What They Say
“Following a year of the pandemic, Founder of Ice Health Cryotherapy London, Alla Pashynska knows how more important Contrast Cryotherapy therapy will be to her clients. Alla is now the UK pioneer of Cryostimulation and her latest machine, loved by sports stars and celebrities, offers treatment temperatures as low as -196c giving her clients multi-health benefits, including boosting immunity, regulating metabolism, improving chronic pain and injuries and helping to reduce stress and depression.”
The Experience
During lockdown, my friend bought a barrel, put it in the back garden and filled it with water and ice – voila, an Ice Bath. He’d read how bathing in freezing water improved circulation and therefore acted as a massive health boost for your entire body and mind. It being lockdown, an ice bath in the garden was the closest we could get (I got in twice, in case you were wondering!). After this, I was curious to see what the professional treatment, Cryotherapy, had in store for me.
The first thing I am told as I walk through the door is that an ice bath and Cryotherapy are incomparable. The heat and freeze used by the machine here is dry, which means that our bodies react completely differently to the conditions than if we were, for instance, stood outside in the snow. Homemade ice baths average about 10-15°C and are often intolerable. The Cryosense an Ice Health on the other hand reaches -196°C (-188°C for first-timers) and is almost unnoticeable in comparison. It is, of course, a bit noticeable, so Alla asks me to dance inside the ice machine to distract myself and keep my body moving throughout the treatment. The song choice was Breath by Sean Paul and Blue Cantrell, an apt choice that had me chuckling all the way through as I boogied in my underwear (and some wonderfully kitsch fluffy shoes and gloves!).
The Results
Here’s the science in layman’s terms: a change of environment by way of heat stimulates receptors to send a signal to the brain, which rejuvenates the blood. This process provides health benefits in a number of ways: better circulation of oxygen and hormones around the body, immunity, endorphins and lymphatic drainage. It has been known to help with anxiety and depression, skin tightening and chronic fatigue. As Alla puts it, the body decides what it needs. I guess it’s like levelling up in a video game: whatever you’re missing, that’s where this super potion focuses. Of course, it takes a few sessions to see the difference, and that’s why the clinic offers packages on a sliding price scale, but even after one session I feel more energised (I was having a busy week) and less stressed (I slept like a log!).
Alla also points out that sometimes we don’t lose weight because our circulation is poor, so no matter what we do, we can’t drop that belly fat. They have another treatment that puts a specific focus on one area and uses different technologies. This treatment is more expensive, starting at £450 per session, but has been known to effectively help with weight loss, treat injuries that physio just can’t fix, and provide non-surgical face or even breast lifts! You just have to take a visit to the clinic and talk to Alla: she is so passionate about her work – having even benefitted from cryotherapy on personal injuries – and has so many jaw-dropping success stories that she can tell you about. You’re sure to want to try it for yourself!
The Details
Packages usually include a set number of sessions for the full effect and are bespoke, based on the client’s needs. Prices start from £65 per session.
