Every Valentine’s Day, we exchange cards, gifts, candy and flowers with our loved ones. It’s an exciting time of year to celebrate love—not only with your sweetheart, but also yourself. A dear friend of mine once told me, “We can’t take care of others if we don’t take care of ourselves.” This is so true, and something most of us put aside in our busy, day-to-day lives. Taking this into consideration and realizing how beneficial it is, I recently treated myself to some self-love and visited Cryo Stay Young in Latham. What a wonderful treat it was! From its whole body cryotherapy and infrared sauna to its compression therapy and cryo facial, I was in love with how I felt after this wonderful experience: relaxed, renewed and refreshed!
Upon arriving at Cryo Stay Young, ready to reap the benefits of cryotherapy, I immediately felt relaxed. The atmosphere is clean, crisp and inviting, and the staff is incredibly friendly. They guided me to an immaculate changing room where I was given a comfortable robe and socks needed for the cryo chamber. Then, I was off to feel the brrr. Cryotherapy works by activating the body’s “fight or flight” response, which releases a chemical in the brain and body called norepinephrine. This directs the body to increase blood flow to the skeletal muscles, reducing inflammation; helping relieve migraines; and increasing alertness, vigilance, memory and focus. Whole body cryotherapy has also been shown to help with weight loss, recovery and increase one’s fitness abilities, as well as have positive anti-aging and beauty results. In other words, things all of us can benefit from. It was a wonderful experience that left me feeling invigorated.
From there, I was taken to Cryo Stay Young’s impressive infrared sauna, which was such a heavenly experience. It was so amazing going from the frigid chamber to the comfortably warm sauna; I pondered if this was something I could do on a daily basis—everyday, all day long. Infrared saunas promote relaxation, help the body release toxins, burn calories and reduce pain and muscle soreness.
Cryo Stay Young also offers compression therapy, something I’ve always wanted to try. The technology has been proven to soothe the aches and pains of sore, overworked muscles, and I was happy with the experience. It’s similar to a massage, as it gently applies pressure to the ankles and legs. Whether you lead a sedentary life or an active, athletic one, you can really benefit from compression therapy.
The last stop on my full day of self-love at Cryo Stay Young was my favorite. I have a passion for beauty treatments, and its cryotherapy facial did not disappoint. It was relaxing and rejuvenating, and my skin felt clean and beautiful afterwards. It felt similar to the whole body cryotherapy but targeted my face to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increase collagen elasticity, reduce pores and remove dead skin cells.
Everybody loves a great facial!
Whether it’s experiencing the amazing benefits of cryotherapy or taking a day to relax quietly at home, I hope you find the time this season of love (and all year long) to treat yourself to something that makes you feel relaxed, renewed and refreshed. You should be your No.1 priority. If you want to stay healthy, happy and productive, give yourself some love!
