Cryotherapy by Hydralive Benefits®
Cryotherapy is the practice of using cold temperatures to promote natural healing and wellness. Whole body cryotherapy is the modern application and stimulates the same rejuvenation at a whole new level of cold in just three minutes. The benefits of this treatment include:
- Alleviation of muscle joint and pain
- Promotion of weight loss
- Anxiety and depression relief
- Reduced signs of aging
- Better sleep patterns
Excellent customer service, clean and modern facility
Recently, I visited the new Hydralive® therapy that is about a 4 minute walk from Homewood Friends and Family Health Center. I called Hydralive® the morning before my appointment to make sure I got in for that afternoon on a Tuesday. I got there about 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork. Walking up to the front door I was impressed with the cleanliness of the parking lot and entrance to the building. I got the paperwork done in a little over 5 minutes. They have lots of options for getting care depending on what your level of need is, ranging from individual, family and student memberships to single and punch card visits. The nurse on staff greeted me upon entering with a big smile and asked what treatment I was coming in for. I told them I was psyched to try the cryotherapy session. I have never had an official cryotherapy session so I was super excited to experience this. We were shown to the cryotherapy therapy room within a couple of minutes of arriving. While walking back, I noticed cozy leather couches and wide flat screen tvs. It looked as if everything was built to keep you comfortable while receiving treatment.
Cryotherapy Preparation
The cryotherapy room had a shelf for thermal gloves, socks, robes, towels and slippers. There were a couple of Nitrogen holding units, the actual cryotherapy chamber and a chair. It was a tiny room, but it more than served the purpose. First I had to strip down to my underwear and put on the thermal gloves, socks and slippers to keep your extremities warm. The nurse asks you to make sure you are dry and also hands you a towel. You are also given a robe to change into while you wait for the chamber to get down to the correct temperature. There are 3 grades of cryotherapy. I was starting out at the Grade 1 session also known as the beginner cryotherapy session for 2 minutes. No session ever exceeds 3 minutes in the chamber and you can exit the chamber at any time.
Waves of Cold
I was slightly nervous in anticipation of getting into the chamber. The anticipation was definitely the worst part. The temperature got to down to -238° F! The waves of cold just keep hitting you and it makes you do crazy things like weird noises, spin around, sing, and just talk to yourself even just to cope with your body going into survival mode. The assistant said that he has seen people do lots of different crazy stuff. I had more energy as I exited the chamber. I was clearer in my thoughts and was ready to go eat. The 2 minutes went by slowly but I felt rejuvenated afterward! In a typical cryotherapy session one can expect to burn between 400-600 calories. I headed to Kale Me Crazy® to replace energy that I burned up and ate well that night. The customer service, cleanliness and professionalism of the staff at Hydralive® were on point, I highly recommend them. Check out my Instagram post on where I visited Hydralive®.
