Chill Out

Would you endure sub-zero temperatures for better health and wellness? MAXIM’s SHONAGH WALKER trials the hyper-cooling treatment taking over the world...

If the likes of Jessica Alba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ben Stiller, Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are putting something into practice daily, we reckon it must be awesome. After all, they’re great examples of fit, fabulous humans. This is partly down to regular Cryo-therapy (aka Cryo), a new wellness trend making big waves worldwide. Cryo involves exposing the skin to extremely cold, dry air (-140°C) for one to three minutes. It uses liquid nitrogen to safely achieve the sub-zero temps.

Why do this? Aside from general health improvements, Cryo is useful in managing chronic pain, arthritis or muscle soreness, and it’s great for recovery, weight loss and skin rejuvenation. “The extreme temperatures trigger the release of anti-inflammatory molecules and endorphins, increase oxygenation of the blood and flush toxins,” explains Peter Watson, from Cryo Fitness in Penrith, NSW, during my first session.