Two to three minutes in a chamber cooled to around −110°C
Whole-body cryotherapy exposes the body to extremely cold, dry air for a very short time, usually two to three minutes. In an electric cryo chamber the air is cooled to around −85 to −110°C; some venues use nitrogen-cooled cryo saunas where the head stays outside. Clients wear shorts or swimwear plus gloves, socks, ear protection and a face mask, and a trained operator watches throughout.
It became popular through professional sport, where it is used to reduce muscle soreness after hard training, and many clients say they feel energised afterwards. Evidence for recovery benefits is limited and mixed, and claims about weight loss, skin or chronic disease are not supported; treat it as an intense cold experience rather than a medical treatment. Localised cryotherapy, applied to one joint, is a separate service.
A single session costs about £30 to £60, with packs for regular users. Reputable centres carry out a health screening first: cryotherapy is not suitable for people with uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart or circulatory problems, Raynaud's, cold allergy or pregnancy, and it must never be used with damp skin or clothing.
Also known as: whole body cryotherapy, cryo chamber, cryo sauna.
A single whole-body session costs roughly £30 to £60. Most centres sell packs of five or ten for regular users, and first sessions are often discounted.
When carried out by a trained operator after a health screening, sessions are short and well tolerated by healthy adults. It is not suitable for anyone with heart or circulation problems, uncontrolled blood pressure, Raynaud's or during pregnancy.
Some athletes report less soreness, but research results are mixed. It is a safe, intense cold experience when properly supervised, not a proven treatment for injury or illness.
The habits that make heat and cold a pleasure rather than a risk, and the warning signs to leave on.
