Cryotherapy benefits for weight loss

In South Korea, both surgical and non-surgical methods of body contouring are available. In recent years, new non-invasive body sculpting treatments have been trending in Korea: cryotherapy and cool sculpting. Both use extremely low temperatures to reduce stubborn fat on the body and promise to help reduce the amount of fat without any surgical intervention. In this blog post, we will focus on cryotherapy and will give you some info about cryotherapy benefits for weight loss.

What is cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy is a treatment where your healthcare provider applies extreme cold to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue on your body. Since cells can’t survive this severe cold, they die after the treatment. However, when it comes to cryotherapy for weight loss, things are a little bit different.

Body Cryotherapy is a cold treatment, where your body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for a certain amount of time. To be more specific, you will be exposed to subzero temperatures (from 110°C to 130°C), in a sort of dry sauna, for no more than three minutes. Recently, scientists have studied more and more the benefit of cold on fat loss and body cryotherapy benefits on patients.

What are the main types of cryotherapy?

Cryotherapy can be divided into two main approaches: localized and whole-body treatments.

• Localized cryotherapy targets a specific area on the body, much like icing a twisted ankle. This method is frequently used to address injuries or treat isolated patches of tissue by applying intense cold directly to the affected spot.
• Whole-body cryotherapy takes a broader approach, exposing your entire body (except your head) to extremely cold, dry air inside a special chamber—usually for just a few minutes. This type aims to trigger a full-body effect, promoting fat reduction as well as potential skin and metabolism benefits.

Both methods harness the power of extreme cold to encourage your body to respond in ways that can aid healing, fat burning, and even improve your body mass index.

How does cryotherapy for weight loss work?

A session of body cryotherapy helps to reduce fat by speeding up your metabolism. During the treatment, the body is forced to consume stored fat to produce warmth to counteract the cold. This process, called “cold-induced thermogenesis,” gives results in the long run, after several treatments. Nonetheless, the effects are long-lasting, especially if combined with a good diet.

Whole-body cryotherapy (often referred to as WBC) typically involves stepping into a tube-like chamber—sometimes called a cryosauna—where the temperature drops rapidly to as low as -200°F (about -130°C). You stay inside for just two to three minutes, after which you return to room temperature, get dressed, and carry on with your day—no downtime required. The magic happens as your brain signals your body to pump more blood to your core to protect vital organs, which increases your metabolic rate and leads to a decrease in fat cells.

While this is surely not enough to lose a lot of weight, it naturally enhances blood circulation and helps the body burn calories due to cold temperatures. Some clinics claim the body can burn up to 800 calories in three minutes due to the increased speed in metabolic rate. In fact, after a cryotherapy session, your body needs to use extra energy to warm back up, and this process can continue for hours—burning between 500 and 800 calories (about 2,000 to 3,000 kilojoules) over the next eight hours. To put it into perspective, a three-minute cryotherapy session can be equivalent to approximately 45 minutes of jogging.

More Than Just Fat Loss

In addition to promoting weight loss, cryotherapy offers a range of other health benefits. It helps to reduce inflammation, combat muscle soreness, and boost your energy levels. This is why both elite athletes and anyone on a weight loss journey find these sessions helpful for recovery. Some studies have even shown that cryotherapy can improve immunity and rejuvenate your cells, with the metabolic effects sometimes lasting from 8 hours up to several days.

How often should you undergo cryotherapy sessions for optimal weight loss results?

To achieve the best weight loss results with cryotherapy, consistency is key. Most experts and clinics recommend starting with several sessions per week—typically two to three times—to activate and maintain the metabolic boost. Spacing out sessions over a few weeks can help your body adapt and optimize the calorie-burning benefits.

Keep in mind, lasting effects often require a series of treatments. While you may feel invigorated after a single session, noticeable long-term changes in fat reduction and metabolism usually appear after multiple visits. Pairing regular cryotherapy with a balanced diet and an active lifestyle will give you the best chance at sustained results.

What’s the Difference Between Cool Sculpting and Cryotherapy?

This procedure might not be as effective as cool sculpting. Cool sculpting targets the treatment area just like laser lipolysis would do, but with subzero temperatures. Hence, it works towards freezing fat under the skin layers. On the other hand, body cryotherapy exposes the body to cold temperatures to speed the metabolism and increase calorie burning.

Cool sculpting is indeed more expensive, but it increases the rate of fat reduction to 25%. We suggest you ask during our consultation which treatment might be better for you.

Cryotherapy Benefits and Side Effects

Aside from helping with weight loss, cold therapy is good for muscle pain. These brief cold showers are famous for being energizing and helping the body release tension and fatigue. Some studies confirm that it is very helpful to treat muscle inflammation.

One of the most unusual cryotherapy benefits is the improvement of sleep; people who went through at least three sessions experienced an overall better sleep. This isn’t just a happy accident—there’s science behind it. Quality sleep plays a huge role in weight loss and overall wellbeing, since the body uses this time to regenerate cells, strengthen the immune system, and yes, even burn fat while at rest. Cryotherapy can help oxygenate the blood and release endorphins, leading to a more relaxed brain and body. As a result, many people find themselves drifting off more easily and waking up feeling more refreshed after a series of cryotherapy treatments.

Since body cryotherapy is a non-invasive procedure, there are no side effects. After the treatment, you could experience a bit of stiffness and skin sensitivity, but that is all.

What to prepare before the treatment?

Most people don’t need to do anything special to prepare for cryotherapy. Your doctor will suggest avoiding smoking and having to fast before the operation. Nonetheless, people who suffer from hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or take thyroid medication should consult with their family doctor before treatment.

If you’re considering whole-body cryotherapy for weight loss or its many other benefits—like improved sleep, enhanced energy, and muscle recovery—it’s important to be well-informed and prepared. Always discuss your health history and any existing conditions with a healthcare professional before starting any new therapy. This ensures you get the most out of your sessions, safely and effectively. If you have more questions or want to explore whether cryotherapy is right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to a reputable clinic specializing in this treatment.

Non-invasive surgeries are extremely popular among people who do not want downtime from work or all the fuss due to recovery. However, sometimes non-invasive body sculpting therapies might not work the way you expect. We still suggest looking up other options, such as the classic liposculpture.

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