Lifestyle
I tried cryotherapy to reverse the signs of ageing – here’s what happened
Cryotherapy (otherwise known as cold therapy) has been around for a while. It has long been a mainstay of treatment for top athletes with sports injuries, as well as helping to speed recovery after high-performance activities.
But, the benefits of cryotherapy are now becoming more widely known. From boosting metabolism to reversing the signs of ageing, embracing the chill could hold the secret to a happy, healthy life.
Here, Liz Earle reveals what happened when she gave cryotherapy a try at LondonCryo.
What happened when Liz Earle tried cryotherapy
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of cold therapy. You’ll often see me on my Instagram dipping in the freshwater pond at the end of my garden, having a cold shower or taking a sea swim when by the coast – all highly eff ective ways to boost endorphins and the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin in the brain, resulting in a post-shock ‘high’ and a genuine glow.
While there’s not much data on relief for menopause symptoms specifically, cold exposure brings with it many benefits for midlifers
(far beyond combatting hot flushes). Dipping in cold water (even a 60-second cold shower) benefits blood circulation and the lymphatic system, helping to improve the elasticity and responsiveness of veins that can stiffen due to lack of oestrogen.
Cold-water dipping also supports the immune system by reducing inflammation and may help guard against dementia by increasing a protein that protects against brain cell death.
What are the benefits of cryotherapy?
But what about a crazily cold -130˚C cryotherapy session?
Deep-chilling the body via cryotherapy works by triggering our ‘fight or flight’ response. This releases a surge of endorphins that boosts the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The sudden cold snap shifts blood swiftly to our core. This brings re-oxygenation to the outer muscles and skin tissues, as circulation floods back.
Hyper-cooling helps reduce inflammation and pain, supports metabolism (so aiding weight loss) and may even help reverse the signs of ageing.
It’s popular among the billionaire tech-gurus of Silicon Valley, many of whom have machines installed in their offices for a daily body-freezing fix.
The good news for the rest of us is that cryotherapy treatment bars are now popping up all over the world.
LondonCryo Review
London’s own cryotherapy centre, LondonCryo, was set up in the City by Maria Ensabella, a mother of two. She discovered the treatment when she was recovering from a sports injury while travelling.
So impressed, she decided to leave her accountancy job and set up cryo-centres. These offer completely dry, three-minute hyper body-cooling sessions to help stressed city execs cope with work, as well as improve their athletic performance and recover from physical injuries.
Her branch in Belgravia includes signature cryo-treatments that also target inch-loss and skin rejuvenation. This works due to the drop in temperature on the skin increases oxygen, which in turn boosts collagen production.
What I like best about this intense body treatment is that it is both fast and effective. You simply change into a gown, slip on a pair of cosy gloves and fluffy boots (to protect the extremities) and step into a space-age cabin for two to three minutes.
A cheerfully chatty technician stays nearby throughout the process to offer reassurance as the temperature plummets around you – even a few short minutes in the extreme cold seems like an age. After the initial recommended two minutes inside the icy chamber I feel reinvigorated, de-stressed and renewed. The immediate endorphin rush is very cheering – and pleasantly addictive!
The good mood and higher energy levels stay with me for several days too. I love trialling this one-stop shop for cool body rejuvenation, faster muscle recovery from my running and boost for overall wellness. I shall definitely drop by for more.
Find out more about LondonCryo
