What did Serena Williams do for cryotherapy?

She has posted about whole-body cryotherapy sessions at about -110 degrees, saying she lasted the full three minutes and could feel a difference, and framed it as part of a wellness journey. This Burst is inspired by that, building a short routine around the three minutes in the cold.

How long is the cold part?

Three minutes is the cold exposure itself, the part Serena described. The full Burst runs about 44 minutes because it adds a gentle stretch and some breathing first to get you ready for it.

Do I need a cryotherapy chamber to do this?

No. The point is the cold and how you meet it, not the equipment. A cold shower or an ice bath works for the cold finish; the stretch and breathing stay the same.

Serena Williams: A Champion’s Practice

Quality: Exceptional· 100%Effort: Manageable· 044m

Inspired by Serena Williams

The cold you brace against before you even step in.

Walk out sharp and wide awake. A slow stretch to loosen-up, a few rounds of breathing to settle the nerves, then three minutes of deep cold exposure.

The runsheet

1
Slow stretch to loosen up
Stretching
A Bearmore addition, not part of Serena's posts. Before anything else, move gently through legs, hips and shoulders to wake the body up. Nothing forced. You are loosening off so the breathwork and cold exposure have a relaxed body to work with.
10 min activitySetup 4 min · Reset 4 min · 18 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing stretching before breath work
This can help because body awareness and any relaxation can enhance more complex breathing practices.
2
Breathe
Breath work
Before you step in, a few slow rounds of breathing to drop the anxiety a notch. You are not trying to relax the cold away. You are just settling. Longer out-breaths, soft shoulders, then in you go.
5 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 7 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing breath work before cryotherapy
This pairing is especially effective because the same controlled-breath skill that handles cold plunges meets cryotherapy's more extreme cold with the same composure.
3
Three minutes in the cold
Cryotherapy
This is the part Serena Williams actually did: a session at about -110 degrees, posting that she made the full three minutes and could feel a difference. Three minutes is can go quickly but not at that temperature!
3 min activitySetup 8 min · Reset 8 min · 19 min all-in
Time well spent.
44m that belonged to you — not the inbox, not anyone else.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityExceptional· 100%

Sequencing100%

Logistics100%

DifficultyManageable· 0

Total activity44m / 60mGentle

Physical18m / 29mGentle

Mental stillness0m / 29mGentle

Introspective0m / 29mGentle

Creative0m / 59mGentle

8 conditions evaluatedHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

HighPhysical

MedSelf

LowSocial

LowIntellectual

About this Burst

Serena Williams is a retired American tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest in the sport's history. Born in 1981 and raised in Compton, California, she turned professional in 1995 and won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other woman in the open era. She played her final tournament at the 2022 US Open. Off the court she founded Serena Ventures, and in 2025 began sharing a wellness journey publicly, including her first cryotherapy sessions.

A resetClear my headFamous facesAnytimeQuick (under an hour)Under 2 hours

Common questions

Serena Williams: A Champion’s Practice44m · free in the app44m · 3 activities · Exceptional 100%