First with ice, then sweat: How to live longer is changing the way you train

A visit to the E-Pulsive Health Club in Küsnacht feels more like a health day than a sports lesson. There is still a little suffering.

At first I don’t notice anything. You would think that when you walk into an ice room at less than 110 degrees you will be cold, cold. But there is nothing there. Wait one minute, two, three. Still nothing. It is crowded in this refrigerator compartment, which looks like an oversized refrigerator. What if I can’t get out of here? This discomfort comes even before the cold. And then suddenly I feel ice cold.

Breathe, breathe. I remember the instructor telling me how to behave before entering the cryotherapy chamber. The hair on my arm is frozen, I start reading it, it stops me. I know I can always open the door to cancel. But it’s better if I stay here for at least two and a half minutes (experienced people can take four minutes). So I look ahead again. Look at the wind blowing in my ears, which are thankfully covered by lonely heaters. My feet are wrapped in thick slippers because otherwise you would be burned by the cold floor, my hands are in gloves, and I have pulled a cotton cloth over my head. Besides, she only wears swimwear in here.

The goal of treatment: rehabilitation and recovery. At least some studies show that visiting a cold room can improve sleep quality, reduce inflammation and increase physical activity. It is also said to help reduce cellulite and skin inflammation and tighten the skin. The session costs 80 francs. And although the first visit still requires a lot of effort, some who do this treatment regularly say that they are almost addicted to it.

The E-Pulsive fitness and health center in Küsnacht, which opened in July 2024, is based on a holistic approach. Focus is a concept currently on many lips: Long term. Contrary to what is often thought, it is not about living longer, but better. The idea originated in London, where two employees Christian Koch and Eladio de León Martínez have already tested their fitness proposal in three centers – Kensington, Hampstead and 180 Health Club of the Soho House club membership chain. Küsnacht is their first venue in Switzerland and their first independent studio.

Biohacking – what does it mean?

E-Pulsive isn’t your average gym, but it’s also more than just a spa. In addition to the cryotherapy room, there is an infrared and photobiomodulation sauna as well as a facial and massage room. In collaboration with the Ivilounge medical team, vitamin infusions are also offered. These so-called drips are intended to help absorb nutrients faster and more efficiently compared to oral intake. In order to know what the body needs, a health check-up with a blood test is done beforehand.

A variety of offerings can be summed up under the term biohacking, which is also a general term. What this means is that “your biosystem has been hacked like a computer,” explains Christian Koch. “Or to put it another way: health improvement.”

Rest and activation

It sounds like work and hard work. And of course, a little trauma is part of the E-Pulsive Health Club visit, whether it’s during the first visit to the ice room or during the next EMS training. But the visit is not just a comfortable experience.

The gym, which can be divided into two parts using a wooden door so that classic personal training can take place on one side and an EMS meeting on the other, offers a view of Lake Zurich. The room is bright, with warm wooden floors and modern concrete elements. Christian Koch, who originally studied interior design and is responsible for the interior concept, says: “We wanted to create a calm and energizing atmosphere at the same time.”

There is almost a sense of well-being, but it is too early for that. Before the EMS training, I put on a black vest in which the electrodes are inserted, which produces a low electrical sensation. I look in the mirror and I feel like Lara Croft. A brief overview, then let’s begin.

A private lesson lasts only twenty minutes and the training is designed to be efficient. The program includes popular bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges and the plank position. The electric power is a little noticeable at first. Depending on the muscle group and how it is agreed, the trainer increases the strength. He carefully examines my every movement, corrects bad posture and helps me adapt my breathing to the training: every four seconds there is a muscle contraction, followed by four second pause.

The principle of improvement

A full body workout is intense. According to research, up to 98 percent of all muscles are used. After twelve weeks, an increase in strength of up to 30 percent can be measured. Sore muscles the next day showed that twenty minutes of exercise should not be taken lightly.

In this way, small time investment with big results, users of E-Pulsive Health Club speak to a group of busy people who want to maintain good health, but want to do so as quickly and efficiently as possible. possible. But it’s not just about saving time, says Christian Koch. “We train both people who don’t like sports and are happy not to have to spend hours in the gym, as well as people who want to get something more out of their training.” Because training without resistance is considered gentle on the joints – EMS has the origin of physiotherapy – it is also suitable for the elderly.

The exercise is fun, but also challenging the first time because matching your breath to the electrical impulse requires some coordination. I’m glad the twenty minutes go by quickly.

After training, which is how long it should be, I treat myself for thirty minutes to relax with an infrared sauna and photobiomodulation. I plug my smartphone into the speaker to play music. Then safety glasses are put on and I sit down in a comfortably warm room. Maybe it’s because of this last point in the program that after training I feel like I’ve been to a spa, relaxed in my head and pleasantly lazy in my body. I love going back to the fridge to feel that feeling.