Freezing to get fit! Is cryotherapy a frightening fad or health benefit?

Located on swish Marine Drive multipurpose wellness space Alchemy claims to be the only establishment in the country to offer Cryotherapy When we step in we spot a gym behind glass walls where two women were engaged in their routines assisted by a personal trainer ldquoAll our fitness routines are customised and supervised by trainersrdquo informed Neville Wadia director Alchemy as he led us towards the cryochamber for our experience of CryotherapyThe writer during the threeminute Full body Cryo Therapy session in the Cryo ChamberldquoWholebody Cryotherapy has been used in Europe and Japan for over three decades During a session the body is exposed to temperatures ranging between 130 degC and ndash150 degC for one to three minutes in a cryochamber When the body is cooled at such a rapid rate it goes into survival mode causing the blood to flow to the most vital organs in order to relay more oxygen and nutrientsrdquo explained Wadia an exercise professional certified by Fitness Australia ldquoIn just one wholebody session a person can burn up to 800 caloriesrdquo he claimed This vital nugget of information caught our attention as we felt slightly alarmed by the mentioned temperatures We waited to be asked about our medical history or to fill a form about medical history or to sign an agreement saying that we were doing this on our own will but no such procedure was followedA staffer administers the Cryo Facial to this writer PicasSneha KharabeFreeze to fitness reallyldquoPregnant women and patients with high blood pressure shouldnrsquot opt for cryo The therapy is safe for people of all age groups otherwiserdquo Wadia assured us before handing us a white bathrobe to change into The robe was to be worn over undergarments along with a pair of thick woolen socks ldquoThe hands and the feet get cold the fastestrdquo shared Wadia Once inside the vertical metal chamber see pic that looked like a large shower cubicle from the outside the level of the base was slightly raised leaving our head popping outside of the chamberNeville WadiaNext we were asked to take off the robe and place our hands on the cheek ldquoLook up and keep your head raised and do not inhale the fumes Keeping turning around and moving inside as it helps deal with the coldrdquo asserted Wadia as the temperatures dropped finally getting to ndash130 degrees While we felt a biting cold in the first few seconds it got better eventually ldquoWe have to ensure one is completely dry at the time of entering the chamber or else there will be frostbites No one can enter a chamber without supervision Our equipment is from Poland and the entire staff has been trained on how to operate itrdquo said Wadia who then gave us a countdown to the last 10 seconds left much to our relief ldquoUpon exiting the chamber enriched and lesstoxic blood is flushed back into the rest of the body It works best before a workout or even after if the body is inflamedrdquo Wadia told us We did feel refreshed but couldnrsquot tell much elseDr Mohan ThomasFacing the chillsAs Wadia walked us through the space he showed us where the local cryotherapy is administered We were about to try a Cryo facial ldquoPressurised liquid nitrogen vapours are applied to the face and neck to stimulate the skin cells The benefits include reduction of pore size decrease of wrinkles and stimulation collagen production brightening dark spots improved blood flow and increased elasticityrdquo he informs As we lay down a trained therapist used the nozzle to blow cold air on our face The 10 minute procedure was relaxing and we felt no discomfortDr Apratim GoelLocal Cryotherapy that focuses on individual body parts is also administered at Alchemy we were told It is effective they claim to treat injuries and stimulate recovery for those suffering from aches and pains It provides a rush of oxygenated blood to the targeted area and is regularly used by athletesrdquo Wadia informed us as we departed from our chilling experience