Staying healthy and fit is all about being consistent and making smart choices.
Start by working out for at least 30 minutes every day. You can exercise at the gym, swim at the community pool, or go for a walk or run at a nearby park.
Getting enough quality sleep and learning to manage stress are essential for staying healthy and fit as well.
Making smart choices entails having a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits. It’s also about choosing to drink more water instead of sugary beverages to keep your body fueled and functioning properly.
Achieving your wellness and fitness goals also means trying new programs that offer health benefits. An example of this is cryotherapy in Dubai.
What Is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, refers to treatments that use freezing or near-freezing temperatures. The most popular forms of this therapy are:
Ice application
Ice application involves applying or placing an ice pack, gel pack, or cooling device on certain areas of the body, usually the muscles or joints, to reduce inflammation.
Cold water therapy
Cold water therapy includes ice baths, chilled plunges, and cold-water showers. It involves immersing or exposing the body to water with temperatures between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 15 degrees Celsius) for 10 to 20 minutes.
Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC)
Whole-body cryotherapy involves standing for a few minutes in a chamber (or cryo-chamber) with temperatures of -200 to -300 degrees Fahrenheit (-129 to -184 degrees Celsius). The chamber is cooled by air or liquid nitrogen vapors.
LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jennifer Aniston, Gigi Hadid, and other celebrities and athletes recommend cryotherapy and include it in their fitness and skincare routines due to its benefits.
What Are the Benefits of Cryotherapy?
Below are the benefits cryotherapy offers to health and fitness enthusiasts:
1. Faster pain relief and muscle recovery
Exposure to low temperatures may reduce muscle soreness and inflammatory pain, especially after a heavy workout or engaging in a strenuous physical activity. A study states that cryotherapy can alleviate pain from delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) within the first hour after working out.
This same study also states that cold treatment can reduce pain within 24 hours after the workout.
Whole-body cryotherapy is often recommended as a post-workout therapy for athletes and fitness buffs who engage in an intense workout to relieve body pain. It may also help with muscle recovery and improve their function and performance.
2. Reduced inflammation
When your body is exposed to the extreme cold in the cryochamber, your blood vessels constrict. This results in improved blood circulation, which helps reduce inflammation and swelling and alleviates muscle pain caused by these conditions.
This effect can be beneficial for individuals who suffer from arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, and other chronic conditions associated with joint inflammation.
In addition to reducing inflammation, WBC may improve joint health and function, which can enhance your range of motion and quality of life.
3. Increased metabolism
Cryotherapy might be worth considering if you’re looking for a natural way to rev up your metabolism.
The body needs to work overtime to maintain its core temperature when exposed to extremely cold conditions. This process, known as thermogenesis, forces the system to burn more calories, which speeds up metabolism, even after you step out of the cold.
The best cryotherapy in Dubai can also activate brown fat, or brown adipose tissue, a specific form of fat that burns energy to create heat.
Unlike white fat, which stores excess calories, brown fat helps your body stay warm and supports weight management. Some studies suggest that frequent cold exposure may boost fat metabolism and make it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
4. Better, healthier skin
Some studies say that cryotherapy may help improve skin health and offer anti-aging benefits. It does so by improving circulation and reducing inflammation, which helps reduce the effects of aging on the skin and its ability to produce collagen.
Regular exposure to extreme cold temperatures stimulates the production of collagen, which helps reduce crow’s feet and wrinkles and gives you firmer, smoother, and younger-looking skin.
Cryotherapy is also used to remove superficial skin lesions. It offers a quicker, less painful way to get rid of warts, skin tags, and seborrheic keratosis.
It’s worth adding here that there is a form of cryotherapy that targets only the face: cryo facial. You may consider this option if you want to have better-looking, healthier skin.
5. Improved mental health
Cryotherapy can stimulate the release of endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones. These natural chemicals can help reduce stress, improve focus, and even promote a sense of well-being.
Cold exposure also increases norepinephrine levels, a neurotransmitter linked to alertness and mood regulation. Moreover, you’ll feel refreshed and energized after stepping out of the cryochamber.
According to a study, cryotherapy can improve the effects of pharmacological treatment for depression and other mood disorders, which enhances the patient’s mental health and overall well-being.
Although WBC is not a replacement for professional mental health care, including it in your wellness routine can give you that much-needed natural mood boost.
Whole-body cryotherapy offers a wealth of health benefits. If you want to experience them, look for a trusted facility that offers this therapy and speak with their specialist to learn more about the process.