Health Update: Wellness Beyond Weights: Personal Coaches Open The Mind Body Lounge in Wheat Ridge – What Experts Say

Sarah Kornhauser and Joel Griffin coach their bodybuilding clients to become physically stronger while also imparting lessons about healthy recovery.

Now business partners, Kornhauser and Griffin own and operate The Mind Body Lounge next door to the renowned Armbrust Pro Gym in Wheat Ridge, where they have worked as independent contractors for years.

The Mind Body Lounge, opened in October 2025, is an extension of their coaching philosophies, which have always advocated for rest and recovery.

“Now we have a space that is proof that Sarah and I are big advocates of doing things to help your body heal, to help your mind heal, to help you maximize your day-to-day life and your training,” Griffin said. “It’s a good way to help promote that.”

Opening the lounge was Kornhauser’s idea. She began envisioning a personal office and thought maybe she should dream bigger when the space next door to Armbrust Pro Gym opened up. She asked Griffin every few days if he wanted to join her as a business partner. He answered “no” every time, until she “wore him down,” Kornhauser said.

“It’s a bigger endeavor than I thought maybe I wanted to take on,” Griffin said. “It takes 100 percent of your free time.”

After discussing the business plans with people he respects and admires, they encouraged Griffin to pursue becoming a business owner, even though he ended up being right about a lack of free time, he said. 

The business has done well from the start, in part due to the existing body building client base.

“That was a good way to kind of get our feet wet and just get started,” Griffin said. “Now we’re branching out and looking into different ways for us to expand with the general public.”

Their clientele includes anybody who wants longevity and recovery, they said.

“This business applies to everyone,” Griffin said. “If you’re a human being and you’re breathing, I think this place has something to offer for you that can help to change your world. I think that we’re a welcoming space that’s open to anyone and everyone.”

Griffin challenges the idea that someone should only seek recovery treatments once they are injured, he said.

“Unfortunately, wellness spaces are treated like a luxury,” Kornhauser said. “Self care is not selfish.”

Although many of their clients come from the bodybuilding world, Griffin and Kornhauser think the audience for the lounge is much broader.

“I love bodybuilders,” Kornhauser said. “I’m a bodybuilder, but my main focus is definitely the general population.”

Kornhauser offers pelvic floor therapy for postpartum women and women experiencing sexual dysfunction. Griffin offers the same therapy for men experiencing sexual dysfunction.

Pelvic floor therapy can alleviate symptoms as major as uncontrollable urination while running or set patrons up for better bracing for lifting, Kornhauser said.

The Mind Body Lounge also offers vagus nerve resets aimed at getting people out of fight or flight and into rest and digest, according to Griffin. Many first responders use the service, he said. The nerve is reset through an electrical current that communicates with the brain.

“It’s really good for PTSD, any kind of eating disorders or compulsions, to help rewire the brain and help the body deal with stress better,” Kornhauser said. “It helps sleep and recovery.”

In response to studies on sauna use, including research conducted in Scandinavian countries, The Mind Body Lounge offers a traditional sauna and infrared saunas. Some studies suggest that mortality rates may decrease with regular sauna use. Reported health benefits associated with sauna use include detoxification, activation of brown fatty adipose tissue, reduction in inflammation, reduced stress and increased collagen production.

“Sauna usage mimics the effects of cardiovascular training on the heart and respiratory system,” Griffin said.

Some prefer the traditional sauna for its short, intense effect on the body. Others prefer the infrared sauna, where they can sit for longer, according to Griffin, and may help the body remove heavy metals and toxins. 

The saunas are paired with cold plunge baths ranging from 38 to 48 degrees.

The Mind Body Lounge offers cryotherapy as a spot treatment for orthopedic sports injuries, cryo-slimming, freezing fat cells and body conditioning. It is also home to a medical-grade red light therapy chamber with a nanometer spectrum measuring from 630 to 1050. Diffusing salt water into the air allows the red light to reflect off the salt particles. The red light can penetrate from the top of the skin deep into the body, depending on the body mass of the user.

Customers often report feeling better after receiving red light therapy, Kornhauser said. Users report reduced brain fog, improved cognition, better focus and increased energy production, she said.

Griffin was inspired by the Yampa Salt Caves in Glenwood Springs to mix red light therapy with salt water.

The salt serves as what Griffin describes as a “vacuum of the lungs,” helping support respiratory comfort, he said.

Customers receive a free session in the red light therapy when touring the facility.

“It does sell itself, which is great,” Kornhauser said. 

The Mind Body Lounge is not only home to high-powered tools for recovery. Just as important to its owners is the lounge area, where customers can have conversations or do work over cups of coffee.

The walls and decor of the entire space are darker and are meant to be calming. Plants, all named by Kornhauser, live in every room. The owners didn’t want the space to feel medical and wanted it to feel more like a spa, they said.

“You get to know people in a different way,” Griffin said. “We chat with people. We have a purpose. Over here people get to relax and sit and talk to us. In the gym you’re hyped up. Your sympathetic nervous system is going. You’re lifting weights. You’re motivating somebody. You’re really pushing them. Over here they get to decompress, relax and chill.”

Griffin bases his wellness business decisions on science but acknowledges personal preference and lifestyle are also important.

“Everybody brings something different to the table,” Griffin said. “Figure out what works best and well for you and go from there.”

Both Griffin and Kornhauser feel that their coaching background prepares them to be helpful guides in the wellness space.

“Pick our brains,” Griffin said. “See what we have to offer. We both love to teach, too, so if you don’t understand something, we love talking. We love teaching.”

Patrons can use punch cards, tiered memberships and even one-time visits to the lounge. Everyone gets a free session for their first time.

The lounge is open more than 80 hours a week and is mostly ruBy Kornhauser and Griffin, with some support from their four employees. Kornhauser and Griffin also still run their personal training businesses.

“I’m thankful that we’re maintaining health with our clients,” Griffin said. “Places like this are cool because you come here because you want to. Nobody’s forcing you. It’s not a negative thing. We’re not debt collectors. We’re not something that’s producing anxiety.”

As the business grows, Kornhauser and Griffin plan to fill the last room of their space with neurotechnology tools that will work with the brain and body.