New cryotherapy shop dips into Lakewood for cool and trendy treatments

A new wellness center in Lakewood has more than cool intentions: Freeze Cryotherapy touts itself as the only place in East Dallas to offer trendy cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and compression therapy treatments all under one roof.

Lakewood husband-and-wife Megan and Joe Townsend just opened Freeze at 1907 Abrams Rd. in the Lakewood Shopping Center, next to Orange Theory Fitness and Roots Juice, "so it's a great one-stop location for all things fitness and recovery," Megan Townsend says.

Here's what she means: Cryotherapy chambers (popular for the last decade or so in Dallas) immerse the body in temperatures as low as -260 degrees F for up to three minutes. The treatment is said to release endorphins and reduce inflammation in the body, providing a mood and energy boost, relieving muscle pain, improving sleep, and burning 500-800 calories per session. Many proponents use cryotherapy to help their body recover from a workout by reducing inflammation and decreasing aches and pains.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, envelop the body with a warm, invisible energy that gently heats the body and warms from within (unlike other hot, sweaty saunas). Fans of infrared saunas also swear by their detoxifying, muscle-soothing, metabolism-boosting benefits and say they burn about 400 calories per session.

Compression therapy removes lactic acid buildup, improves range of motion, increases circulation, and decreases recovery time between workouts or training sessions, adherents say.

Post-workout relief is how the Townsends were introduced to the treatments and hatched the idea for their own business.

"My husband and I both have been cryotherapy and infrared fans over the past couple of years and found ourselves having to drive across town for the service," Megan Townsend says. "We immediately thought this was something that was missing in our neighborhood and started looking for the perfect location. I was leaving an OrangeTheory workout early on during the pandemic and noticed a vacant location next door — I peaked in the window and immediately thought it was the perfect footprint for what we were wanting to do."

While drop-ins are welcome (single sessions are $20-$45), they offer three membership options that include all of their services.

• The All Access Membership includes unlimited cryotherapy (once per day), infrared sauna, and compression therapy for $229 a month. (They are currently offering a founding members discount of $50 off the All Access Membership for the first 50 people who sign up.)
• A Gold Membership includes up to 20 services a month of cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and compression therapy split up however customers want, for $199 a month.
• A Silver Membership includes up to 10 services a month of cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and compression therapy split up however customers want for $169 a month.

All membership options also include 10 percent off retail products.

The center is open 8 am-7 pm Monday-Thursday, 8 am-6 pm Friday, 8 am-3 pm Saturday, and 11 am-3 pm Sunday.

Freeze Cryotherapy is the Townsends' first entrepreneurial venture, says Megan, whose background includes marketing and public relations for Neiman Marcus, Fossil, and Galleria Dallas. The couple is hoping it's something their neighborhood will embrace for better health and well-being.

"We have been Lakewood residents for the past 10 years and really wanted to bring this to our growing community," she says. "We have three young boys who attend Lakewood Elementary and Spanish World School, so opening something that we felt was missing in our neighborhood felt right."