Whole-body cryotherapy coming to Sioux Falls

By Jodi Schwan

Spend three minutes in a dry chill between minus 90 degrees and minus 120 degrees Celsius, which is 130 degrees below zero to 184 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and athletes to arthritis sufferers say you’ll notice a positive difference in how you feel.

That has sparked significant growth in cryotherapy, the practice of using cold temperatures to support healing and wellness that dates back to ancient civilizations.

It was enough to catch the attention of Alan and Susan Meier’s college-age daughter, a cheerleader and endurance athlete who tried it in Indiana and encouraged them to try it while visiting.

“My husband tried it and thought it was really cool – no pun intended,” Susan Meier said. “So I figured there had to be one around Sioux Falls because it’s growing so fast. And there wasn’t.”

The next time she visited her daughter, she had an equally positive experience.

“So my husband and I thought it was an opportunity and something Sioux Falls needs,” she said. “We made calls and started talking to folks at Impact, and it went from there.”

Their new business, Sioux Falls Cryo, is working with the national business Impact Cryotherapy, which designs and manufactures whole-body cryosaunas for more than 300 cryotherapy locations nationwide.

They plan to open in mid-October in a space at Lake Lorraine in the new Marion Road retail center a couple of doors down from Topper’s Pizza.

Alan Meier plans to continue his career in financial services while Susan Meier, who has a background in real estate and marketing, plans to run Sioux Falls Cryo. Their hobbies, which include triathlons and other endurance sports, help connect them to the benefits of cryotherapy.

“I’m in my 50s, and I saw just a variety of older and younger people trying to extend their athletic careers and having fun doing that,” Alan Meier said. “I think there’s a big opportunity for people to help themselves. I’ve never done an ice bath, but I’ve watched it and there’s challenges, and I think this is a quick way to help people on the recovery side.”

The business will have one cryosauna to start and space for a second. Each session takes about 10 minutes, including three minutes in the cryosauna, which fills with nitrogen vapor and a dry chill.

According to Impact, the therapy has served elite athletes, weekend warriors and the everyday active person, as well as professional sports and NCAA programs. Others use it for pain management, workout recovery, mental well-being and weight management.

Sioux Falls Cryo will have packages available for people who want to use it frequently.

“I thought it was great,” Susan Meier said of her first time trying it. “I had just spent an entire day at a theme park and it was a really hot day and we had done a lot of walking and swimming and I was kind of exhausted, and it really made me feel rejuvenated. It was a great feeling.”

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Whole-body cryotherapy coming to Sioux Falls

Spend three minutes in a dry chill between minus 90 degrees and minus 120 degrees Celsius, which is 130 degrees below zero to 184 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and athletes to arthritis sufferers say you’ll notice a positive difference in how you feel.

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