We sat in a -130° Celsius sauna in Singapore and survived
We finally went to one of the coldest places in Singapore and came back alive, thankfully.
Cryofit is located at the EVOLVE Mixed Martial Arts Centre’s outlet at Far East Square and offers cryotherapy, a treatment that involves placing an individual in a cryo sauna or chamber, which is then filled with dry air as cold as -150° Celsius. Since it was the first time for this reporter, the temperature was adjusted to a balmy -130°C and the timing set to two and a half minutes instead of a full three minutes.
While cryotherapy has been in Singapore for a number of years now, very few people know of the beauty benefits that it claims to offer. Currently, it is popular among athletes or physically-active individuals seeking speedy recovery from pain due to intense workouts.
The treatment was discovered in Japan before arriving in Europe in the ’80s, where it was used to treat medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, sleep disorders and even depression.
In recent years, it has been used by many athletes such as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and basketballer Kobe Bryant. However, other international celebrities such as actresses Lindsay Lohan and Demi Moore have also hopped onto the hype.
The treatment is great for sportspeople because it supposedly helps to reduce muscle recovery time by enhancing oxygenation in the muscles and reducing cardiovascular strain. It is said to help improve athletic performance by increasing the amount of oxygenated blood and releasing nutrients, enzymes and hormones.
Some of the hormones released can help to reduce inflammation, allowing the body to heal and recover from a workout faster. Now comes the part where it makes you look good.
Collagen is also one of the nutrients released in the body during the treatment, and we all know that collagen helps to improve the elasticity of the skin. If you’re looking for ways to help with losing weight, cryotherapy can boost your metabolism. However, you won’t be able to see the results so soon.
According to Jason Petlueng, the general manager of Cryo Fit, it is best to attend two or three sessions a week, depending on how active your lifestyle is. Recently, Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore was given the opportunity to try out a session and test the hype. Each session costs at S$225 (disclosure: we didn’t pay for ours).
Before entering the cryo sauna, I was asked to change into a robe and put on thick gloves and long socks that almost looked like UGG boots. After stepping inside the sauna, I closed the door behind me and handed the robe to Petlueng. I could see the cold dry air already entering the sauna and cooling my body down.
The temperature reduced gradually and my body began to shiver after the treatment crossed the one minute mark. About two minutes in, my teeth began to chatter and my body started to feel numb. The treatment ended just as my body was getting used to the freezing temperature.
Due to the mild numbness, my limbs moved slower than I wanted them to so it took me a while to put the robe back on and step out of the sauna. While I couldn’t see any immediate effect the treatment had on my skin, I could feel that my body was instantly refreshed. The aches that I had been feeling in my lower back and knees all week due to long hours of desk work were gone. I hadn’t had a single cup of coffee that day but my mind was more alert and awake than I was earlier that morning.
There was something addictive about the perk-me-up feel the treatment had given, and I can understand why many would return for another freeze.
Watch us try cryotherapy in this video:
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