Freezing Your Way to Better Health

SANO Editorial

When most of us think of happy places, we think of white sandy tropical beaches, tall glasses of rosé and warm baths, to name a few.  On the contrary, have you ever noticed the rush you get from jumping into a cold ocean?  Why would anyone willing want to do this or encapsulate themselves for three minutes in -250 degrees Fahrenheit?  Health reasons, of course! After all, does anyone actually think kale tastes really good?!

Humans have been using cold therapy for hundreds of years, as the super-cold shock creates a release of feel-good endorphins that are difficult to replicate.  The cold shock that occurs inside the body pulls the blood away from your extremities and layers around your organs in a preventative protective state.  This rush that you experience revitalizes your organs and body through the oxygen-rich blood that is created.

Cold-therapy not only is preventative in fighting inflammation—a cause of many diseases including arthritis, diabetes and Alzheimer’s—but it also increases our metabolism.  While a 45-minute Rumble, SoulCycle or Barry’s class are said to burn between 500-800 calories, according the cryo industry, a single three-minute session could burn equivalent calories in only a fraction of the time.  And the flight-or-fight response of cryotherapy is said to leave you with the release of the feel-good hormones, endorphins. 

While cold-therapy may not be your idea of defined happy places, try cryotherapy, jumping into the cold ocean or finishing your shower with a cold water for the health benefits.