ONTARIO — Less fat, more muscle and firmer skin without the workout. It may sound too good to be true, but the staff at Beyond Esthetics in Ontario insists it’s possible — and they have the photos to prove it.

The spa has recently introduced two new services — a cryotherapy chamber and Emsculpt treatments. According to spa owner Tonya Goulding, cryochamber treatments can boost the metabolic and tighten skin, while the Emsculpt machine uses an electromagnetic pulse to stimulate muscle contractions superior to that of a typical workout.

Cryotherapy is the use of extreme cold for therapeutic or medical treatment. Beyond Esthetics introduced its first cryotherapy services in May with a machine that targets a specific area of the body; however, the new cryochamber is a full body treatment.

It starts by stepping inside a stainless steel tube that’s open at the top. With a mechanical whir, the platform inside rises slowly so that the customer’s head is looking over the top of the chamber. Then things get chilly as food grade nitrogen gas gets pumped into the chamber and sucked out through a tube in the bottom. 

The gas pulls the temperature inside the chamber down to -240 degrees, but Goulding described it as refreshing and rejuvenating. 

“Even though it is cold, it’s not like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m freezing to death,” she said.

Part of the reason Goulding wanted to integrate cryotherapy into her practice was its potential to ease pain and inflammation, conditions she’s seen impact her own family members.

Matt Reed, who serves as Beyond Esthetic’s office manager and sales representative, said cryotherapy treatments have been used in Europe for years but only recently gained traction in the United States.

“Therapeutically it’s very good because it pulls out inflammation, fatigue, lactic acid out of your muscles and joints which eliminates pain,” Reed explained. “It also releases your natural endorphins once the treatment is over, which helps you feel good. 

Reed noted that cryotherapy is used by some professional athletes, such as LeBron James, for its therapeutic benefits, while celebrities use it in hopes of retaining youthful looks.

“Aesthetically, it tightens your skin all over and you burn between 500 and 800 calories per treatment, so it speeds up (your) metabolism, helps people with weight loss,” Reed said.

Goulding and Reed say for customers who want to tone their bodies and retain a youthful glow, the best results come from combining cryotherapy with Emsculpt treatments.

During an Emsculpt treatment, electromagnetic pulses cause the body to have supramaximal contractions, which utilize more muscle capacity than possible through voluntary (workout) contractions. According to Reed, the machine can be used on various muscle groups, such as arms, abdominal, glutes, legs and calves. The average customer has 20,000 contractions per half hour treatment. 

“They recommend it for people like attorneys or teachers,” said Goulding. “People who don’t have time to work out or go to the gym, but they want to have that perfect workout.”

Reed claims the average person will gain 60 percent muscle mass and lose 19 percent body fat after just four Emsculpt treatments.

Tonya’s husband, Steve, has already seen results. He lost 20 pounds in four weeks, which he credits to Emsculpt treatments, targeted cryotherapy and a healthier diet. 

“That’s part of it, you can’t just stay on the same garbage diet,” he said.

Although Emsculpt is marketed as an alternative to working out, customers will still see best results when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

“You want to stay consistent and be on a good regimen with your caloric intake,” said Tonya Goulding. “The more you exercise, the more you increase your metabolism and everything moves through the body quicker, you move that lymphatic out, so everything works together.”