WHY I SPENT 3 MINUTES IN -211 F TEMPERATURES

Our founder’s account of the coldest three minutes she's ever experienced.

I was introduced to cryotherapy through one of my friends who absolutely swears by it. I had heard a lot about the treatment’s celebrity fans, and all of the health and beauty benefits achieved from cryotherapy, from improving skin tone, tightening pores, increasing metabolism, to improving athletic performance. So, of course, I was beyond excited to try this cool (literally!) new wellness trend. I decided to head to KryoLife in Manhattan to experience for myself all the wellness benefits it has to offer.

What Is Cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a three-minute treatment that introduces the body to sub-zero temperatures to target weight loss, boost the immune system, improve sleep, and reduce stress, in addition to a myriad of other potential benefits. 

Before Going In:

When I arrived, I was ushered into a changing room and told to keep only my undergarments on. There were socks, gloves and a robe to wear. After changing, I walked into a small room that held the cryotherapy chamber. Feelings of nervousness and excitement came over me. I knew it was going to be insanely cold, but I tried to focus on how short 3 minutes would be and how great I would feel afterwards.

Minute 1:

After putting on a pair of clog-like shoes and thick wool mittens, I stepped into the chamber and a gust of cold foggy air surrounded me. I passed my robe to the staff member who was in the room with me, and let the coldness sink in. At -135 C / -211 F, it was definitively cold. Within a few seconds I started to feel a stinging sensation, like there were pins being poked into me from my abdomen down. The staff member was friendly, and talked to me throughout the entire time, which helped to distract my mind away from the freezing temperatures.

Minute 2:

My head and shoulders were out of the chamber, but in an effort to get the full effects (ie the collagen-boosting/skin smoothing benefits) on my face as well, I held my breath and went under, like I was swimming under water. I did for only a few seconds, but next time I will try to do it continuously.

Minute 3:

By minute 3 I was starting to get very cold, and I requested that the staff member talk faster because somehow I thought that would make it go by more quickly. I asked for a time check to see if I was going to make it. I was at 2:30. I can do anything for 30 seconds, I told myself! Then, practically after saying that, the 30 seconds were over and the cold air stopped pumping. I was handed my robe and exited the chamber. Outside the room, there was a rowing machine and stationary bike for people to warm back up, so I rowed for several minutes to get my body temperature back up. 

 Conclusion: 

For the rest of the day I was markedly hungrier, which is to be expected since cryotherapy increases metabolism and the short session burns 500-800 calories! Overall my experience was fantastic and I cannot wait to do it again. I do have a few things I want to make sure to do next time:

1. Go even colder (it goes up to -160 F / -256 C) to reap more benefits
2. Dunk my head more often to get the skin benefits on my face
3. Drink warm tea afterwards to expedite the warm-up and further increase the health benefits

I left the clinic feeling rejuvenated and now understand why everyone from Demi Moore, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, and Bobbi Brown do cryotherapy on the regular. I may even become a regular myself.