Hi, TBAY — City Editor Bailey back for some far more glamorous action than crossing a bridge. This time, I ventured over to Midtown Tampa to test out services at a new wellness spot.
Pause Midtown recently unfurled its doors in the shopping block across from REI — offering cryotherapy, IV drips, float therapy, and a plethora of other wellness services. I underwent some of the treatments — for research purposes, of course.
Cryotherapy
Picture an extra large drink fridge at the grocery, but with no milk or juice inside. That’s what a cryotherapy chamber looks like.
Pause’s cryochamber gets down to -200°, and the levels fittingly look like ski trail ratings: green, blue, black diamond, and double black diamond. Beginners typically stay in for two minutes, while the pros can last up to 3.5.
This native Floridian, who also selected beginner green, was daunted. But the alleged benefits intrigued me: reduced inflammation + brain fog, mental boost, better sleep. I pulled on gloves, stepped into thick white socks and booties, and a fleece headband. Then I topped off the whole ensemble with a pair of over-the-ear headphones — you can go for chill or upbeat music to power your experience.
City Editor Bailey decked out for the cryochamber.
Photo by TBAYtoday
Determined not to wimp out, my guide hit play on some Maggie Rogers and I stepped in. And um, I loved it. It felt like stepping outside to a fresh snow. I watched the chamber’s light turn from blue to white as the time evaporated, but I didn’t feel my nose start to numb until the end.
Sauna + cold plunge
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m kind of a sauna pro — though I guess most of us are after surviving our increasingly sweaty TBAY Augusts. It’s relaxing, gets you off your phone, and helps your skin re-hydrate. But I hadn’t tried a cold plunge yet.
So, how cold are we talkin’? 50°. The team suggested that I start with 15 minutes in the sauna — set to an eye-popping 165°— then move over to the cold plunge. Rinse. Repeat.
It was a tad difficult to convince myself to drop into the tub after my cozy reading sesh. The good news is that there’s an iPad set up with guided breathwork videos and a lovely coach named Nick to amp you up. I pressed play on the video and slowly inched in. Despite Nick’s best efforts, I lasted 30 seconds —not the full 2 minutes — that first try and quickly sloshed over to the sauna.
On my second try, I completed the full exercise to get the proper “dose of dopamine,” as Nick called it. And when I did stay in the tub, I felt my skin tingle and felt a little more alive. Plus, I was all that more ready for my final sauna sesh.
Cycle between the sauna and the cold plunge in a private room at Pause.
Photo via Pause Midtown
Red light therapy
I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this one. Like many chronically online folks, there’s always someone talking about the purported benefits of a red light mask on my feed — cutting down inflammation and redness, boosting collagen production, and faster wound healing.
But what does a treatment for your whole body look like?
I would say that instead of velcroing the mask to your face, it’s kind of like stepping into the mask itself. I laid down in the tanning-bed-esque machine dotted with line after line of glowing red lights.
It’s so bright you pop on tiny black goggles exactly like Jennifer Coolidge in “A Cinderella Story.” With the low hum of the machine and light heat I felt not unlike a rotisserie chicken. But in a relaxing way. Will report back on my skin journey.
Float Therapy
Though I didn’t test out the float pod experience, I took a peek. Each float pod is in its own private room —a massive oblong pool filled with water + 1,200 pounds of magnesium that snaps closed.
According to Midtown Tampa, one hour of sleep in the pod equates to four hours of normal sleep. Yes, this homebody was very intrigued. I will be back.
IV + Shots
In a surprise to absolutely no one that knows me in real life, I did not partake in the bevy of IV Drip Cocktails and vitamin shots Pause has at the ready.
There’s a nurse on-site at all times to administer the studio’s signature blends like the Invigorate — made to boost your focus, energy, and hangovers. Or, opt for a Glutathione shot — which “cleanses your body, and bolsters both your skin and brain cells.”
