Chicago CryoSpa

I did cryotherapy!  I've done it before and definitely want the world to know that it is awesome and the pay-off, however, is worth it. 

I'm going to copy + paste the description of cryotherapy straight from the horses mouth:

"In the Whole Body Cryochamber (WBC), we shock the outer layer of your skin with extreme cold temperatures. Your body responds by speeding up to literally “warm you up,” revving your metabolism. WBC was specifically conceptualized for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the joints. While incredibly successful for that specific issue, it quickly became apparent that other joints and muscles throughout the body responded to the cryotherapy. Quite simply, people felt less pain and soreness in the injured or affected area."

When you get there, you sign your life away, strip down, and put on socks and gloves.  Once you're in the chamber, about 2 minutes is set to the timer and you cook..coldly.  It kind of sneaks up on you, a desire to jump out starts to stretch across your mind, and suddenly you're done.  And suddenly you feel BETTER.  A little brighter, a little more energy, more relaxed.  And you're like.. How can I fit this in to my life more regularly?

My external body temp dropped somewhere to the 40s.  Lots of people get lower than that.  I had a body pimple that just shriveled up.  I felt like a million bucks, in that chamber.  I have been seeing a PT over the months and this was icing on top.  I still consider myself an athlete even though my conditioning has changed since injuries, the chamber really made me feel like the all-star athletes who we hear about doing this from time-to-time.  (Even my bestie pro-athlete friend hit me up saying that she LOVES the Cryochamber.)

How cold did your body temp get? Make your appointment here and report back the the details!


XOX,


Melissa

Road Trip!

I go to visit Ames, IA to tailgate for the IOWA STATE .V. IOWA football game.  It was my first time ever tailgating.

I wore white (ha!), packed hand sanitizer, and carried my lululemon athletica Festival Bag.  I'm proud of myself for not going overboard and also laugh at my "party age" just baring itself to everyone.  I had cold beer and a big serving of Crown Royal.  That was the perfect amount for me as I watched the college kids RAGE.

I have been really blessed to travel a ton this year.  Lots in the States, hit up Canada, and am headed on a secret adventure with my boyfriend in a few weeks.  (He knows the details, I'm just showing up.. How fun!?!). I love flying, packing, moisturizing my face, downloading books..  It's a true thrill to me.  Nothing beats a good drive, though.  Your clothes are comfier, the snacks overflow, and you get to talk about, and see, so many different things.

Here are my road trip tips:

•Don't worry about over packing, but still stick with essentials.  Everything is in the car with you, go ahead and take your flat iron.


•Magazines are essential for the passenger, they can read stories, recipes, and just look at pics to give the convo a rest.


•Take it easy, it's likely that you're traveling with a friend, family member, or lover.. There's no reason to stress and save the travel day for travel. You can use the car time to make plans in the car.  Avoid time committed plans upon your arrival.

•download albums on Spotify and make them available offline.  Signals come and go, a downloaded album will play on forever.

•download a comedy album. Go with someone you know, just in case.

•snack consciously.. Nothing worse than having to poop and there's no rest stop in sight!

•Teamwork.  Deer, tired drivers, weather.. Lots can happen on the road, keep the peace, be willing to trade seats, look out for your partner and only rest when your partner is truly awake.

Otherwise:  BON VOYAGE!  Take pics, see the sights, let some fresh air in from time-to-time, and just marvel at the beautiful landscapes of your great land.

*so my white shirt and the tailgating went well until someone handed me a Scotheroo.  The melty chocolate got caught in the wind, landed right below the cross body strap of my bag, and just SPREAD.  It was pure comedy.  I don't regret it though.  My boyfriend is a Cyclone but my neutrality (white shirt) helped me blend in nicely at each stopping point.  :)

Ciao!


Melissa