Former Muay Thai fighter Liam Hammond understands the importance of recovery, and his new venture is helping athletes – and others – chill out.
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Whole body cryotherapy is a bit of a buzz word in training circles right now, but the treatment is also beneficial for a range of chronic conditions according to the Wollongong fitness trainer.
‘’As well as rapid recovery after training and injury, it provides a lot of relief for people with inflammatory disorders like arthritis and skin conditions such as psoriasis,’’ Mr Hammond said.
The hyper-cooling machine – which encases clients in a fine nitrogen mist cooled to around minus 160 degrees – can also assist with weight loss, detoxification and anti-ageing.
Mr Hammond this week opened the city’s first whole body cryotherapy clinic – Now Cryotherapy – and it’s one of just a handful across the state.
''It supports detoxification, provides pain relief and reduces inflammation.''
‘’It’s something I’ve been looking at for a couple of years, after I saw that MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighters in the US were using it as part of their training and recovery,’’ he said.
‘’I’ve fought competitively in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and always suffered pain in my hands from punching and grappling so I could see how it could be beneficial.
‘’When I was first looking into it there were no machines in Australia, but there’s been a big emergence in the last six months with people starting to enjoy the benefits.’’
Mr Hammond said clients hopped in the machine for two to three minute bursts, with the extreme temperatures causing blood to rush to the body’s core.
‘’When you’re in those temperatures, the body’s natural instinct is to get the blood to rush from your extremities to your core,’’ he said.
‘’The blood becomes reoxygenated and remineralised in the process, so once you step out of the machine the blood rushes back through the body which supports detoxification, provides pain relief and reduces inflammation.’’
The freezing therapy also releases feel-good endorphins, speeds up the metabolic rate and boosts collagen production.
‘’It’s not a weight loss fix but you can burn up to 800 calories afterwards so it can support weight loss efforts,’’ Mr Hammond said.
The clinic is on Kembla St.
