An emerging health trend called Cryotherapy has made its way to Kansas City. I first heard about the new three-minute chilling treatment a few months back via other fitness bloggers in the Los Angeles area. Fellow ClassPass members get to enjoy Cryotherapy sessions via ClassPass at Cold and Thirsty. While that luxury is not available yet in KC, people can visit Cryo Salon in Overland Park to get their freeze on.
Whole Body Cryotherapy is a hyper-cooling process designed to reduce musculoskeletal pain and inflammation by lowering a person’s skin temperature to approximately 30˚ F. This is achieved by surrounding the body with extremely cold nitrogen air at temperatures averaging -240˚ F in a Cryo booth for no more than 3 minutes.
Professional athletes and A-list celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Jennifer Aniston are among loyal followers. The treatment is said to be great for athletic recovery and performance + beauty and weight loss.
Key Benefits
Fitness: Recover faster, improve performance, reduce muscle soreness, improve joint function, boost energy + pain management
Beauty: Boost metabolism, cellulite reduction, burn additional calories, increase collagen production + promote healthy complexion
Wellness: Ease symptoms of Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, depression, sleep disorders, headaches and migraines
As a runner, I was eager to give this cutting edge treatment a go. I’m game to try anything that will help me recover faster, improve performance and help reduce muscle soreness. I introduced Cryotherapy pre and post Rock The Parkway to see how it impacted my training overall. I liked it so much that I am going to continue going through May before my Chicago Half.
The experience is cold. Yes you freeze your butt off for 3 minutes but it is totally manageable. You get to wear gloves, socks and booties. I will do a Cryo session over an ice bath any day as ice baths generally take 7-10 minutes. At Cryo Salon you get to choose between three levels. I’m still on level one but I’m sure I could tolerate level three (I’m thermally challenged). For me, the first two minutes are nothing crazy but that last minute you really feel that freezing sensation. (You can do anything for one minute!) Immediately after you get a huge energy rush. Mornings after Cryotherapy are super productive.
Training wise, Cryotherapy kept my legs fresh and allowed me to push my fitness. I did Cryo the night before my race and immediately after. Typically speaking the day after a race my legs feel VERY fatigued. Post race I did 45 minutes in their NormaTec boots and one Cryotherapy session and amazingly I was not sore at all until Monday.
While there isn’t significant research supporting Cryotherapy, I chatted with several loyal clients who swear to feel 100% pain relief after just one session. For best results, clients should include Whole Body Cryotherapy in their routine as their body and activity level demands. If you want to try Cryo Salon, enter code WTFARTLEK at checkout for a discount on their new client special.
If you’ve tried Cryotherapy, comment below and let me know your thoughts. Would love to hear others experiences.
Sweat Adventures 