A wellness centre claims to burn 800 calories in 3 minutes by locking you in a chamber at -130 degree celcius. Braveheart Suprita Mitter attempts a test drive
Cryotherapy
Located on swish Marine Drive, multi-purpose wellness space, Alchemy claims to be the only establishment in the country to offer Cryotherapy. When we step in, we spot a gym behind glass walls where two women were engaged in their routines, assisted by a personal trainer. “All our fitness routines are customised and supervised by trainers,” informed Neville Wadia, director Alchemy, as he led us towards the cryochamber for our experience of Cryotherapy.
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The writer during the three-minute Full body Cryo Therapy session in the Cryo Chamber.
“Whole-body Cryotherapy has been used in Europe and Japan for over three decades. During a session, the body is exposed to temperatures ranging between -130 °C and –150 °C for one to three minutes in a cryochamber. When the body is cooled at such a rapid rate, it goes into survival mode, causing the blood to flow to the most vital organs in order to relay more oxygen and nutrients,” explained Wadia, an exercise professional certified by Fitness Australia. “In just one whole-body session, a person can burn up to 800 calories,” he claimed. This vital nugget of information caught our attention, as we felt slightly alarmed by the mentioned temperatures. We waited to be asked about our medical history or to fill a form about medical history or to sign an agreement saying that we were doing this on our own will but no such procedure was followed.
A staffer administers the Cryo Facial to this writer Picas/Sneha Kharabe
Freeze to fitness, really?
“Pregnant women and patients with high blood pressure shouldn’t opt for cryo. The therapy is safe for people of all age groups otherwise,” Wadia assured us, before handing us a white bathrobe to change into. The robe was to be worn over undergarments along with a pair of thick woolen socks. “The hands and the feet get cold the fastest,” shared Wadia. Once inside the vertical metal chamber (see pic) that looked like a large shower cubicle from the outside, the level of the base was slightly raised leaving our head popping outside of the chamber.
Neville Wadia
Next, we were asked to take off the robe and place our hands on the cheek. “Look up and keep your head raised and do not inhale the fumes. Keeping turning around and moving inside as it helps deal with the cold,” asserted Wadia, as the temperatures dropped, finally getting to –130 degrees. While we felt a biting cold in the first few seconds, it got better, eventually. “We have to ensure one is completely dry at the time of entering the chamber or else there will be frostbites. No one can enter a chamber without supervision. Our equipment is from Poland and the entire staff has been trained on how to operate it,” said Wadia, who then gave us a countdown to the last 10 seconds left, much to our relief. “Upon exiting the chamber, enriched and less-toxic blood is flushed back into the rest of the body. It works best before a workout or even after, if the body is inflamed,” Wadia told us. We did feel refreshed but couldn’t tell much else.
Dr Mohan Thomas
Facing the chills
As Wadia walked us through the space, he showed us where the local cryotherapy is administered. We were about to try a Cryo facial. “Pressurised liquid nitrogen vapours are applied to the face and neck to stimulate the skin cells. The benefits include reduction of pore size, decrease of wrinkles and stimulation, collagen production, brightening dark spots, improved blood flow and increased elasticity,” he informs. As we lay down, a trained therapist used the nozzle to blow cold air on our face. The 10 minute procedure was relaxing and we felt no discomfort.
Dr Apratim Goel
Local Cryotherapy that focuses on individual body parts is also administered at Alchemy we were told. It is effective, they claim, to treat injuries and stimulate recovery for those suffering from aches and pains. It provides a rush of oxygenated blood to the targeted area and is regularly used by athletes,” Wadia informed us, as we departed from our chilling experience.
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