Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Guests move through three cold saunas, which range from -10C to -110C
Tell us a bit about whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) – what is it and how does it work? Whole-body cryostimulation is a method that uses cold air to increase wellbeing – its roots go back to the time of Hippocrates, but it was first developed as we know it today in the 1980s. WBC has been used in clinics and rehabilitation centres as a method of treating pain and helping with stress and sleep, but today, we’re seeing it move into the world of spas, where it is used for preventive health, wellbeing and beauty solutions.
WBC has several effects on wellbeing and health; it reduces inflammation – much in the way that we ice an injured knee – and stimulates collagenous tissue, which does short-term magic on wrinkles. But WBC also affects the nervous system, forcing our brain into a heightened state of alert, which gives immediate stress relief and clears the mind. During the treatment, vasoconstriction occurs, where blood flow is reduced and sent mostly to the brain and inner organs, and then shortly afterwards, the opposite takes place – vasodilation – where oxygen-filled blood flows through the body. At the same time, endorphins are released, which provides an immediate boost to mood and a sense of wellbeing.
What makes the icelab different? Our icelab is a unique high-tech take on whole-body cryostimulation; it’s a three-chambered cold sauna that up to four people at a time can use. Guests ease their way from -10C to -60C and finally to a third chamber of -110C, where they spend up to three minutes. At this temperature, the air no longer contains moisture, so guests don’t perceive the cold to be as extreme, as warmth exchange takes place mainly via convection (not conduction like in cold water). Icelab is incredibly easy to use – simply switch on the light and microphone, which the therapist can use to talk to the guest during treatment. The variable modular design of the icelab allows it to be adapted easily to almost any space, and there is also a two-chambered model.
How might spas use WBC? While WBC has been used in the past for sports performance and treatment of pain, more and more people are discovering its benefits in everyday wellbeing, which makes it a perfect addition to a spa.
WBC affects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which can help create clarity of mind. It’s an excellent treatment for jet lag, and is also increasingly popular for people who have trouble switching off; in a world where many people spend their time attached to their devices, WBC is a fast, effective treatment to provide clarity of mind and help your guests disconnect.
Spas can create a ‘welcome’ and ‘goodbye’ treatment using the icelab; it’s a great way to get guests relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of their time at the spa.
WBC can also be used in the treatment of wrinkles, in weight-loss programmes, and to help clients increase physical endurance.
How long has this treatment been around? Cold therapy has a very long history; it’s described some 400 years B.C. by Hippocrates as a method to treat pain. In the 19th century, Sebastian Kneipp, a pioneer in cold therapy, popularised the Kneipp Method, which uses cold baths, and which is still used today.
The actual whole-body cryostimulation at ultra-low temperature was first applied by Professor T Yamauchi in Japan to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and during the early 1980s several professors in Germany followed his approach and developed the treatment further.
What is the difference between the icelab and other kinds of cryotherapy? Because the icelab surrounds your entire body with its controlled flow of cold air, the positive effects on health and performance are greater than with cryotherapy cylinders, which do not include the head and shoulders – and are in effect only partial-body cryostimulation. The face has an incredible number of nerve connections, so it’s important to include it in the treatment in order to get the best effects. Also, in the icelab, guests can move around as they receive the treatment, and the technician can even speak to them through the intercom, suggesting different ways to move and stretch, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment. Other cryotherapy solutions use evaporated gas – mainly nitrogen – while our icelab uses a more technologically advanced, environmentally friendly convection system, only consuming electricity.
What spas and other facilities already use the icelab? Zimmer’s icelab is currently found in some of the top spas around the world, including the Chenot spas (see pages 48-54), the Waldhotel at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland (see SB18/1 pages 62-70), California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy in Yorba Linda, The Sparkling Hills Resort in Canada, the KurZentrum group of hotels in Austria and Germany, the Carlsbad Plaza Spa Hotel in the Czech Republic, and Thermes Marins in Monte Carlo (see photos, above).
Major sporting institutions around the world also use our system, including the French Rugby Federation and the FC Bayern football club in Munich.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
People profile: Garrett Mersberger
Garrett Mersberger on the overhaul of Kohler Waters’ flagship spa in Europe, plus his vision for ISPA following his appointment as chair of the association
Spa programmes: On the menu
Underwater yoga, healing breathwork and genetics all feature in Spa Business’ brand new series revealing the latest treatments, programmes and retreats in spas
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSysteme
Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Promotional feature: The Tides: pure Dutch nature inside
Modern living might be tough on our minds and bodies, but newly-launched Dutch wellness and self-care brand The Tides offers just the antidote with a new class of pure, raw products and treatments
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
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Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Guests move through three cold saunas, which range from -10C to -110C
Tell us a bit about whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) – what is it and how does it work? Whole-body cryostimulation is a method that uses cold air to increase wellbeing – its roots go back to the time of Hippocrates, but it was first developed as we know it today in the 1980s. WBC has been used in clinics and rehabilitation centres as a method of treating pain and helping with stress and sleep, but today, we’re seeing it move into the world of spas, where it is used for preventive health, wellbeing and beauty solutions.
WBC has several effects on wellbeing and health; it reduces inflammation – much in the way that we ice an injured knee – and stimulates collagenous tissue, which does short-term magic on wrinkles. But WBC also affects the nervous system, forcing our brain into a heightened state of alert, which gives immediate stress relief and clears the mind. During the treatment, vasoconstriction occurs, where blood flow is reduced and sent mostly to the brain and inner organs, and then shortly afterwards, the opposite takes place – vasodilation – where oxygen-filled blood flows through the body. At the same time, endorphins are released, which provides an immediate boost to mood and a sense of wellbeing.
What makes the icelab different? Our icelab is a unique high-tech take on whole-body cryostimulation; it’s a three-chambered cold sauna that up to four people at a time can use. Guests ease their way from -10C to -60C and finally to a third chamber of -110C, where they spend up to three minutes. At this temperature, the air no longer contains moisture, so guests don’t perceive the cold to be as extreme, as warmth exchange takes place mainly via convection (not conduction like in cold water). Icelab is incredibly easy to use – simply switch on the light and microphone, which the therapist can use to talk to the guest during treatment. The variable modular design of the icelab allows it to be adapted easily to almost any space, and there is also a two-chambered model.
How might spas use WBC? While WBC has been used in the past for sports performance and treatment of pain, more and more people are discovering its benefits in everyday wellbeing, which makes it a perfect addition to a spa.
WBC affects both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which can help create clarity of mind. It’s an excellent treatment for jet lag, and is also increasingly popular for people who have trouble switching off; in a world where many people spend their time attached to their devices, WBC is a fast, effective treatment to provide clarity of mind and help your guests disconnect.
Spas can create a ‘welcome’ and ‘goodbye’ treatment using the icelab; it’s a great way to get guests relaxed and ready to enjoy the rest of their time at the spa.
WBC can also be used in the treatment of wrinkles, in weight-loss programmes, and to help clients increase physical endurance.
How long has this treatment been around? Cold therapy has a very long history; it’s described some 400 years B.C. by Hippocrates as a method to treat pain. In the 19th century, Sebastian Kneipp, a pioneer in cold therapy, popularised the Kneipp Method, which uses cold baths, and which is still used today.
The actual whole-body cryostimulation at ultra-low temperature was first applied by Professor T Yamauchi in Japan to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and during the early 1980s several professors in Germany followed his approach and developed the treatment further.
What is the difference between the icelab and other kinds of cryotherapy? Because the icelab surrounds your entire body with its controlled flow of cold air, the positive effects on health and performance are greater than with cryotherapy cylinders, which do not include the head and shoulders – and are in effect only partial-body cryostimulation. The face has an incredible number of nerve connections, so it’s important to include it in the treatment in order to get the best effects. Also, in the icelab, guests can move around as they receive the treatment, and the technician can even speak to them through the intercom, suggesting different ways to move and stretch, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment. Other cryotherapy solutions use evaporated gas – mainly nitrogen – while our icelab uses a more technologically advanced, environmentally friendly convection system, only consuming electricity.
What spas and other facilities already use the icelab? Zimmer’s icelab is currently found in some of the top spas around the world, including the Chenot spas (see pages 48-54), the Waldhotel at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland (see SB18/1 pages 62-70), California Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy in Yorba Linda, The Sparkling Hills Resort in Canada, the KurZentrum group of hotels in Austria and Germany, the Carlsbad Plaza Spa Hotel in the Czech Republic, and Thermes Marins in Monte Carlo (see photos, above).
Major sporting institutions around the world also use our system, including the French Rugby Federation and the FC Bayern football club in Munich.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
People profile: Garrett Mersberger
Garrett Mersberger on the overhaul of Kohler Waters’ flagship spa in Europe, plus his vision for ISPA following his appointment as chair of the association
Spa programmes: On the menu
Underwater yoga, healing breathwork and genetics all feature in Spa Business’ brand new series revealing the latest treatments, programmes and retreats in spas
Promotional feature: Zimmer MedizinSysteme
Cold therapy is suddenly all the rage, but Zimmer MedizinSysteme’s icelab takes it a step further, creating a cold sauna for the whole body. Rainer Bolsinger explains more about this cutting-edge therapy
Promotional feature: The Tides: pure Dutch nature inside
Modern living might be tough on our minds and bodies, but newly-launched Dutch wellness and self-care brand The Tides offers just the antidote with a new class of pure, raw products and treatments
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Elemental Herbology Founded in 2008 by a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Elemental Herbology is a spa, retail [more...]
