Sore, achy muscles meet sweet relief at District Cryo (1300 Ninth St. NW). The center offers a variety of therapies to help athletes recover and everyone feel their best. Owner Antwain Coward is a DC native who grew up a few blocks from District Cryo’s Shaw location. He said the community response to his wellness center has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It literally is my neighborhood,” Coward said of the Shaw site. “I remember when it looked completely different growing up there, so to come back and be a part of how it’s been revitalized and changed is great, and I think my neighborhood appreciates it.”
While Coward’s background is in finance, his time as a student-athlete at Case Western Reserve University introduced him to the importance of finding the best tools for recovery. Before opening District Cryo, Coward watched an “explosion” of boutique fitness studios such as CrossFit, SoulCycle and SolidCore open in the District, but found there were few tools for recovery available. “You’re seeing people pushing their bodies more but with no real, clear evidence of recovery or things you should be doing alongside that physical exertion,” Coward explained.
The center offers a variety of recovery modalities. Cryotherapy is a quick experience, lasting only two to three minutes, when the body is exposed to temperatures ranging from minus 200 to 300 F. The therapy has been shown to improve recovery time in athletes, reduce inflammation, relieve pain and much more. Cryo, however, is not just for athletes. The benefits have been shown to relieve symptoms related to arthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis and more.
An infrared sauna, allowing for a detoxifying sweat, is also available at the center. Compression services are offered as well, something Coward said is best suited for avid cross-fit fans and marathon runners. Treatments last 30 minutes to an hour.
District Cryo offers two intro packages, including two 40-minute infrared sauna sessions for $70 and two total-body cryotherapy sessions for $75. District Cryo is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 to 5 p.m. The Alexandria location (421 King St.) operates with the same hours.
For more information on District Cryo’s offerings, visit www.districtcryo.com.
Sarah Payne is a general assignment reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
