What's it like to lock yourself in a -110 degree freezer? Our Junior Sheet Manager Kelly shares her first experience with Freezlab. Curious? This month you can win a VIP package from Freezlab.
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Kelly: 'I visited Freezlab for a nice collaboration and I was asked beforehand whether I wouldn't want to try out their refrigerated cabin while I was there. I immediately said yes, because I had already seen many positive reactions about cryotherapy.
What exactly is cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is quite old, and at its core it is really nothing more than exposing your body to extreme cold. Same as a sauna, but in reverse. During the treatment you stay for a maximum of 3 minutes in a room where it is -110 degrees Celsius. The dry cold gives your body an intense stimulus. Exposure to the cold triggers a response in your body that can help fight inflammation and pain. This is what happened:
What is it good for?
It's good for a lot of things. For example, a session activates your immune system, stimulates your blood flow and is a natural pain reliever and antidepressant. In addition, it can also benefit from:
And how was it?!
When I read on the site that the temperature could drop to -115 degrees, I became a bit anxious. The morning before my appointment, for example, I was Googling for terms like 'death after Freezlab' or 'negative experiences Freezlab'. With exactly 0 search results. Which reassured me a bit. After my colleagues at the office smiled and wished me good luck and 'better you than me!' shouted, I got on my bike on my way to the Olympic Stadium.
As soon as you enter Freezlab, you are overcome by a warm wellness feeling. Everything is in shades of white, brown, turquoise and crystal and there is a super relaxed atmosphere. I was allowed to change in the changing room (afterwards I was in the men's changing room, which I only realized when someone asked me if I was lost) and was given a bathrobe with socks and slippers. I myself put on my bikini and wondered if I couldn't just keep that bathrobe on in the cold store, but alas…
Before I was allowed to enter the cabin, I was given a mouth cap, ear muffs and gloves. After this I was ready to enter the first cabin. It was -50 degrees and I had to stay there for 20 seconds. After the first 20 seconds I received a signal via the intercom to enter the second cabin. I was advised beforehand to inhale in cabin 1 and exhale in cabin 2, which was -114 degrees Celsius. I was afraid that I would suddenly experience a bad blow and forget my breathing, but it was 100% not that bad. The cold you experience is very dry and I personally find it less bad than when you dive into the cold plunge pool in the sauna.
The first minute seemed to pass by, but I had to complete the 3 minutes. Of course you could get out if you couldn't pull it anymore, but I had to and would use the full time! After the first half, my body started to stiffen completely from the cold. The last minute saw me actually bounce from one leg to the other to keep warm, which was basically impossible. When the 3 minutes were up, the intercom again gave a signal to get out. GLAD I was!
Conclusion?
I liked it. But it is difficult to say that just one session has an effect on your body. During the session I had only felt a stabbing pain in my legs, as if dozens of knives were stuck in them. Really a cutting cold. But when I came out I immediately felt completely fine and 100% fit.
I was curious what effect it would have on my sleep pattern. At night I wear the Fitbit Alta HR that also registers your sleep. After the first time there was no change, in other words:I slept just like usual. Not better or deeper. Research shows that for the best effect you should visit the cabin every day. I am therefore very curious about these effects myself and would certainly like to do it regularly.'
Have you become curious? Then take a quick look at www.freezlab.com.
