What Science Says About Cryotherapy and Cold Gyms
Chilly wellness is trendier than ever
Drastically changing body temperature has been a wellness trend for some time now. There are infrared saunas — which warm the body from the inside and are believed to help loosen muscles — and hot yoga, a popular practice performed in rooms heated up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. But in the last couple of years, exercising in chilly temperatures has started to gain widespread and mainstream appeal for both its fitness-related benefits and the idea that it can build resilience.
Cryotherapy, in which a person stands in a chamber filled with liquid nitrogen that cools the air to minus 200 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, is a niche (but growing) wellness trend that’s estimated to reach a $7 million market by 2026. The sessions, typically around $75 each, last just three or four minutes and are advertised to decrease inflammation, ease muscle pain, and aid in weight loss. At Brrrn, a New York City gym that opened a year ago, the studio is kept at a brisk 50 degrees Fahrenheit with the promise to help gym-goers burn more calories.
As with many health trends, there’s a spectrum of intensity. Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete famous for swimming in ice-covered lakes and running snowy marathons barefoot, has developed a training program for people seeking extreme…
