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Snow Room for Wellness

Snow Room

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A snow room (sometimes referred to as snow cabin[1] [2] , snow grotto[3], ice room[4] and snow cavern[5] is a small to medium sized room that contains real snow. The snow is produced through indoor snowmaking[6] technologies that make use of water and cold pressurized air without the need for chemical additives. In contrast to outdoor snowmaking, indoor snow systems have an additional refrigeration technology to maintain the rooms at subzero temperatures. The snow rooms on the market vary in sizes, designs, and snowmaking technology.[7] Most commonly, they range from 5m2 to 15 m2 and are equipped with interior elements which recreate a winter landscape. A snow room has several applications but is mostly used in the wellness and spa sector.[8]

Applications

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The snow room is finding increasing application in the wellness sector, as a form of hydrotherapy that uses snow instead of water during the cooling phase. The visits in the snow room are preceded by a sauna session[9] in order to derive the health effects sought by Sebastian Kneipp, and readapted by Dr. Christian Thuile in his book “Schneesauna – die Wellness-Revolution”[10](Eng. “Snowsauna – the Wellness Revolution”). Here, the author explains how the use of snow as a cooling method confers the same health benefits of the Kneipp Cure (see below) in an enhanced manner.

Another sector where the snow room is gaining popularity is the retail sector, given the rising customer need for experiential retail.[11] Winter clothing brands such as Woolrich and Canada Goose are integrating snow rooms into their shop concept, which enables customers to test the products under extreme conditions and adds value to their shopping experience.[12][13][14]

Snow Room Technics

History of Cold applications in spas

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The use of cold in spas as a healing method has a centuries-old history. The health benefits of contrast therapy were already known to ancient Romans, whose spa visits started in the caldarium (the hot room), continued in the tepidarium and ended in the frigidarium (cold room)[9]. Through these cycles, spa goers were subject to phases of vasodilation during exposures to heat and vasoconstriction during exposures to cold. In other words, hot and cold stimuli led to the recurring widening and narrowing of blood vessels and several related benefits such as an improved blood circulation and pain relief.[15]

In the 19th century, the father of naturopathic medicine Sebastian Kneipp attempted to cure his tuberculosis with contrast therapy (also referred to as contrast bath therapy or contrast hydrotherapy[16][17]) which he outlines in his book “My Water Cure”.[18] He discovered that targeted applications of cold water enhanced the immune and circulatory system, as well as reducing swelling and inflammation, and supplying muscles with increased oxygen[18]. Ever since, the Kneipp Cure has been present in the spas in the form of Kneipp paths (also known as Kneipp Course[19] or Kneipp Walking)[20]. These consist of successive immersions of ankles and feet in hot and cold water, occasionally in combination with small jets of water[21], that provide an immediate toning and soothing effect.

Contrast therapy has an age-old tradition in Finland where, after the Finnish sauna, people proceed to a dip in the lake or, in winter time, in a hole cut into the ice (avanto), before repeating the cycle. Alternatively, they rub snow onto their skin in what they simply refer to as “rolling in the snow”[22][23][24].

The most high-end spa treatment currently on the market which involves the use of cold is cryotherapy and has a rather medical character. Known to sportspeople for its benefits such as fast recovery from exercise and injury reduction, cryotherapy at -110°C[25] has found applications in the spa sector for its soothing and firming effects on the skin and its boosting effect on the metabolism[26]. However, these benefits lack sound scientific evidence and dermatologists warn to proceed with caution and exclusively under medical supervision[27].

With the introduction of the snow room, new horizons open up in the wellness and spa sector. The underlying principle remains contrast therapy, as known to the Romans, studied by Kneipp and practiced for centuries by the Finnish. Given the properties of snow and its dry cold (see below), the snow room offers a less intensive alternative to cryotherapy and a more enjoyable cooling phase.

Health benefits

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As outlined by Dr. Christian Thuile and Dr. Oskar Ausserer in their book “Schneesauna – Die Wellness Revolution” (Eng. “Snowsauna – the Wellness Revolution”[10] ), the most revolutionary aspect of the snow room is its dry cold. Traditional cooling methods after the sauna such as showers and cold plunge pools make use of water, a humid cold, which is normally harder to bear than dry cold. This is usually due to the fact that damp air transfers heat more quickly and consequently allows more heat to escape from the body, thereby increasing the feeling of cold[28] . As a consequence, the wet cold of a plunge pool with water temperature of 10°C feels more invasive than the dry cold of the snow room at -10°C. This can be an advantage for people suffering from inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, who particularly benefit from cold water immersions[5] and, with the snow room, are provided with a less intense cooling that avoids the cold shock. In simple terms of tolerance, one can resist longer in a dry cold environment like the snow room than in a humid cold environment like the plunge pool. This in turn allows spa goers to dedicate a longer time to the cooling process in the snow room and to reap the following health benefits with greater intensity[5][10].

  • Improvement of the circulatory system and stimulation of the cardiovascular system due to vasodilation and vasoconstriction, particularly beneficial to people suffering from high blood pressure[5].
  • Acceleration of the metabolism and improvement of the fat-burning and detoxification process as muscles work harder to produce more heat[29].
  • Pain relief and improvement in joint mobility [5] most likely due to the temporary inhibition of pain receptors[30].
  • Increase in flows of serotonin and endorphins, leading to an instant feeling of happiness and an improvement in sleep[5].
  • Firmer and smoother skin thanks to the increase in oxygen supply to the tissues with consequent improvement of cell performance and tissue elasticity[31].
  • Strengthening of the immune system due to improved blood circulation and oxygen supply that enable the migration of macrophages through the tissue[31].
  • Increase in attention and memory due to the balancing effect of dry cold on the autonomic nervous system[31].
  • Calming influence on states of agitation and improvement of the body’s regenerative ability[5].

Sources

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  1. ↑ Snow cabin - The technology | Snowmaking in a room. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  2. ↑ Snowroom - ice fountains - frigidarium. In: Cemi. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (britisches Englisch).
  3. ↑ 1.      McDaniel C. (2019), Viking’s Snow Grotto, Cruisecritic UK, Retrieved 16 December 2019.[1]
  4. ↑ 1.      Summer spy (2015), Thermal Suites: ice and snow rooms, The Good Spa Guide, Retrieved 16 December 2019 [2]
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Cavannah C.: Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards – What you need to know before building Wet Areas. In: Global Wellness Institute. 2. Auflage. 2016.
  6. ↑ Snowmaking. In: Wikipedia. 18. Februar 2022 (wikipedia.org [abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022]).
  7. ↑ Snow room - All architecture and design manufacturers. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  8. ↑ Schneeraum, Schneekabine, Schneesauna: Definition, Ursprung, Methode, Beurteilung, Literatur. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  9. ↑ a b Trend Alert: Snow Rooms | 16th June 2016 | Latest News. 16. Juni 2016, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  10. ↑ a b c Ausserer O., Thuile C.: Schneesauna – Die Wellness-Revolution. Kneipp Verlag, 2014, ISBN 3-7088-0639-5.
  11. ↑ Nicholas Moore: 9 Case Studies That Prove Experiential Retail Is The Future. In: Storefront. 18. Februar 2020, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  12. ↑ Wallpaper* Magazine: Cold snap: chill out in Woolrich’s Extreme Weather Experience Room. 11. Januar 2018, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  13. ↑ Woolrich Opens NYC Flagship Store: See Here. 6. September 2019, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  14. ↑ Di Vito de Biasi: Nel primo store italiano di Canada Goose c'è una cold room per testare i parka a -25 gradi. 26. September 2019, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (it-IT).
  15. ↑ Sarah: What Is Contrast Therapy and Why Should I Do It? 12. Dezember 2018, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (australisches Englisch).
  16. ↑ Contrast Hydrotherapy Could Help Relieve Your Chronic Pain. 18. Juli 2014, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  17. ↑ Contrast Hydrotherapy: Hot+Cold for Pain & Injury. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  18. ↑ a b Sebastian Kneipp: Wasser-Kur. 1886.
  19. ↑ Kneipp path. In: Cemi. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (britisches Englisch).
  20. ↑ Kneipp Walking: what is it, what are the benefits and how to implement it at home. In: Mastella Magazine. 28. September 2017, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  21. ↑ Production of Kneipp paths and Kneipp baths - Stenal. 10. Juni 2017, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  22. ↑ Jessica Wood: The Most Bizarre Finnish Habits in Saunas. 28. Juli 2017, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  23. ↑ Ben Ross: Blowing hot and cold: a serious lesson on Finnish sauna etiquette. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (britisches Englisch).
  24. ↑ Jenni: The Finnish sauna experience. In: Out in the Nature. 10. November 2018, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  25. ↑ How Cold is Cryotherapy? | Impact Cryotherapy. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
  26. ↑ Whole-body cryotherapy: what are the cold hard facts? 24. Juli 2017, abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  27. ↑ Whole body cryotherapy can be hazardous to your skin. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (englisch).
  28. ↑ Alex Hutchinson: Is damp cold really the worst? In: The Globe and Mail. 24. Januar 2016 (theglobeandmail.com [abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022]).
  29. ↑ Cold Thermogenesis: How Low Temperatures Boost Long-Term Health. In: Biostrap. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022 (amerikanisches Englisch).
  30. ↑ Amin A Algafly, Keith P George: The effect of cryotherapy on nerve conduction velocity, pain threshold and pain tolerance. In: British Journal of Sports Medicine. Band 41, Nr. 6, 2007-6, ISSN 0306-3674, S. 365–369, doi:10.1136/bjsm.2006.031237, PMID 17224445, PMC 2465313 (freier Volltext) – (nih.gov [abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022]).
  31. ↑ a b c Snow sauna: the effect of gentle cold therapy | TechnoAlpin. Abgerufen am 25. Februar 2022.
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