Thoughtful Thursday…extreme cold...my cryotherapy experience...
Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.
My Experience with Cryotherapy
Extreme cold. That is what I would be experiencing. “Just breathe” I told myself as I was escorted to cryotherapy chamber filled with liquid nitrogen. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie. As I stood in the chamber and removed my very warm and comfortable bathrobe, I listened to the technician explain that the temperate would drop to minus 230 degrees. “Just breath…” So why stand in a contraption that circles liquid nitrogen around you at an extremely cold temperature? It feels great! There are many great benefits to extreme cold in adequate doses. I’ve written about my cool fat-burning vest and my 21-day challenge of a cold shower and cool vest. Some benefits include fat loss; improved immune system; improved mood; and decrease in inflammation. People use cryotherapy for different reasons such as arthritis, fat loss, enhanced mood, slowing the aging process, and for sports performance. I wanted to try whole body cryotherapy (WBC) for the experience of it firstly, as I like to try new things and let you know about them and secondly, to decrease inflammation. I’ve been training recently with a bit more intensity and wanted to accelerate the recovery process. This cryotherapy session lasted a whole three minutes, the most you can do in a single session. Yes, it felt extremely cold but the time did pass quickly. The technician engaged me in conversation to keep my mind occupied. It was not nearly as difficult as my training with the Navy SEALS in the very cold Pacific Ocean off the coast of California…in December. That was for longer than three minutes and having cold water on you feels more extreme than the liquid nitrogen. I did have a similar feeling afterwards of an enhanced mood. Basically I just felt great, alive, and my head was clear.
If you want to delve deep into the science of cryotherapy or just want to know some benefits, this video is well worth your time. Dr. Rhonda Patrick has done extensive research on the topic which you can hear about with her conversation with Joe Rogan. This experience has once again reminded me to utilize cold exposure for its many benefits. I have two more sessions to use in the cryotherapy chamber and will determine if I will purchase more sessions. For sure I will be utilizing my cold vest and cold shower. Did you miss last week’s newsletter on exercising every day, keys to long-term fitness, one exercise to look good naked…? You wouldn’t happen to know just one person that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them. To your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for recovery, supplements, protein bars & powders, nutrition, equipment, books and more.
