BILLINGS — When it's below zero outside, most people do what they can to get in out of the cold. However, the extreme cold can provide quite a few health benefits.
Kolton Kremer utilizes a Cryotherapy chamber three times a week and says the relief he feels from prior injuries is just the tip of the iceberg for what it provides.
"It’s good for decreasing pain, inflammation, swelling, it’s good for muscle recovery, it can increase collagen production, and reverse signs of aging. It can also give you energy, and increase endorphins," said Billings resident Kolten Kremer on Thursday.
And although it feels cold outside with negative temperatures, the Cryotherapy chamber takes that to the next level at over 200 degrees below zero.
And across town, Dr. Joy Stevens is a Naturopathic physician located in downtown Billings who knows firsthand the benefits that the cold can have.
"You know how sometimes you get out of a hot shower and your kind of groggy and just kind of bleh. Well, if you end it on cold, you’re going to get out invigorated... It's stimulating to you as a person," Stevens said.
It heightens awareness but Stevens says there’s also another hidden boost.
"The body is responding to the cold and part of its response is an immune stimulation. It views that cold as a stressor on the body, and when the body gets stressed, often it responds with an immune response. A positive immune response," added Stevens.
"That is one of the perks of doing it is that it strengthens your immune system, since you’re getting that oxygenated blood to your brain and other parts of your body," Kremer added.
And Stevens also mentioned another benefit is more consistent sleep patterns. And it's one of the reasons the daily treatments have become part of Kremer's routine.
"I definitely notice that some days when I do the cryotherapy that my sleep schedule is a little bit better. I sleep soundly through the night and wake up very refreshed," added Kremer.
All from spending a few moments frozen in place while giving new meaning to the phrase "chill out."
