A Literally 'Cool' Health Craze: Celebs Love Cryotherapy

Derek Hough recently posted the above photo of himself and his rippling abs on Instagram. Sure, his body is insane (try to keep your jaw from hitting the floor, k?) but the pic featured something a little unusual. Hough was wearing nothing but a face mask and the superstar dancer was immersed in what looked like a foggy haze. Hough had just undergone cryotherapy — the latest celeb health craze which involves literally chilling out.

Or "freezing out," to be more precise. According to the website for KryoLife, a cryotherapy center in New York City, cryotherapy involves getting into a cryosauna or chamber filled with liquid nitrogen with temps between -184 and -292 degrees Fahrenheit. The benefits are insane — after a one and a half to three minute session, you'll increase your metabolism, fix skin conditions, ease your muscles, improve your mood, reduce your cellulite, and — here's a biggie — burn around 800 calories. All you have to do is hang tight for a few (brr-inducing) minutes!

KryoLife notes that the treatment, which first surfaced in Japan in the 1970s to treat pain and rheumatoid arthritis, forces your body to dip dramatically in heat. After freezing for a few minutes, your body pumps blood like crazy. You then do a short warm-up to get your circulation back to normal, and voila! — you'll be feelin' good.

It all seems intriguing, especially considering how celebs are super into the practice. Mandy Moore Instagrammed a photo of herself getting her cryotherapy on, claiming she was "obsessed" with the health craze.

She's definitely addicted, as her pal Minka Kelly posted a pic of her on the elliptical, post-freeze.

Moore also tried to get Minka hooked on the icy trend.

"She may not but a convert YET but @minkak got through her first #cryotherapy session like a baller!" wrote Moore on Instagram. "#friendsmakefriendstrycryotherapy #feelinglikeamillionbucks"

And Lindsay Lohan got her freeze on during Easter.

Dancing With the Stars's Mark Ballas and Willow Shields used cryotherapy to help them heal their sore muscles — a definite perk of cryotherapy. "Have been so sore this week, but after #cryohealthcare yesterday I'm feeling 1000 times better," wrote Ballas on Instagram.

Other celebs who are reportedly acolytes of the big freeze include Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, and Jessica Alba.

So would you jump on the icy cold health trend?

There seems to be only two downfalls. First off, it's pricey! A single sesson at KryoLife is a cool (pun intended) $90, and a 10-pack is $700. At Cryohealthcare in California, prices are slightly more modest at $65 a pop.

And even if cryotherapy is totally safe and celebs are singing its praises, it just might not be for everyone. If you hate the cold, you may prefer to stick to sweating out your calories instead freezing them out.