BREATHE DEEP
Harriet Sim finds her happy gas
I’m sitting in a small, airtight capsule, the tension climbing as the red glow from a single countdown timer ticks over. I have 60 minutes inside the rocket-like chamber, which is being slowly pumped full of medical-grade oxygen. But rather than planning my great Houdini escape act, I’ve been instructed to sit tight and let my wellness expedition run its course.
Climbing into a claustrophobic-inducing vessel might seem like an extreme route to take in the name of wellness, but I’ve been reassured by the clinician at Bionik Wellness that the destination is well worth the pre-journey jitters. Historically used to treat decompression sickness in scuba divers, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used as a wellness treatment since the 1940s. After the global pandemic left behind long-covid as its cruel parting gift, the use of HBOT has soared. Initially popping up at luxe day-spas and wellness retreats, HBOT has since expanded beyond clinical settings and into the homes of Hollywood’s elite, with model Kendall Jenner recently buying her own hyperbaric chamber to complete her “wellness room” for an estimated $US23,000. HBOT is praised by a slew of athletes and artists including Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, Novak
Djokovic and Justin Bieber, who reportedly use it for sport recovery and performance enhancement.
The claims of HBOT are impressive, from disease prevention, anti-ageing and faster muscle recovery to advanced healing and post-op repair, sleep improvement and neurological rehabilitation. While I might not train like an A-list athlete or a stadium-touring artist, my brain approaching a deadline could run rings around even the most seasoned pro’s, so I figured a little mental R & R could do no harm.
Within five minutes inside the chamber, my ears experience the familiar sensation of a plane ascending, as the air pressure increases two to three times higher than normal.
It’s at this point I decide to settle in for some mid-flight entertainment. Setting down my tray table, I lay out my carry-on items and adjust the LED light strip from an alarming amber to a soothing aqua hue that makes me feel slightly like I’m in a teenage boys’ gaming setup. Beside me I find a long lever that reclines the seat back to an angle slightly more generous than an economy seat, yet not quite teetering on the full first class experience. However, unlike any commercial cabin, I am allowed to play my music out loud, an experience I can only describe as the closest thing I’ll get to flying private. With the rhythmic hum of my playlist filtering through my private capsule, I sink into my seat and finally relax. As I do, my time has come to an end and I find myself grounded in every sense of the word.
Stepping out of my ship, I feel slightly smug, carrying the knowledge that I’ve hacked my own biology. Though I’m told it takes roughly three sessions to truly notice a difference,
I can’t help but feel instantly inflated. Attribute it to the oxygen that’s gone straight to my head or simply a case of placebo, but I return to work with a dewy glow and renewed sense of energy.
Over the next few weeks, I return to the oxygen chamber for two more sessions. And though I still feel up in the air about the proven benefits of HBOT, I figure we all need a little boost of air in order to soar.
“KENDALL JENNER RECENTLY BOUGHT HER OWN HYPERBARIC CHAMBER FOR AN ESTIMATED $US23,000”