas operate between 140-165°F. They are popular in wellness spas because they are more affordable than traditional saunas in that they require cheaper build materials; less insulation and less powerful heating units which use half as much electricity as a traditional heaters. Our heater is a 6 kilowatt (6000 watts of electricity) unit handmade in Finland by IKI Saunas and contains 100 kilos/220 lbs of volcanic sauna stones. All saunas are not created equal. When 490 LAB was in its conceptual stages it was imperative to us that our process be evidence based. After months of research, testing and planning, we developed protocols based on the findings of scientists, doctors and longevity experts which have been proven in clinical literature—not marketing claims made by salespeople . We encourage you to try other saunas before ours–we’re confident you’ll feel the difference.

Choose between 15, 30, or 60-minute sessions, and how frequently you’ll be practicing. Once you’re a member, if you’d like to come in for additional sessions on top of your membership structure, you can do so at a discounted drop-in rate for members, as well the option to bring a guest for $10/session. All memberships are month-to-month and can be cancelled at any time with 30-days notice. No restrictive long-term contracts, fine print, or sales gimmicks. We only want your money if you see the value in the service we provide. We’re confident that you’ll feel better after walking out of our doors. Our business plan is that you’ll feel so good that you make regular sauna & cold plunging part of your wellness routine.

Yes. His name is Benny. Feel free to give him pets.