A TOUCH OF FROST?
Calum:
It sounds pretty sci-fi – crazy, even. Can a treatment that plunges your body to minus 140ºC really make you feel good?
Cryotherapy fans insist this new age treatment cures sore muscles, boosts circulation and metabolism, manages pain, helps skin conditions and increases happiness!
Plunging the body into ice-cold conditions is nothing new. Who hasn’t visited a spa and been encouraged to dive into a freezing plunge pool, or watched players sitting in a bath of ice after a football or rugby match?
Brutal, but does it work? Well, now science and technology have combined to give us cryo chambers for a whole-body chill-out.
A year ago, I decided to go along to London Cryo. On arrival, I was told to undress down to my undies and socks, then put on a pair of gloves.
Then I was instructed to step into a chamber filled with what looked like billowing smoke. The machine next to the chamber recorded a temperature of -140ºC.
I had the choice of a oneand-a-half-minute session or three minutes. I opted for the longer session.
Inside the chamber, it was brutally cold. I was told to keep moving my body to keep my circulation going. After just a few seconds you can feel the icy cold – my jaw started to shudder, but it was bearable. Also, I knew I only had to last three minutes. It’s amazing how long three minutes can feel, though…
Stepping out, my skin was freezing and red, but my mind felt sharp, and I felt refreshed.
Since that first time, I’ve been a convert. I’ve had several sessions and I think it works. A big thumbs-up from me.