Therapy and training pool with dedicated hot and cold plunges supports player recovery and active strengthening across long Major League Baseball season
FALL RIVER, Mass., Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SwimEx, Inc., today announced that the Cleveland Guardians have installed a SwimEx® 1000 T therapy pool with dedicated hot and cold plunges as part of a $200 million clubhouse renovation that doubled the footprint of the club’s hydrotherapy space and reworked the layout around direct shower-to-hydrotherapy access. The new hydrotherapy room is designed to keep preparation, recovery, and rehabilitation on schedule every day of a 162-game regular season.
The Cleveland Guardians’ hydrotherapy room is busy throughout the regular season and into the postseason. In the previous setup, centered on a SwimEx 600 T therapy pool, the hydrotherapy space had a smaller footprint and was used mainly for recovery. In the renovated clubhouse, the Guardians upgraded to the SwimEx 1000 T and added dedicated hot and cold plunges in a larger room that staff and players rely on throughout the year, with protocols expanding from recovery-focused work to more active strengthening.
Key Facts
- What changed: As part of a $200 million clubhouse renovation, the Cleveland Guardians expanded and redesigned their hydrotherapy room, upgrading from a SwimEx 600 T to a SwimEx 1000 T therapy pool and adding dedicated hot and cold plunges.
- Why it matters: Hydrotherapy use has shifted from primarily recovery to a broader mix of recovery and active strengthening work, helping staff avoid bottlenecks during a long MLB season.
- Who it serves: The hydrotherapy room is used by 80% to 85% of the Guardians’ roster, supporting daily preparation, recovery, and rehabilitation.
- How it’s used: Athletic training staff use the SwimEx 1000 T and plunges for decompression, restoration, concentric and eccentric work, underwater running, agility, and contrast work, including post-game and deload sessions.
- Capacity and layout: The room can accommodate roughly 8 to 14 players at once, with space for around six athletes in the hot plunge and four to five in the cold plunge, supported by clear sightlines for staff supervision.
- Project delivery: SwimEx collaborated with the Guardians, the general contractor, and an authorized SwimEx installer to fit the pools into the existing building, commission the system, and train staff on operation, water chemistry, and ongoing maintenance.
“Hydrotherapy is one of the busiest rooms in our facility, so we needed a setup we could count on every day of a 162-game season,” said Lonnie Soloff, senior vice president of medical services for the Cleveland Guardians. “With the renovated hydrotherapy space and SwimEx, we’ve moved from using the pool mainly for recovery to integrating it into day-to-day preparation and rehab.”
On game days, players are in the water within minutes of leaving the showers. Clear sightlines enable staff to supervise two or three athletes at a time and maintain smooth rotations across the therapy pool and plunges.
Guardians staff use the SwimEx 1000 T and dedicated hot and cold plunges for decompression, restoration, concentric and eccentric work, underwater running and agility, as well as contrast work. Players often float for about 10 minutes, then alternate between hot and cold. During the season, the room supports deload work and post-game recovery.
“From the start, our focus was on helping the Guardians’ staff get a hydrotherapy room that behaves like dependable infrastructure — easy to run day in and day out,” said Suzanne Vaughan, president and owner of SwimEx. “That means planning around their space and daily flow, and then standing behind the room with straightforward guidance and responsive service so they can stay focused on athletes rather than equipment.”
The renovated hydrotherapy layout is planned around how players and staff move through the clubhouse. Shower-to-hydrotherapy access shortens time to treatment and keeps rotations moving smoothly. Windows and glass doors provide clear sightlines, allowing staff to supervise multiple athletes at the same time.
To fit the new pools into the existing building, the project team coordinated delivery and placement with the general contractor and an authorized SwimEx installer, working around access constraints and existing building systems. The installer set the pools, completed pool-to-equipment connections to specification, and commissioned the system. Once all pools were operating properly, the installer turned the room over and trained staff on operation, water chemistry, and routine maintenance. SwimEx then provided a certified athletic trainer (ATC) to lead a clinical in-service on using the water current with athletes, along with ongoing support.
An overview of the Cleveland Guardians’ hydrotherapy room project, including objectives, layout, and daily use, is available on the SwimEx website for facility planners, architects, and performance staff who want additional detail on the project.
About SwimEx, Inc.
SwimEx Inc. designs and manufactures fiberglass therapy and training pools, swim spas and hot and cold plunge tanks for healthcare and rehabilitation providers, senior living and wellness centers, professional and collegiate sports programs, and homes. Founded in 1986 by fiberglass innovator Everett Pearson and headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts, SwimEx builds aquatic environments that support recovery, performance and daily wellness.
Built in the United States and installed internationally, SwimEx pools are used by clinicians, athletic trainers and veterinarians for hydrotherapy, conditioning and low-impact fitness. Many models use a paddlewheel current system with adjustable flow to support varied users and treatment protocols. For more information, visit swimex.com.
SwimEx® is a registered trademark of SwimEx, Inc.
Media Contact
Colette Cote; 1-508-646-1600; press@swimex.com
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SOURCE SwimEx, Inc.
