If 30-minute sweat sessions at the gym aren’t for you, there's no need to fear. Freezing off fat may be the “coolest” new weight loss trend.

Cold temperatures have been widely appreciated for their anti-inflammatory properties from ancient Egyptians to millennials. Medical therapy treatments using freezing temperatures have evolved from hydrotherapy using cold water to cryotherapy.

Originating in Japan in 1978, cryotherapy was first used by Dr. Toshima Yamauchi to treat joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis. In his publication, “Apparatus for refrigeration treatment,” Yamauchi describes his method of cryomedical treatment. During the treatment, gas of an extremely low temperature is applied to the affected portion of the patient. His invention led to the development of whole body cryotherapy.

Whole body cryotherapy is a non-invasive, hyper-cooling process that uses liquid nitrogen to lower a person's body temperature to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three minutes. This is done by surrounding the body with air at temperatures varying from minus 200 to minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit.

The circulating cold air causes the body to draw blood to the heart and vital organs where it becomes more oxygenated and nutrient dense. Once that blood is pumped back through the body, it improves muscle tissue recovery, boosts the immune system and reduces inflammation, “the root of all evil in the body,” ICEUP Cryotherapy owner Casey Flowers said.

Flowers opened the first cryotherapy location, ICE UP Cryotherapy, LLC in Knoxville, Tennessee, in September of 2015. Flowers uses cryotherapy herself to prevent muscle soreness. “I also do it for the calorie burn,” she said.

Flowers has clients of all ages using the cryotherapy treatment. “We have had kids as young as nine and adults well into their 80s,” she said.

This ice cold therapy comes at a cost. Although price varies depending on location, the price of one session can range from $40 to $90.

Gyms, spas and cryotherapy facility advertisements for weight loss, increased energy, accelerated metabolisms and younger looking skin are drawing attention. However, these benefits have not been scientifically proven. Research on cryotherapy is as new as the treatment, therefore the potential benefits and risks of the procedure are still being determined.

Cryotherapy spas are claiming that one, three-minute session in the cryosauna can burn hundreds of calories, because the body is using more energy to stay warm. “The last time I did [cryotherapy] they estimated that I burnt about 560 calories in my three minute session,” cryotherapy user and University of Tennessee student Gabrielle Pollack said.

The cold therapy has been advertised by CryoStretch USA as a “unique fat freezing treatment for men and women that destroys up to 25 percent of fat after one cycle.” Multiple studies have tested this theory, and still no research proves that cryotherapy can help people lose weight.

Despite the lack of scientific verification, several celebrities swear by cryotherapy. American actresses Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Alba report using cryotherapy regularly for its anti-aging properties to maintain their youthful looks. Likewise, professional athletes are fans of the treatment’s ability to reduce inflammation, swelling and muscle pain.

According to a 2015 article by CNN, the New York Knicks have a couple cryosaunas. A 2013 article in the Daily Mail reports professional soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo chills out at home in his personal cryotherapy chamber. Much like the Knicks, high school and college athletes, including the University of Tennessee Vols basketball team are using cryotherapy for quick recovery.

Professional singer and actress Mandy Moore announced her Cryotherapy obsession to her Instagram followers.

Cryotherapy isn’t for everyone. Children under 18 need parental consent, and the treatment is not recommended for people with certain health conditions or pregnant women.

While the treatment has not been FDA approved, cryotherapy is getting positive feedback about its various benefits from users.

“I get a kick of energy when I do cryo,” Pollack said. “The cold definitely wakes me up, and then my body warming itself back up is energizing.”

Although more research is needed to determine whether cryotherapy is an efficient alternative for losing weight, the cool therapy is a “natural solution to pain management and athletic recovery,” Flowers said.

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