Is Cryotherapy a Fad?

 

On January 14th, 2020, Forbes magazine asked this question: is cryotherapy just a fad? Noting that cryotherapy was a hot topic the magazine compared it to yoga and oxygen bars. As a new exciting business it could develop staying power (like yoga) or become seen as a nonessential (oxygen bars). For cryotherapy business owners this can be the moment that they are successful or are forced to shut their doors for good.

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Cryotherapy is Booming

If cryotherapy is a fad then it is doing very well. There are more than 700 cryo facilities across the nation and that number is growing. With an average sunk cost of only $5.00 of nitrogen per session most business owners are netting $35.00 per client at a minimum, and that in only 3 minutes. Added to this success is the ease of operation. Business owners can add the XR Cryotherapy Chamber to any room with a standard household power outlet. That includes:

  • Gyms

  • Spas

  • Physical therapy

  • Chiropractors

  • Recovery Centers

  • Weight Loss Centers

  • Massage Parlors

But haven't all of these businesses invested in fads in the past? Yes, and some of them were costly in the long run.

Health & Exercise Fads: Lessons Learned

According to Muscle and Fitness magazine and Men's Journal magazine the biggest fads in fitness were the Bowflex Home Gym and TaeBo. Bowflex claimed the revolving throne of home-gym equipment in the 1990's. Unfortunately most of them went unused simply because the flexible rods made exercise either too easy or way too hard. TaeBo by Billy Blanks became massively popular and earned Blanks a lifetime fortune; however, it failed in bringing active fitness to living rooms with any lasting power. Added to this list is also 8 Minute Abs, The Thighmaster, Shake Weights, The Ab Roller, and countless others. But these all have one common flaw.

Why Cryotherapy Is Different

Chari Hawkins - 78 Cryo (San Diego, CA)

Chari Hawkins - 78 Cryo (San Diego, CA)

Fads that fail all offer the dream of fitness and recovery with limited effort. If it is too easy to work then it probably won't. Unlike "oxygen bars" or "goat yoga" cryotherapy is part of a recovery routine--not the routine itself. Cryo helps workouts, injury recovery, and weight management, but only if you put in the original work before the cryotherapy. We don't think that cryotherapy is a fad because it works with so many different types of therapy. It may become very popular in one area that provides many clients (e.g., the massage industry) only to lose steam later. But there are other client-streams that can still keep a cryotherapy service in business. This multi-faceted approach protects the cryotherapy industry from the doom experienced by the fads.

 
Mike Bakke