It's My Party & I'll Cryo If I Want To

If you've been privy to my past articles on alternative therapies, specifically sensory deprivation tanks or acupressure mats, you know that I am open minded to trying various forms of pain relief and relaxation-promoting activities. Welp, after being encouraged to pay a visit to Mile High Recovery in Aurora to spend three minutes in a cryotherapy chamber at a nippy -278 degrees (three degrees colder than Mercury's minimum surface temperature), you can bet I didn't hesitate to book an appointment. 

Cryotherapy works by surrounding you in cold air which lowers the skin's surface temperature by 30-50 degrees for the few minutes you are in the chamber. Unlike ice baths that make your teeth chatter and give an all-around feeling of discomfort, Cryotherapy is only minimally uncomfortable due to the immense dry cold and as soon as you get out of the chamber, you feel invigorated, relaxed and not even remotely chilly.

As it turns out, Cryotherapy has a whole host of benefits including but not limited to:

• Reduced inflammation and muscle soreness
• Increased energy
• Faster muscle recovery
• Improved circulation
• Chronic pain relief

The owners welcomed me and had me fill out a form to ensure I had no underlying medical issues prior to my treatment. Individuals who are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart conditions, or cold sensitivity should NOT do Cryotherapy. After filling out my forms, I was offered gloves, socks, slippers, cotton shorts, and a sports bra to change into and was instructed to remove any metal on my person as it could result in a burn. I could write it all down step by step, but for your viewing pleasure, here's a video of me doing it and you'll get a general idea:

As you can see by my incessant giggling, it wasn't a bad experience.

After my session was finished, I noticed how the soreness I was nursing from three days straight of weight training was greatly reduced, my mood was lifted, and I felt fresh as a daisy. One standout benefit I learned after my treatment was that just one Cryotherapy session can burn 500-800 calories. I bravely replenished this deficit by swinging by the Shipley Do-Nuts that happened to be next door.

Oh, and for those of you nursing a nasty hangover right now, you might want to call for an appointment because, according to Luke at Mile High Recovery, Cryotherapy can nix a hangover.

Would I do this again? Absolutely. Especially if it means I can go to Shipley's guilt-free afterward.

Mile High Recovery
5420 S Parker Rd, Aurora, CO 80015
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Tel: 303-690-2796

What should Laura test out next? Let us know in the comments!