I had three goals in trying out the cryotherapy chamber at Grit City Wellness Center:
- Try something new.
- Manage my inflammation (particularly in my feet).
- Acquire Iceman-like superheroes (or, in lieu of that, Mr. Freeze-like superpowers).
In the third goal I was terribly disappointed. In the first two, I was satisfied to the deepest level imaginable.
What It’s Like Inside the Cryochamber
Why, it’s quite….cool (yep, I did it).
Seriously (no, SERIOUSLY), it’s a space about the size of two hall closets with mellow blue light and cold air. There are two chambers, one at the entry (less cold) and one deeper inside the chamber (much colder). Two swinging metal doors separate the chambers.
There’s a digital clock on the wall that you control. You stand inside the initial chamber to acclimate a bit before stepping into the colder part of the chamber for up to four minutes.
I assume everyone’s body reacts differently, so I can only speak for myself, but I found the coldest chamber to be pretty enjoyable until the last thirty seconds of my four-minute experience. At that point, it wasn’t terrible or anything close to terrible, but my back did start to feel a bit like I was being freezer-burned.
What It’s Like Stepping Out of the Chamber
About a minute or so after stepping out of the chamber, as I quickly warmed back up, I felt a sudden rush of exhilaration. I’d go so far as to say that I felt downright (upright?) high.
Interestingly, about twenty minutes after the experience, I felt extremely relaxed and pleasantly tired. I could have napped in the car, I'm pretty sure, and that's pretty significant. I've always had trouble sleeping and never been able to nap. My mind doesn't allow it.
What’s even better is that my feet, which normally feel slightly inflamed basically constantly (no medical diagnosis has yet clarified this), felt fantastic. It was the best my feet have felt in years.
Should You Try the Grit City Wellness Center Cryochamber?
Well, I don’t know you so I can’t say for sure.
What I can say for sure is that I certainly intend to go back and to make the cryochamber a regular part of my personal health routine.
I’ve been doing Wim Hoff style cold exposure for a couple years, and I found the chamber to be more intense/effective while being less physically uncomfortable. This is hard to explain as what I just said seems like a contradiction, but all I can say is that I trust that if you do try the chamber, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
My body felt relaxed, rejuvenated, and chill (meaning my foot inflammation was reduced significantly). It was also just fun and a great way to shock mind and body out of dread, dreary routine.
So, basically, yes I absolutely recommend the Grit City Wellness Center’s cryochamber to anybody who’s interested. Read the medical waiver and all that first, of course, but if you’re good to go there, then yes I would highly recommend the experience.
I wasn’t quite as happy with the chromotherapy session (by no means bad but just not as effective for me) I did there, but that’s for another post.
Happy nomadding, friends. Keep…chillin’ (I refuse to stop using the corny “chill” wordplay until it’s totally exhausted…which it was at first use, but here I am still at it).
