Body

We Tried Cryotherapy and Here's What Happened

Is freezing your butt off really good for you?

by Hannah Savin | COMMENT

PHOTO 4/7

What Does Cryotherapy Feel Like? I spent my first few treatments in the milder cryo chamber, before working my way up to the more intense one. From the moment you open the door, you can see the vapor pouring out and the ice crystals forming inside. After a quick "now or never" pep talk, I hopped inside and pushed the button.

Right away, one of the staff enters the room and starts talking to you. You'll notice it's a bit hard to think of intelligent responses as your body starts to shiver and all you can think about is how cold it is. About a minute into therapy, my body starts to shake uncontrollably and I start bounding around — literally like a small child who has to pee just to take my mind off my current situation. When the last minute rolls around, you feel your body start to acclimate and things aren't quite so bad. While you still might be dancing a bit, conversation starts to flow more naturally.

I can't say I noticed a huge difference in the coldness when I used the more intense chamber. I really think the mind does anything to block out those moments when we are in fight or flight mode. The major difference that I experienced was having to quarter-turn my body every 30 seconds, which also serves as a nice distraction from the cold. Also, because it's a dry cold, you'll find it's much less severe than plunging your body into icy water.

Image courtesy Hannah Savin

SEE NEXT PAGE: Trying Targeted Cryotherapy

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