Robina’s Brrrrr-illiant Body Boost
Would you rather run ten kilometres … or … stand in a minus 140 degree chamber for three minutes for the same benefits?
We recently chose the latter and burnt 800 calories in the process – equivalent to a ten kilometre run or a one hour class, but far less painful and much more time-efficient.
Where you ask, can I hop into a calorie burning freeze machine that will save me from a gruelling run?
Cryoperformance, the Gold Coast’s first purpose-built cryo centre, is based in Robina.
Owner, Mark Sullivan is an Exercise Physiologist with a background in musculoskeletal injuries and chronic conditions. Mark has a wealth of experience in his field and has spent many years observing patient outcomes from both traditional Western medicine and alternative natural therapies.
What is Cryoperformance?
Cryoperformance, the cool new kid on the block, is located in a modern, bright, street level space at The Rocket in Robina. They are literally freezing people’s fat off and helping with a range of ailments from sports injuries through to psoriasis and eczema.
A poster appeared in The Rocket lift promising we could ‘burn 800 calories in 3 minutes’, which piqued our interest. We decided to take the icy plunge and report back to our insideR readers.
The insideR icy lowdown
Our first insideR guinea pig to feel the freeze in the whole-body cryotherapy chamber, Catherine, describes the unique experience:
“I definitely felt slightly nervous leading up to my appointment. My first question after I was greeted by Rachael was, ‘okay, so how am I not going to die at minus 140 degrees?’ Rachael assured me that I was not at risk of death or hypothermia and that it would take much longer than three minutes for me to actually freeze into a solid block of ice.
Okay great, that definitely makes me feel better, I’m in let’s go. I am given a funky little blue outfit of towelling shorts and crop top paired with long, warm socks, warm gloves and headband. Now that I look like a cross between a 70’s gogo girl and a futuristic flight attendant, I’m all ready to freeze my butt off!
A pair of crocs (crime against fashion but practical for the occasion) stops me slipping on the polished concrete floor as I make my way over to the chamber. I can’t stop thinking, really what is the worst that can happen?
Rachael explains that she will be able to speak to me while I am in the chamber and that she’ll give me a countdown as I go. This is great news, I had been dreading being locked in a claustrophobic closet with no way to abort the mission should I not be able to handle it.
Time to step into the chamber – icy smoke pours out the door as I go in and when Rachael shuts the door I am enveloped in a misty white cloud. There is a window in the door but it is misted up so I can’t see out. The inside area is much smaller than I was expecting judging from the exterior size of the chamber, but so far it’s bearable and… yes! There’s a speaker in here blasting out ‘I’ve got the power’.
So what do you do when locked in a chamber at minus 140 degrees wearing a space cadet outfit and 90’s pop is cranking? … Well, if you’re me then you dance… (and maybe sing a little bit).
I am dancing away in my tiny ice chamber, not sure if it was the music getting me going or the fact that I was still having a mild existential crisis, but when Rachael came through on the speaker and said, ‘okay you’re already 30 seconds down’ I was starting to feel comfortable and having a good old boogie.
Rachael gave me a heads up as each 30 second increment passed, and the time flew by. I didn’t shiver, I definitely had goosebumps and my exposed arms, belly and thighs were feeling pretty chilly by the time I go to 2mins 30 seconds, but before I knew it, 3 minutes had zoomed by.
As the door opened, I realised that I was really wide awake, snapped out of my mid-week, midday office slump with all cylinders firing.
I am directed to a stationary bike for a five minute spin to reignite my circulation and boom, 800 calories burnt and my body snapped into calorie burning mode for the next 24 hours.
From start to finish, the whole thing took 15 minutes, I’ll take that over an hour and a half of running any day. I’ll definitely be back to freeze some more of my fat off and, of course, enjoy a lunch-break solo freezer dance session.”
What can Cryotherapy treat?
This amazing and versatile new treatment has been proven to assist with not only weight-loss, but with:
- pain management – including for arthritis, fybromyalgia or severe injuries
- sports performance – for athletes as part of a natural performance enhancer which speeds up recovery and allows faster repair of muscle tissue
- anti-ageing – cryotherapy, whether in the whole-body chamber or through a handheld cryo-facial treatment, aids in collagen production and reduces fine lines and saggy skin
- cellulite – your skin will look smoother and younger, and the more treatments you have, the more effective your results will be
How does it work?
Using the healing properties of cold to treat chronic pain is a technique adopted hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. There are two main therapy options at Cryoperformance Robina:
- Whole-body chamber – which surrounds your entire body with temperatures as low as -140 degrees. Dring the 3 minute treatment, your skin dramatically cools down which activates receptors to your brain telling it to put your body into survival mode. Your brain then re-routes oxygenated blood to your vital organs to keep them warm. There is no danger to your organs whatsoever with the cold air only reaching less than a millimetre beneath your skin. After the treatment, the higher quality blood rich in oxygen and nutrients is then pumped around the body as normal helping to heal targeted pain points, lowering inflammation, and treating the symptoms of chronic disease and illness.
- Hand held ‘Penguin’ – Mark demonstrated this handheld device for us, which is used to treat localised conditions such as injuries, skin conditions and cellulite.
The wrap up
We really enjoyed Cryotherapy.
It’s quick (doesn’t even take a full lunch break); you dont need to take anything (clothing is provided); it’s fun; and the benefits are wide-ranging. Going for a walk or doing exercise afterwards certainly makes you feel fantastic, and we both slept incredibly soundly the night after the treatment.
The bonus is that as Mark is a registered exercise physiologist, you can claim the treatment on your health insurance extras policy (rebates vary).
Hey insiders – Keen to try it?
Mark and Rachel have generously offered a fantastic discount for our readers to try Cryotherapy for themselves.
Mention you saw this article, and for the month of July, you can try the whole-body cryochamber for the discounted price of $60 (normally $75).
Find out more
Visit www.cryoperformance.com.au, call 07 5562 2813 or pop in to the new premises at street level of The Rocket in Robina to find out how Cryotherapy can help you.
