What to Expect from a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Session at The Body Lab
Post Updated: 17th April 2025
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) allows oxygen to become a powerful ally on your wellness journey. From enhancing recovery to boosting overall health, the potential of HBOT is vast.
It's also a lesser-spoke-of recovery therapy. Despite this, it remains one of our members’ favourites for its wide range of benefits, applications, and generally enjoyable sessions. As it's not widely conversed about like a cold plunge or cryotherapy would be, it can be intimidating to have a first session or get an understanding of what to expect.
In this post, we'll discuss just that - who HBOT is for, the process, what a session is like, and how to integrate HBOT into a comprehensive treatment plan.
We won't, however, be diving too deeply into the benefits of HBOT. If you're looking for an extensive guide on the benefits, check out this post: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: Benefits, Mechanisms & Uses.
Who Can Benefit from Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
Athletes and those focusing on their wellness journey can benefit from HBOT as a tool to enhance recovery and performance. Exposing our bodies to these increased oxygen levels can help promote tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and help us recover faster from intense physical activity.
HBOT as a tool for athletes seeking to enhance recovery and performance.
Enhancing recovery and performance is always at the top of an athlete's list. The same can be said for those looking to get the extra edge in their wellness journey and better manage their recovery.
Research suggests HBOT can help athletes recover quicker from intense training sessions and injuries. While powerful for injury recovery, quican'tcovery can have an impact, especially if an athlete needs to perform back-to-back in quick succession.
Incorporating HBOT into a comprehensive training regimen can give athletes and life athletes a competitive edge over those who do not leverage its capabilities.
That's not to say that HBOT is only for athletes. Users often see multiple other benefits, including improved jet lag symptoms and a reduction of them, improved cognitive function and focus, and improved wound healing. Research has also shown that HBOT can delay the onset of ageing.
Is Hbot right for you?
If HBOT has piqued your curiosity but you’re unsure whether or not it is a relevant option for your goals, you’re not alone. We receive frequent messages asking about the use of HBOT for areas other than injury recovery. It’s most associated with this, or athletic performance, which can create the perception that it’s not useful for other means.
Many of our members leverage HBOT as part of their recovery and wellness routine for various reasons, some for better energy and clarity and others for long-term well-being.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy could be a good option for you if:
You feel persistently fatigued or burnt out
You struggle to recover fully between workouts or training sessions
Experience mental fog, stress, or disrupted sleep
Are exploring holistic wellness options for sustained performance
There’s also a range of lesser-known benefits that HBOT can have, including anti-ageing, aiding with mental health conditions, skin health, and more.
Despite this checklist, many of our members use HBOT as part of their membership with us without necessarily factoring in the benefits they receive from it. Some simply enjoy the therapy itself and find the airpod to be relaxing. Working, reading, or napping while undergoing this therapy adds another layer of comfort and can provide a nice pitstop throughout the day to return to neutral.
Fortunately, our team includes a range of specialists. They can help you determine whether HBOT can help with your specific goals and how to best integrate it with other options for the best results.
What to Expect from Your First HBOT Session
Sessions begin in our Hyperbaric suite, designed for functionality and relaxation.
After checking in with our team, you’ll enter our Hydroxy Airpod fully clothed—there is no need for special gear or additional preparation. The pod itself is temperature-controlled and comfortable, with subtle pressure changes that build gradually as the session begins.
During your session, you can relax, listen to music, nap, bring your laptop to work, or switch off. As the oxygen concentration increases, your body naturally absorbs more oxygen into the bloodstream, accelerating tissue repair, reducing inflammation, and supporting recovery.
You’ll be guided through the whole process, and a team member will be available at all times if necessary.
The HBOT Treatment Process
The HBOT treatment process has a predefined duration, with recommendations on frequency. Unlike cryotherapy, HBOT sessions can take significantly longer to allow your body to receive the full benefits of increased oxygen absorption.
Prior to a session, our team will provide all relevant details of its duration and be on hand to answer any questions you may have about frequency, benefits, or after-session care.
The duration and frequency of HBOT treatment sessions
HBOT sessions at The Body Lab are typically 60 minutes. This is to ensure the body can benefit from increased oxygen absorption without being too long to cause the treatment to become uncomfortable.
Frequency and session length should be discussed with your healthcare professional. This is a necessary step if you're looking to use HBOT as a treatment for a specific medical condition, as this will determine the effectiveness of the process.
Frequency for regular use, however, can vary depending on your response to the recovery therapy, available time or desired results. Sessions can be booked daily or multiple times per week - the level of consistency depends on your goals.
Integrating HBOT into a Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Integrating recovery modalities is vital in building a comprehensive treatment or wellness plan, as it ensures adequate recovery throughout the week.
As we know, recovery is a large part of wellness, and poor recovery can often cause underperformance or plateauing when trying to reach your goals.
Tailoring your plan to your specific needs, goals, and preferences is essential to maintain a consistent approach to wellness.
Considerations for using HBOT in conjunction with other therapies
Integrating hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) into a comprehensive treatment plan requires careful consideration of its interaction with other therapeutic modalities.
When used as an adjunctive therapy, HBOT can enhance the efficacy of treatments for various conditions. Understanding how HBOT is used in conjunction with other therapies is crucial to maximising the potential benefits while minimising risks.
If you're using HBOT exclusively as a treatment for a condition, discussing it with your healthcare professional is non-negotiable. They'll be able to inform you what other modalities can be beneficial and which should be avoided.
On the other hand, as a regular recovery therapy, HBOT can integrate with other recovery therapies easily due to the simplicity of its process and the varied benefits attained.
Incorporating HBOT alongside cryotherapy can provide a range of additional mind and body benefits, specifically those experienced through cold exposure. Similarly, flotation therapy can be used as a relaxation option when you're looking to unwind and give your body time to reset.
While each of these shares recovery benefits, such as reducing inflammation and improving our body's natural healing capabilities, their other differing benefits can complement a full wellness and recovery experience.
An additional consideration is the incorporation of specialist modalities, such as osteopathy and massage therapy. These can provide further, different benefits that recovery options can't. Incorporating these options into your wellness regimen can ensure your recovery is covered from all angles.
HBOT Frequently Asked Questions
We receive many questions regarding HBOT and first-time sessions. Here are a few that may help answer some questions you may be having about this recovery therapy:
1 - Do I need to prepare anything before my first HBOT session?
No preparation is needed, nor do you need to bring anything with you, such as gear or specific clothing. You remain fully clothed during your sessions. We always recommend members arrive well-hydrated and ready to relax, ensuring sessions are comfortable and effective.
2 - How long is a typical session and what will I feel during?
Each session at The Body Lab is 60 minutes. Our members report feeling relaxed, with some noting they can feel the mild pressure changes within the pod, although these aren’t uncomfortable. Afterwards, it’s common to feel lighter, clearer, or more energised
3 - Can I combine HBOT with cryotherapy or other recovery options in one visit?
Yes, you can. We often recommend combining recovery therapies when it makes sense for your particular goals and time allowance. How you go about doing this is more nuanced than it first appears. Our team can help you plan the best treatment sequence for your goals, including frequency, weekly timings, etc.
4 - Is HBOT only for athletes, or can anyone benefit?
HBOT is mostly associated with athlete performance as it is generally perceived as a more specialised recovery option. In reality, anyone can benefit from the faster recovery, stress reduction, sleep improvement, post-travel reset, and general well-being support that HBOT provides.
Moving forward with HBOT
Harnessing the power of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can unlock extraordinary benefits for individuals seeking accelerated healing and tissue regeneration.
HBOT offers a unique approach to treating various conditions and enhancing overall wellness by increasing oxygen delivery to tissues, promoting angiogenesis, and reducing inflammation.
Are you interested in experiencing HBOT for yourself? You can book a session now through our HBOT page or contact our team to learn more.
