Recently I heard about cryotherapy for weight loss and I wanted to find out more about it. Basically, it involves submerging your body in subzero degree temperatures for up to a few minutes. It’s similar to a sauna type situation but instead of hot air, it’s cold air. It’s kind of like being in the movie Frozen. This doesn’t sound like fun to me. I don’t like being cold.
Does Cryotherapy Work for Weight Loss?
On researching it I couldn’t find any medical research that doing this could actually help you lose weight. It could help you with other things like recovering from sports injuries. I wondered where the idea even came from, that it would help you lose weight.
There is some medical data that shows colder temperatures, not subzero temperatures, more like 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period of time, at least a couple of hours, can help you burn more energy. This is because your body will recruit and activate something called brown and beige (adipose) fat cells that burn more energy and that could potentially help you lose weight.
What Should You Do?
I think changing the way you eat is the best way to try to lose weight. However, if you want to try it, you can try changing the temperature in your apartment or house to 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit while you sleep at night or for at least 2 hours during the day. Try it for a few months and see if it helps you lose weight. You shouldn’t then put on extra layers, blankets, or a puffer coat, you actually have to feel cold to get the potential benefits.
What You Shouldn’t Do
This also doesn’t mean you should go outside in the middle of winter without a jacket on to try to lose weight. Because if you get too cold you’re at risk for hypothermia and frostbite and it can also negatively affect your blood pressure and heart rate. Being at very cold temperatures can be dangerous for you, these studies were done at mildly cold temperatures, 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. So you could try setting your thermostat to 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours every day to try to help you lose weight.
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