NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by an AI tool. Please forgive any typos or errors. iCryo === [00:00:00] Cara: Today's episode is all about the ultimate recovery tools unveiled such as cryotherapy, infrared, sauna compression. Red light therapy and even more. The reason I wanted to do this episode was because I've heard of all these different recovery tools. And it's a subjective, personal process of what speaks to you. And so one of the tools that has really helped me on my journey is an infrared sauna. When my friend mentioned that she was going to, I cryo, I had heard from a few different resources and I knew it was time to give it a shot. [00:00:36] Cara: I want to be honest and upfront about my review of these services, because nothing's worse than spending money on something that you don't feel like is helping [00:00:45] Cara: you're healing growth or recovery. I had an experience at one of the float places last year, and well, I can see many people would enjoy something like that. I could also see a lot of other people not [00:01:00] enjoying. [00:01:00] Cara: service of that demeanor. If you're someone that gets claustrophobic or just, doesn't like being in enclosed spaces, that is not going to be something for you. [00:01:11] Cara: For me personally, I have some issues with my inner ear. And even though I brought my special earplugs so that the saltwater did not get in my ears, unfortunately, some did get into my ears and it was a very painful experience. And so when you're going to experience something that you're not really sure if it's right for you or not, this is why I want to do videos like this. So I can talk you through the experience. And if it sounds like it's something that you want to try. [00:01:40] Cara: Then I love it. If it's something that you weren't sure about, and I give you my experience and it feels a little too resonant, then that would be your sign. Not to do it. [00:01:50] Cara: take what resonates, leave what doesn't. And I'm going to dive into my experience. And then I have the pleasure of speaking with Matt, the owner [00:02:00] of I cryo and the triangle here in Raleigh, North Carolina. And he gives us the scientific and background of these tools and why they may help you in the process of recovery. [00:02:11] Cara: Welcome to floductivity, a place to inspire and empower beings to embrace self-love and self-development for an achievable balance of productivity. I share different ways to come back to your intuition through spirituality, self care, human design, cycle planning, wellness, and everything in between. [00:02:30] Cara: Thank you so much for joining me this week. If this is your first time. Welcome. And if you've been here with me before. Thank you so much for coming back. I'm so excited to join you in this journey. As we learn together. [00:02:41] Cara: Welcome to this episode, all about the ultimate recovery tools unveiled.I love all things that help someone on their healing journey. And this is a place that can be considered for your mind, body, and soul. It's a little bit more of the fast track to recovery. Which I [00:03:00] like in the sense so many people are in this world of always on the move and they still find it really important for us to be able to give time for healing and space around our mind, body and soul. [00:03:12] Cara: So a big part why I wanted to go here is because I have a special love for the infrared sauna. The sauna for me is just a place where I can really feel from the inside out my body detoxing. It was such a huge tool in my recovery from hormone issues and mold and my house. And I don't think I would be here where I am today without it. [00:03:36] Cara: It was something that I had to let go of my practice because of the pandemic. And so to know that there's a place right around the corner from me that I can go to, to help when I want to go through and detox. [00:03:50] Cara: We're going to dive into all the details on what an infrared sauna can do for you later in this episode. But I want to give you a little glimpse of what it's like for me. [00:04:00] There is no comparison between a normal sauna or a traditional sauna versus an infrared sauna. It feels very different for me. The experience and a traditional sauna feels a little bit more suffocating. When I'm in an infrared sauna, I honestly feel like it's cleansing my body from the inside out. I feel so good. [00:04:23] Cara: When I get out of it, [00:04:25] Cara: it is one of those things that, of course, the last few minutes of, while you're in there may be a more heightens. Not as pleasurable. The first 10 minutes are pleasurable for me, but again, everybody's experience in something like that's going to be different. [00:04:41] Cara: I can see why some people may right off the idea of a sauna if they have tried a traditional one, because that one doesn't really feel that great to me. But I do like the idea of a sauna or a steam room . [00:04:54] Cara: To help us sweat out our toxins. If I were to add. Infrared [00:05:00] sauna in my Cyclical self care. I would add this into the luteal phase. That's a really great time for you to sweat it out. Get all those toxins. Anything you don't need before you go into menstruation, I would highly recommend the infrared sauna with this. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but this is my personal recommendation. [00:05:21] Cara: If you're looking to align this with your cycle. [00:05:24] Cara: The next thing I'm going to touch on is the red light therapy the red light therapy is similar to the idea of the infrared sauna. You just might not feel anything physically while you're experiencing it. And has the feeling of a tanning bed, but of course it's not harming you like a tanning bed would it's actually helping you. [00:05:46] Cara: This is a place where you can just lay down, rest, relax, and shut down your minds. I have a red light therapy face mask that I love to do. It feels very rejuvenating and that's how I feel about the [00:06:00] whole body. It's a whole nother experience. If I were to add this to my cyclical toolkit, I would probably add this to menstruation because it is a time to really lay down. [00:06:12] Cara: And allow ourselves to fully rejuvenate. You don't bring a book or a phone in there. You just let your mind, body and soul just rest. [00:06:21] Cara: Next up, I'm going to talk about the compression. That feels really good. I'm someone that really retains a lot of water in my legs. having something that's like a massage, but you can just kind of sit there and read Lay back and relax. I have done it in my legs and my hips . [00:06:39] Cara: It's a time where you can engage in your phone or a book, or even watch TV. So it would be up to you if you really wanted to use it as a time to rest and rejuvenate, you'd probably want to bring headphones or something so that you could be on your own [00:06:56] Cara: it's just nice to kick back and relax in [00:07:00] the way that feels most nourishing to you. [00:07:02] Cara: I know they have other options, but I will most likely stick with the legs and the hips anytime I go. If I were to add this to my cyclical toolkit, I would probably add it in my spring **(FOLLICULAR phase). [00:07:13] Cara: It's a way to kind of get the circulation going in my body for my metabolism to start working. But again, I think it's finding what fits you in the phase that you're experiencing and what resonates for you. [00:07:27] Cara: The last thing I experienced was the cryotherapy it was something that I knew going there. I was going to try. It's definitely out of my comfort zone. So when you go, you have to put on certain clothes, it's socks, gloves, there's a mask. [00:07:41] Cara: You get to pick a song that will play while you're in there. I picked like a spa-like song. I was trying to use my meditative state to go in. afterwards, a couple people were like, no, you need like uplifting music to get you going. I will say both times that I tried it, [00:07:59] Cara: my [00:08:00] temperature had at least a 45 degree drop. And I think normal or what you aim for is 30. So I guess there's something to be said that standing still will help if you want to learn more, stick around because Matt can explain it better for you. I'm just here for the experience. [00:08:15] Cara: it is cold. It is something that you have to prepare yourself mentally for because you are going in a very cold chamber. I did stand still. My temperature dropped a lot. I am thankful for the lights on the sides. That kind of show you your progress, because I want to see how much longer that I have to go. [00:08:35] Cara: it feels so good after you have accomplished it. It is something that I don't know if I could go there and not experience because it does have a huge impact. And later in this episode, Matt talks about how his sleep has dramatically improved. And I can tell you when I experienced these tools, my sleep is so good. It's so deep. I feel [00:09:00] rejuvenated. And so this is why I'm bringing. [00:09:02] Cara: These tools. To you guys so that you can see maybe which one speaks to you. And so if I were to use cryotherapy with my cycle tool kit, I would use it in summer. Just think like you want that cooling effect to kind of help rejuvenate you. I think that would be a really good thing during the summer or ovulation phase. [00:09:26] Cara: Again, I'm not a doctor, so. If this is something you want, actual medical advice, not the case here. It's just more on what I experienced and how it makes me feel. [00:09:38] Cara: So I just wanted to walk you through the process that I had going into experiencing these Awesome. Recovery tools, stay tuned for the actual science and the reason behind all these things and how they can help you with Matt. [00:09:52] Cara: And now for the interview with Matthew. He is the owner and operator of I cryo triangle here in Raleigh, North [00:10:00] Carolina. [00:10:00] Cara: He holds a master's degree in sports medicine, and previously working with division one sports programs. Matthew's keen understanding of the human body and how to take care of it shows his passion for helping others live healthy lifestyles i can't wait to dive into this interview and thank you so much for being here [00:10:21] Cara: Hi Matt, welcome to the show. [00:10:22] Matt: Hi, Cara. Thank you for having me. [00:10:24] Self-care practices --- [00:10:24] Cara: I'd love to dive in and ask what your favorite self-care practices are. [00:10:29] Matt: It's a great question. I think it's evolved a little bit over time. now I'd say mostly it's finding that time for fitness. I'm really been a gym goer probably since the time I graduated college. that's been a huge part of my daily practice. Definitely weekly practice that, and obviously using some of the services that we offer at, at my business, cryotherapy is a huge one as well as red light therapy. [00:10:53] Matt: Those are, [00:10:54] Transforming Wellness and Recovery Through Cryotherapy Technology --- [00:10:54] Cara: Awesome. And what exactly is I cryo? [00:10:57] Matt: So I Cryo is a wellness and recovery [00:11:00] center. we really focus on pain, inflammation, and longevity and anti-aging. I think that's one that kind of gets forgotten, but it's really the most prevalent when you think about the benefits that most folks get out of our services is they're really looking for ways to, to be healthy for as long as possible. [00:11:17] The Power of Infrared Sauna for Detoxing: A Holistic Approach to Purify and Revitalize Your Body --- [00:11:17] Cara: I wanna share my experience of the infrared sauna. I went through a lot of health issues after I had my son and. we found out we had mold in our house. And so we had to have that remediated. And one of the things that was suggested was to go on a detox and, using an infrared sauna was highly suggested. [00:11:37] Cara: And so I started that process and it was, I think that moment where I was able to just sit and be with myself. And I didn't know how to do that. We went to go visit some family in West Virginia and my brother-in-law is, a massage therapist and he actually has an infrared sauna in his house. And I had asked to use it. [00:11:57] Cara: I was already already part of a [00:12:00] regimen using it. And honestly, when I would use it in North Carolina, I would usually bring in my Kindle or a book or something, you know, to still kind of keep my mind busy. And that one, I brought all this stuff in and I was like, I'm just gonna sit. And I say that like I had like a moment of like a spiritual awakening of. [00:12:22] Cara: I don't know what it was, sitting in that sauna, sweating it out. I like had these emotions that came forth. They like came out o of every pour of my body. And I realized that this lifestyle, this life that I was wanting, it really came forth in this moment of the infrared sauna. And so I wonder if I would've had this spiritual moment if I hadn't began letting myself sit. [00:12:46] Cara: In the uncomfortability of what was going on in my life. And so when my friend Denise had said that she was coming to your facility, and I was like, can I come with you?[00:13:00] I came to your facility and I absolutely loved it. And so the one thing I was super excited about was infrared sauna, and I'd love to know more about. All the health benefits and yours was different than the ones that I've experienced because you actually had some red lights in there. And so can you explain a little bit more about, your infrared sauna [00:13:23] Therapeutic Power of Infrared Saunas: Discover the Numerous Benefits for Optimal Health --- [00:13:23] Matt: Yeah, absolutely. And thank you for sharing that story. I. I mean, I love hearing that. I literally got chills as you were telling that story. there's so many benefits and it's so therapeutic to get that time. let alone what the actual infrared lights are doing, but just to have that time for yourself and take care of yourself. [00:13:39] Matt: That's huge. And, and we talk. A lot about that inside of our center is this is also just a time to take care of yourself. So whether it's three minutes in the cryotherapy chamber or it's 30 minutes in the infrared sauna, just dedicating that time for yourself is huge. so I love that you had that type of benefit. [00:13:56] Matt: I don't love that you had mold in your house and had to, had to [00:14:00] detox, unfortunately. it's strange cuz that's something that's, Fairly common. A lot of people come through our doors for sauna for that reason, but then they stick with sauna because of the other benefits that they're getting outta it. [00:14:12] Matt: And some of those benefits. I mean, there's a lot of great studies coming out of Finland right now, and I don't know if you know much about Finland and saunas, but I think there's more, more saunas in the country than there are people. It's something ridiculous like that. It's a huge, huge part of their culture. [00:14:26] Matt: So there's a lot of long-term studies that have been done on Sauna in. In the country of Finland and there's so many heart benefits, to it, and a lot of it has to do with what you said, what you mentioned in your experience, you're, you're putting the stress on your body. Well, when you're in there, your heart rate's gonna increase. [00:14:41] Matt: Your blood vessels are gonna dilate. That's what's helping that detoxification happen faster is that the blood is, is able to flow faster while you're inside of the sauna. And the long term heart benefits and health benefits and decrease in, heart disease are really because you're just putting a stress on your heart almost as if you're exercising on a regular basis. [00:14:59] Matt: So by doing [00:15:00] a sauna on a regular basis, you're getting very similar health benefits, cardiovascular benefits that you would as if you were. Doing regular exercise as well, and obviously when you combine the two, terrific. But really what's happening to give a little more of the science behind it, Traditional sauna is basically, it's heated by a stove or an oven of some sort. So there's a heat source in the room. That heat is gonna touch your skin, and over time it's gonna, penetrate the skin, get down to the blood vessels, get down to the muscular tissue with infrared light, what we're actually doing, infrared and in the light, spectrum. [00:15:32] Matt: There's a certain zone of infrared, and there's near and far, and there's all kinds of nuances to it, but the light that's used in the sauna actually penetrates your skin, so it's warming your body first. You're not waiting for that heat to transfer from your skin to the deeper tissue. It's immediately warming that deeper tissue. [00:15:50] Matt: It's creating micro vibrations inside of those cells, which is heating you faster, so you get actual faster benefits than you would from a traditional sauna. Now the benefits are, [00:16:00] The same, more or less because we're warming the body, we're getting that vasodilation, that the blood vessel dilation, but it's just happening more efficiently with the infrared, the way it works. [00:16:11] Cara: Okay. I was gonna ask the difference between a traditional sauna because the way I feel in a traditional sauna does not compare to an infrared sauna. [00:16:20] Matt: It's true. I've experienced both myself and, and I much prefer the infrared sauna and the reality is you could actually do a lower temperature on the like overall temperature. A lot of people think I gotta get it as hot as possible to get the benefits. You really don't because in a traditional sauna, yeah, you want it as hot as possible cuz you want that heat to penetrate your skin as fast as possible. [00:16:40] Matt: Infrared sauna. The second you're in front of those infrared generators, you're getting that heat to your body, so you could actually do it at a much lower temperature, somewhere around one 30 to one 50 degrees as opposed to one 90 to two. [00:16:52] Cara: I actually went to Switzerland a few months ago and every. Almost every single hotel I stayed at [00:17:00] had Sauna. And so I did go in every one, but I was kind of like, oh, I wish it was, I wish it was an infrared sauna. They were traditional. but they actually, one of the other things, That I noticed was like, people go, they put their phones away, they are present with themselves and I feel like that's a, something that's just not translated here in the us. [00:17:20] Cara: And so that was good for me to see and it just made my trip much more enjoyable cuz we're wanting to go do all this stuff and then I, there was time for me to just kind of sit and kind of, Go through my day and say like, oh wow, this was a beautiful experience, but there was a place there that I have to share While I was there. [00:17:42] Cara: I would have to call it like a. Spa theme park. As weird as that sounds, but it had, it was one of the, honestly, once I knew I was going there, I was like, I have to make this a part of my trip. but there was pools of every temperature, cold pools, there was [00:18:00] indoor pools, outdoor pools. There was saunas of all sort, but they did not have an infrared sauna, or I did not find it. [00:18:06] Cara: But they had a cold room. they had so much my favorite thing I've never seen or experienced, but it was this huge round heated stone, [00:18:18] Matt: Oh, [00:18:18] Cara: but above it on the ceiling was this like psychedelic movie. And so like, it was just like all around you, but people were like napping on it. so that was really cool to experience. [00:18:29] Cara: And so I feel like. I haven't seen anything like that in the us but knowing that I, cryo has these different aspects where you can kind of go in, rejuvenate yourself, and then like go right back to work. And so it's like I cryo is like the mini version without the pools. It just has all the other things. [00:18:47] Matt: Exactly, and there's certainly benefits to, I mean, finding those types of locations as well. I, I recently was on a work trip and, well obviously for I cryo, but I went into a more traditional [00:19:00] spa and, you know, I did the cold plunge and the, and the hot tub and the sauna and the massage and, because it's good to experience those. [00:19:07] Matt: And, it was carving out an hour for myself. to really just take care of myself, reset myself, and it's good for us. I think I've heard you talk in some of your previous podcasts about getting time in nature, and that's, that's therapeutic as well. You know, it doesn't always have to be a modality per se, but having those times for yourself [00:19:22] Cara: Yeah, It is important. And my personal experience is like if I don't take time, especially when I'm traveling, I'm gonna be overwhelmed with the experience. And so being able to take that time away and be able to do things that are gonna help ground yourself, get you back into your body, because we're always going and doing. [00:19:42] Cara: And so my. Hope, especially in this podcast, is like, where can you find wellness in your every day and where can you find wellness in your travel? And so just that you took that and did that for yourself [00:19:55] Matt: I get the pleasure of knowing that, you know, we've helped thousands of [00:20:00] people in the triangle already, and you know, I. I think we're just getting started, it makes me feel good knowing that these services are, are wanted, they're needed. [00:20:08] Matt: but there's still only a small percentage of people who even look for these services. So I think the, the path forward is, there's, there's such a long runway, I guess is a way to say it, for, for wellness services everywhere, because I think people are starting to pay more attention to it and to themselves. [00:20:26] Cara: They are. I wanna say that like I know the pandemic was hard for a lot of people, but I do think it gave people to take a moment to say, wait a second, what is this life I've built and how can I slow down and really focus on myself and having something that you can go in and do, you know, quickly or however long you want to. [00:20:46] Cara: I mean, I knew when I was going I was testing out as many things as I could while I was there because I wanted to get the whole experience. But, one of the other things that I liked was the red light therapy. And at first I was a little nervous [00:21:00] because I will say when I went to Switzerland, there was somewhere that had something like it, but it was really hard to translate. [00:21:08] Cara: Even with the, you know, like being able to translate on my computer and I was like, I'm scared. Is this a tanning bed? I don't think it is. And so I was someone that in high school, like tanning was a thing, but my skin was like, no. I kept trying it, but I would like break out in rashes. And so I was actually really nervous to try the red light therapy cuz I have this like wound of like, [00:21:32] Matt: Mm-hmm. [00:21:33] Cara: Doing this to my skin, and it wasn't obviously good for it, but the way I felt afterwards was like, oh, okay, I see it. [00:21:40] Unveiling the Power of Red Light Therapy: Enhance Cellular Energy and Rejuvenate Your Skin for Optimal Well-being --- [00:21:40] Cara: So I would love to know more about the specific with the red light therapy. [00:21:44] Matt: Yeah, absolutely. And like I said earlier, that's a favorite of mine as well. And you're not the first person to see it and what it looks like, and then think, oh God, am I, is this tanning, is this gonna be bad for my skin? How's it gonna help? I've always been a more science based person, [00:22:00] when it comes to how to analyze things. [00:22:01] Matt: You look at the light spectrum and you have UV light. And that's what's coming from the sun that the light waves, that if you get too much, it's gonna damage your skin and burn your skin. [00:22:09] Matt: Literally, it's, as far away from the spectrum as possible is infrared light and red light. So it's not carrying any heat, again, science space. It's a longer wavelength, which means it's penetrating your skin. It's stopping at uv. Red light, is gonna penetrate your skin and it's gonna have an effect on your cells at, so it's actually at the mitochondrial level. [00:22:29] Matt: that red light is really working. It's actually allowing your mitochondria to utilize oxygen more efficiently and create more energy. which is called attp inside of our bodies. when you do, red light and you have full body red light, because you may have seen in other spas or you could purchase ones that are just for your face or just for certain body parts. [00:22:48] Matt: They actually treat, burn wounds now with red light and hospital settings. but whole body red light, you're allowing. All the cells in your body, your 360 degrees surrounded by the light to absorb that [00:23:00] red light and utilize it to help your body create more energy, literally help your body create more energy. [00:23:05] Matt: So that's why you get that euphoric feeling when you get out. And then how your body uses that really depends on, on your body. And I tell people that all the time before you start. If you're, if you're a first timer and I'm having a conversation with you, think about what you might be dealing with now, or you have a nagging injury. [00:23:22] Matt: Are you sore from a recent workout? Are you really fatigued from work or family, whatever it might be. And just pay attention to how you feel after you do a couple sessions, because we're literally providing more energy for your body to take care of itself. [00:23:35] Matt: Cause we always hear about skin benefits is cause it's the most visual and it's really because, hey, it's one of the things that takes a beating, sun damage. when we get stressed, our skin takes a beating. If we're not hydrated, our skin takes a beating. And now when you're, your body has more energy to. [00:23:51] Matt: supply your brain with energy supply your muscles with energy, throughout the day, help your body digest, all of those normal things that create a lot of demand. And then [00:24:00] there's extra, well, now I could also take care of that the skin, that I wasn't healing, the wound, that wasn't healing, that achy muscle, that old injury, you have more energy to go around. [00:24:09] Matt: So that's really how your body is capitalizing on the fact that. We're allowing it to create energy more efficiently and when you have more energy to go around, your body could handle all the processes it has to handle on a daily basis. [00:24:21] Cara: Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. I actually was gifted a red light therapy face mask, and so like, it feels like such a treat. Do I look scary? I do. [00:24:32] Matt: While you're doing it, probably. [00:24:34] Cara: Yeah. Yes. While I'm doing it, and sometimes I do it on my back patio and I'm like, my neighbors must think I look like a serial killer. [00:24:42] Matt: But it's the way ours works. And, the way a lot of the, a lot of the top quality machines out there work is there's multiple wavelengths. So when you were in the bed, you probably noticed, it looks like there's all these rows of, of l e d lights inside, but it looks like there's one on three off, one on three off, one on [00:25:00] three off. [00:25:00] Matt: So it kind of looks like not all of them are turned on in reality, all of those are on, one of them is within our visual light spectrum. The other three are just below our visual light spectrum. So they're on, and what's happening is having multiple wavelengths allows them to penetrate to different depths below the surface. [00:25:17] Matt: So it allows us to expose more cells to. [00:25:20] Cara: Yeah, that makes sense. I don't know if you know this, but the day I came in was my 40th birthday, and when I walked out I was like, I felt younger when I walked out [00:25:29] Matt: amazing. [00:25:30] Cara: that was [00:25:30] Matt: at all. You look, you must be doing a lot of things right. You look terrific. [00:25:33] Cara: Thank you. But yeah, no, I walked out of there and I was like, my goal was to be like, okay, I'm ready for 40 and this feels great. So, I am sure it was all the things that I did, but the next thing [00:25:44] Enhance Circulation and Flush Out Toxins with Compression Therapy: Experience Relief, Muscle Recovery, and Detoxification --- [00:25:44] Cara: let's talk more about the compression therapy. [00:25:47] Matt: Yeah, and I think you nailed it for exactly the right reasons. it's really good for pushing the fluids up and out of our legs, which will settle into our legs just because of gravity. at a physiological level. what our body needs to do all the time is [00:26:00] we need to flush out toxins through our lymphatic system. [00:26:03] Matt: And unlike our circulatory system, our lymphatic system doesn't have a pump. So we need to do it and it's really be, being active is how our body naturally does it. When we walk, those muscle contractions are squeezing those, those lymph tissues, and it's pushing things up and outta your legs. But a lot of us now, we sit at desks, even if you're at a standing desk, you're still not moving and that's still causing things to build up. [00:26:27] Matt: So being able to put those compression sleeves on and passively get all of those fluids up and out of your legs and, and back. To that clearing process, which it's right below your clavicles is actually where it drains. So all of those fluids have to get up there eventually and we're kickstarting that and it just creates so much relief cuz it gets so much inflammation out of your legs. [00:26:48] Matt: It gets, it loosens up the muscles, as you said. It does feel like a massage. And I tell people all the time, if you are, if you're dealing with any. Physical trauma, what? Sore muscles from exercise [00:27:00] or getting over the flu or covid or anything like that? your body is, has to clear out dead viral cells. It has to clear out dead tissue. [00:27:08] Matt: It has to clear out toxins that are building up lactic acid that's building up. So whether it's from physical activity or even just dealing with a cold due compression, it's going to help your body process and clear out those things faster. [00:27:22] Cara: Yeah, that makes sense for sure. I didn't realize how much it was in the legs like I started to do. Massage on my face and kind of like opening this up and doing a specific massage. But yeah, it wasn't until I went and did the compression that I realized and I was like, that makes sense. [00:27:38] Cara: Especially cuz I hold more weight and like I said, fluid in my legs and it felt great. [00:27:43] Matt: Yeah. And massage is obviously another terrific, modality for that. [00:27:47] Embrace the Power of Cryotherapy for Mind-Body Recovery --- [00:27:47] Cara: yeah. So the last thing I did was a cryotherapy. I was a little scared. I've never done anything like that. Per se, when I was in Switzerland, I did go in a cold plunge pool. And when I say in it, I walked [00:28:00] in and I walked out. I did not stay in it. And then, when I wash my hair, I end with at least 10 seconds of cold water. [00:28:06] Cara: But I would like to know the cryotherapy. And I will say that,I don't know exactly what this was, but they're like, oh, you want your body temperature to drop? and they were like, whoa, yours dropped a lot. I think I threw them off a little bit because I saw my friend and she was like dancing and she was like hardcore the music that she had going and they asked me what kind of music I wanted and I was like, I don't know, spa music. [00:28:30] Cara: And they were like, I don't think this girl knows what she's doing. , so I'm guessing me standing still is what made me drop, my temperature so much. [00:28:37] Matt: definitely. But I give you a lot of credit for that cuz that's, that's actually, I love that, that's a highly recommended approach from someone like me is put your body in that state, put your body in, in that stressor. And learn to manage it. And it's part mental, it's part physical, but it's part of the therapy itself. [00:28:56] Matt: So, you probably dropped more than 30 degrees. 30 degrees. Skin [00:29:00] temperature drop is kind of typical, for most people. So that's sort of our gauge is did you get to 30? If not, we could probably go for a higher setting, but if you got past 30, we're good. Let's keep it here. [00:29:09] Cara: holding the speaker, I was like, there's something about the vibration of the speaker where like that was my zen that speaker is getting me through it. But yeah, I stayed as still as possible and I think there were like, What are you doing? [00:29:21] Matt: That's amazing. And now can I ask you a question? What did you think of your tolerance to the cold chamber versus, cold plunge versus cold water? [00:29:30] Cara: the cold plunge. I was in full control, so. And so I was like, okay. I did it. I walked in. I, when I wanted to get to my shoulder and I walked out. As for the cryotherapy one, I appreciate the bars that like tell you how far you go because I am that person of like, I need to see my progress and knowing that I will not give up if someone's watching me. [00:29:56] Cara: And so that was the difference was the cold plunge. It was up to [00:30:00] me. I got in, I got out and the cryotherapy was like, Someone's on the other side of the door they're watching me. I am not walking out of this before it's over. And so that was the difference for me and how I kind of like was like, I'm gonna do this. [00:30:13] Matt: Yeah, that's, I could go on a whole tangent about that comment you just made. Cause I think that's what's huge about having places to go for, whether it's fitness, you know, spirituality, you know, and modalities like ours. Having a place to go creates that kind of social responsibility towards it because the other people there are doing the same and you feel like you have to do, it's you. [00:30:35] Matt: Build our home gyms, or we put a cold plunger in our backyard, they seem to not get used as much. And it's because you could easily talk yourself out of it if nobody's there to hold you accountable. So it's that accountability factor I think is huge with having a destination. I got here, I walked through the door, now I'm definitely gonna do it, you know? [00:30:53] Cara: Yeah, I agree with that for sure. I've seen this cold plunge pool in the house and that was my first thought was [00:31:00] that's great, but I don't think I. I would use it. I think I would look at it and be like, well, that's a beautiful thing to look at. I'm not gonna get inside of it. But knowing if I walked in through the door, like, I'm going to do this, I'm gonna do it. [00:31:12] Cara: I have people to keep me accountable and I'm gonna, push myself through. So I do agree with that for sure. [00:31:19] Matt: Yeah, to get back to your original question, yeah. Cryotherapy it's pretty much my go-to. It's probably the service I use more frequently than anything else. I'd say the most significant benefit I get is on the recovery from fitness. although I usually dedicate it towards recovery from my exercise, it's recovery from my day. [00:31:37] Matt: I have a busy job, I'm. Kind of on the go quite frequently, have lots of conversations, and then I go use whatever last energy I have in the, in the gym, and then I get to do my cryo session and kinda resets me. so what's happening is, you're putting a stress around your body and your body goes into a fight or flight response. [00:31:53] Matt: So you have a parasympathetic and a sympathetic, nervous response to that. And your initial one is fight or flight. [00:32:00] So your body has to protect itself. And when it does that, certain hormones are released. so you're releasing,norepinephrine, and you're, which is gonna help fend off,Inflammation and then you're gonna release, endorphins. [00:32:11] Matt: And that's like feel good feeling you get afterwards as if you worked out. so your body during that time is gonna do everything it can to fight off inflammation. And then later on in the day, several hours beyond your cryo session, you're actually gonna get that parasympathetic response. You're gonna go into that rest and digest mode. [00:32:28] Matt: So a lot of people actually, sleep a lot better. When they're doing cryotherapy, I'm one of those people, so I tend to sleep a lot better on the days that I do cryo versus the days I don't, because after my body comes out of that high from fight or flight, I go into that relaxation, rest and digest mode, and I get much more calm. [00:32:45] Matt: I go to sleep easier. You're actually helping your body naturally release more melatonin than it normally would. so it really kind of resets your body. There's also a lot of longevity benefits to, well, both the hot and cold. So I kind of mentioned it with the sauna and, and it's the same with [00:33:00] the cold. [00:33:00] Matt: And really our bodies have evolved for a long time to be exposed to stressors, to be exposed to cold winters, to be exposed to hot summers and just. Learn how to manage it. And a body that gets stressed will be more prepared to go into to trigger longevity genes and, and trigger these hormones that are gonna help our bodies deal with the day-to-day stressors. [00:33:22] Matt: And there's a lot of new science coming out that's really showing that, whether it's cryotherapy, whether it's a cold plunge, whether it's saunas, but putting your body through certain stresses are really aiding in longevity. [00:33:35] Cara: Wow. Yeah, that makes sense. I'll just say I'm from Ohio and like my blood has thin, so like bean and cold, like, especially when I went to Switzerland, cuz like I haven't actually lived in that type of,weather in a very long time. [00:33:51] Matt: there's a mental benefit to it too. You know, just being able to. Talk yourself through it cuz, because like you did, you said you kind of went into your, [00:34:00] your headspace and you know, maybe did some,breath work or something like that to kind of keep you focused, to get through that. [00:34:06] Matt: And that's, powerful. that's really powerful to turn your brain on to say, Hey, I could handle this. what do I have to do to handle it? I might have to think about something else. I might have to meditate, I might have to focus on my breath, but I can handle this. And that's that mental fortitude that's super important as well. [00:34:20] Matt: It's not just the physical side. [00:34:22] Cara: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I can stay in an infrared sauna like that one I don't have a problem with, but I think it was just one of those things, like I had such a powerful experience. In a very different time of my life that I can feel the benefits. But yeah, I don't think if I had a cold plunge or cryotherapy in my house, I do not think I would have that same, that same drive to stay in there. [00:34:45] Accelerate Sports and Fitness Recovery: Unlock Optimal Performance and Rapid Healing with Advanced Techniques --- [00:34:45] Cara: I would love to know more of. Using these tools for sports recovery and overall health and you know, is, is there a certain demographic that you see come in your facility at all? [00:34:58] Matt: Yeah. It's interesting because our [00:35:00] demographic is almost anyone, and I literally mean that, and I'm not just saying it like, oh, anyone could use these services, but you know, the benefits are. Similar. but they vary based on what your needs might be. So what I mean by that is you could have someone, a 13 year old athlete, soccer player that is coming in just because they wanna recover faster. [00:35:19] Matt: They're playing lots of games, they're highly competitive. They have practices however many hours a day. And by doing something like cryotherapy and red light is a great combination for that athlete who wants recover faster. That. decrease the delayed onset muscle soreness that comes from inflammation and muscle damage, you're gonna be able to literally decrease that by doing cryotherapy, and you're gonna be able to, maximize the amount of energy your body's producing by doing red light therapy. [00:35:43] Matt: Both of those combined are gonna decrease the amount of time it it takes to heal and recover from those sessions. So it's gonna keep you more active, it's gonna keep you on the field longer. It's gonna have you, building up your endurance faster. So athletes get a lot of benefit if you combine services like that. [00:35:58] Matt: Our older athletes do a lot of [00:36:00] IV infusions as well. fastest way to put fluids back into your body. Fastest way to put nutrients back in your body. So, you know, you get. Professional soccer players. We get professional hockey players being here in Raleigh, that are coming in after games, after hard practices to replenish because they, they know they have to go back and do it the next day. [00:36:17] Matt: so it's huge from a nutritional side as well. but you could use those same, and this is kind of what's interesting is cuz those exact same services, the cryotherapy, the red light, the IV infusions could help a 70 year old who just wants to be able to go for a hike. Who wants to. They might be recovering for different reasons, but they're getting those same benefits. [00:36:36] Matt: They're allowing their body to work as efficiently as possible so that they could do the things. Our range is literally from 13 to, I think is one of our oldest members. [00:36:46] Elevate Your Wellness Journey with Hyper-Focused Services: Optimizing Performance and Enhancing Immune Health at iCRYO --- [00:36:46] Cara: Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah, they kind of circle back to the iv, options. I saw the, the cocktail menu and I was like, wow, okay. This is something that I would like to look into. So just tell me a little bit more [00:37:00] about what that entails, I guess. [00:37:01] Matt: Yeah. And, and it's a wide variety because we just, we just launched some new services that are, a little more hyper-focused on folks who might be dealing with, autoimmune diseases, or just looking to optimize. They're already doing a lot of things right, and they really just want, what's that, what's that next level that I can get to that I could help my body perform a little better, help my brain perform a little better? [00:37:21] Matt: But the most base level is. Were putting fluids and nutrients into your body. So, a lot of our core, IV menu items focused around things like vitamin C, your B complex, your B12 vitamins, electrolytes for our athletes, amino acids for our athletes, so that they could get that muscle healing, the, relax those muscles so they're not cramping. [00:37:44] Matt: but then we go into things like NA plus, which is,It's a molecule that, works inside your mitochondria. It helps, again, it aids in that energy production cycle. it also helps protect dna actually helps protect the telomeres in your dna. So it really creates a protective [00:38:00] mechanism inside of your body. [00:38:01] Matt: these are things that people are researching now and looking into and saying, Hey, what, what can I do to protect from future disease, protect from future damage? we just launched ozone therapy. Which is actually, mixing ozone into blood that we withdraw from the body. And then we actually, insert it back into the body. [00:38:19] Matt: So it's highly oxygenated blood. And then we purify it with UV therapy. So as the blood's going back to your body, it's purified with uv, which will kill any bacteria. It's antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral. So we're cleaning the blood before it goes back into your body. So you're getting an oxygen boost with very clean blood. [00:38:37] Matt: But going back in, It's very good for promoting immune immune health. it's very effective with folks who have long-term autoimmune diseases and it's very good for cognitive health as well. [00:38:47] Cara: Yeah. Wow. That sounds amazing. I remember seeing probably on a dumb reality show a long time ago, that they were doing like the IV therapy for like. A hangover and I was just like, that's a little [00:39:00] extreme. But then when I was in there, I was like, this all the different things that you can do to help. [00:39:04] Cara: Especially like thinking about when I was going through that hard time after I had my son, like my doctors were just saying like, you have autoimmune issues, like we can't really help you. But just knowing that there's things that can support you exactly where you're at to help you in the way that you need for your immune system or for recovery, and so that's awesome. [00:39:26] Matt: yeah, we have some amazing stories with, with our infusions really helping people, whether it's with, I mean, it could be addiction, it could be autoimmune diseases, it can be, long covid. We had someone who was losing their hair from long covid and couldn't maintain weight and started doing na d plus infusions. [00:39:42] Matt: And just, it was like a turnaround within three weeks that their hair was coming back, they were getting their appetite back, their energy levels were up, we need these things and It's new because, you know, 10, 20 years ago, and I, I studied health sciences my whole life and 10, 20 years ago[00:40:00] we weren't even having conversation. [00:40:01] Matt: Ozone therapy. What was that? N d plus therapy. What was that? Putting IVs in your arm just because you feel like it. So it's pretty amazing that, that there's been such progress in these modalities and that we're starting to see some really great results. [00:40:14] Cara: I know there was a, I think a couple other things that you guys offered. So what else do you guys offer [00:40:18] Cara: [00:40:18] Experience Transformative Aesthetic Services: Body Sculpting, Skin Toning, Slimming, and Cellulite Treatments for a Confident and Radiant You at iCRYO --- [00:40:18] Matt: let's see. I think we talked about a lot the, body sculpting and skin toning is one of them. It's probably the most aesthetic focused thing that we do. but we really, the reason why we offer that is because, you know, the grand scheme of wellness, people want to. Look good and feel good. And, and being comfortable in your own skin is a big part of feeling good about yourself and, and a big part of self-esteem. [00:40:39] Matt: And, so we offer slimming services, which is using cold therapy to actually, kill fat cells inside your body. And then we do toning services, which is tightening loose skin. We do facials. We do. You know, cellulite, cellulite treatments. And then for the folks who do lose weight quickly, with our, with our therapies tightening up that loose skin, it becomes a, becomes sort of a [00:41:00] follow service. [00:41:00] Cara: You guys pretty much do it all. [00:41:02] Matt: We try, we try. [00:41:04] Cara: If, if someone was like, okay, I wanna go try it out, but I don't know what to do, what should they do? What would be the process for them? [00:41:12] How To Get Started With iCryo --- [00:41:12] Matt: Call or come in, whatever you're comfortable with. I, I love in person. It's me. I wanna be able to kind of read a person's body language, see what they gravitate towards. to me it's just always easier when you have someone in front of you. But all of our team is trained to, to listen to you. Really at the end of the day, we're gonna ask you some questions. [00:41:28] Matt: We're gonna learn a little bit about you. What are you dealing with in your life? What are you trying to overcome? what else are you doing on the health and wellness side? Because we're, we're gonna recommend the right combination of services that's gonna benefit you the most. You know, if you're coming in and looking for detox and I sent you in the cryo chamber and not the sauna, you know, we don't, we don't want you to go the wrong route. [00:41:48] Matt: We want to help you. We wanna get you the results that you're looking for. [00:41:51] Cara: Yeah, I had a great experience with your team. They were all very helpful and making sure that like we knew exactly where we were. My [00:42:00] friend is a seasoned professional there, but like for me, I was like, I don't know what's going on. And so they did. They told me everything that you guys offered, and so it was just a really welcoming environment. [00:42:10] Cara: I loved everything about it [00:42:12] Matt: Amazing. Well, that, that makes me really happy to hear that. That's a, that's a huge thing because, , once you, once you get started and off the ground, putting that trust into the team and, and stepping aside and getting to watch them help guests the way that I've always been passionate about helping our guests, and hearing positive feedback like that, I, I really appreciate that. [00:42:30] Matt: That means a lot. [00:42:30] Cara: Yeah, it was a great experience, especially cuz my, my friend also speaks so highly of it and she actually started coming because of an injury. And so hearing her progression of how much it's helped her injury and healing has been a great thing to witness too. knowing that. you have someone that's speaking highly of it and she knows me. [00:42:49] Cara: I'm all game for anything like this. And she's like, you gotta come. And so I told her, I was like, my birthday's coming up, bring me. [00:42:56] Matt: I mean, as you can imagine, I'm, I'm sure with a lot of the services [00:43:00] and modalities and things that you've tried, whether it's you know, something like us or, you know, massage or anything else, Word of mouth goes a long way. Referrals from trusted sources and, and those friends and family members, influential people in your lives who have seen benefits, that drives a lot of it. [00:43:15] Matt: so I'm happy to hear that we made your friend happy first. She brought you in and, and you're having similar great results and, and happiness inside the center. [00:43:23] Cara: Yeah. So if someone were to want to join, what are the options, like passes and packs that you offer? [00:43:31] Matt: we're pretty flexible, so we offer monthly passes. we offer service packages, for all services, whether that's our cryo red light all the way up to our ozone and body sculpting and body toning services. All those are offered in, in, package options as well as pass options. and. [00:43:48] Matt: Yeah, we're pretty flexible. We offer payment plans, you know, whatever, whatever way that we could help you meet your budget. but most importantly, get the results that you're looking for. So our team is there to help [00:44:00] you ask them questions. but they're, gonna ask you questions cuz their goal is to, to get you feeling good as quick as we can. [00:44:06] Cara: Yeah, I was a hairstylist for 19 years, and a consultation is really important to me, and I know that if I didn't give a good consultation, it would make, or break the service, and I thoroughly enjoyed the consultation that I had there. That was important to me. [00:44:24] Matt: Yeah, I'm the, and I'm the same. So I, again, that makes me really happy to hear, because, you can't truly help someone if you don't understand them. And, it's being empathetic and just using conversation to, to see through their eyes and, could always help more efficiently, more effectively if, if you understand where they're at. [00:44:40] Cara: Yeah. Well, this has been a wonderful conversation. I would love to let listeners know how to find you and I cryo. [00:44:48] Matt: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, come to i cryo.com. look up our locations. in the triangle here. We have a location in Raleigh and another one in CARY where you could find us on Instagram is kind of the social handle [00:45:00] that we use most,most frequently. And that's I cryo underscore triangle. [00:45:04] Matt: That's the way to find us. [00:45:06] Cara: Awesome. Well, I will make sure that I have all that in the show notes so that everybody can find you guys. Is there anything that you want to say to the listeners before we sign off? [00:45:16] Matt: this has been an absolute pleasure. I love talking about wellness. I love hearing stories like yours, so I, I just really appreciate you having me on the show and, I really hope that your listeners do find value and, and what we talked about. [00:45:28] Matt: And if they do have anything that they're curious about, give us a call. We're happy to help. [00:45:32] Cara: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Matt. It's been a pleasure and we will chat soon. [00:45:37] Cara: Thank you so much for joining me this week. If this was your first time. Welcome. And if you joined me for previous episodes, thank you so much for coming back. [00:45:45] Cara: Could you share my channel with a friend, those few seconds make a huge impact on my show and I would be grateful for the support. [00:45:54] Cara: I honestly love the idea of having a place where you can get the ultimate recovery [00:46:00] in your minds, body, and soul. Going to a place like I cryo is really going to help all people that are in the hustle of life, which is a lot of us. Whether we're in a corporate job, we're moving through the motions as a parents. [00:46:15] Cara: It really helps us take time. That's a fast track for recovery. [00:46:20] Cara: Matt shares all the insight, of course, because he has so much passion about helping others in the recovery journey as well, to help support them in life. [00:46:31] Cara: If you want to find out how to book a session and I cryo you can check the show notes or the episode will be caradempsey.com/69. I really appreciate you being here. And I appreciate all the support. Thank you so much and we will chat soon.