Remember the days of purchasing 50-pound ice bags, dumping them in the bathtub to immerse yourself after a hard workout?
It was inconvenient, it was uncomfortable but admittedly so refreshing and invigorating that it made the outcome worth the travails. That’s why we did it!
Nostalgic as those memories may be, reminiscing out loud does show our age. Those days are long gone now. Why? Because these days, we have cryotherapy machines. They’re futuristic, bulky, noisy, but hey, all someone else’s problems. All we have to do now is show up, strip down, jump in for 3 minutes, exit and repeat for good measure. It’s that easy and its effects are superior to old-school ice baths.
The only catch… it has to be done ROUTINELY; not as a one-time measure of good faith.
Make it a part of your regimen. Exercise first, unleash feel-good endorphins onto your body and brain. Then close out your workout by jumping into a cryotherapy chamber, thus releasing norepinephrine- the hormone that improves circulation, glucose uptake by muscles, the fat breakdown for energy, and heightened ninja-like awareness. Routine cold exposure also improves cellular metabolism by boosting the activity of key biological players such as PGC-1 alpha (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha, for the initiated). These guys tend to come out to play in the extreme cold and they tell your cells how best to use energy. So much so that the pharmaceutical industry is trying to harness their abilities in treating obesity and non-insulin dependent diabetes. Don’t wait for that pill to arrive, you have it in you now.
Finally, if you’re taking ibuprofen or other NSAIDs after a hard workout, there’s evidence that you might be counteracting the effects of your workout. How?
By prematurely and suddenly truncating your body’s natural response to working out- i.e. inflammation. Cryotherapy works as an anti-inflammatory in a much gentler way. By activating your natural biological anti-inflammation mechanisms that gradually come online and then subside- allowing you to reap the intended benefits of a hard workout without all the unwanted inflammation and discomfort that keeps you from returning to the gym.
Interested in trying out this refreshing technique for yourself? Contact us today to schedule a cryotherapy session.
