A new wellness studio has quietly opened just off St Ann’s Square, bringing a suite of recovery treatments normally associated with elite sports facilities into the centre of Manchester.
Brysk describes itself as a “modern recovery and wellness studio”, sitting somewhere between a spa and a clinical performance lab. The idea isn’t pampering or luxury for its own sake, but helping people stay on top of the kind of everyday issues most of us recognise: poor sleep, stress, inflammation, low energy, or just feeling permanently a step behind our own schedules.
Inside the space you’ll find a line-up of treatments that have become increasingly popular among athletes and performance-focused wellness circles. There’s whole-body cryotherapy, where you step into a chamber of intensely cold air for a short session designed to stimulate circulation and reduce inflammation. There’s also red light therapy, compression therapy and lymphatic drainage treatments aimed at helping the body recover more efficiently after training or long working days.
One of the more unusual pieces of equipment in the studio is a hard-shelled hyperbaric oxygen chamber, delivering sessions at 1.8 ATA pressure. Hyperbaric therapy works by allowing people to breathe oxygen in a pressurised environment, which can help the body absorb more oxygen into the bloodstream. It’s something traditionally used in medical or specialist recovery settings, but Brysk says bringing it into a central city location is part of its mission to make recovery tools more accessible.
The studio is run by Chris and Nathan, a father-and-son team who previously operated Clitheroe Cryo in Lancashire. Between them they’ve delivered more than 5,000 sessions over the past eight years, building experience in cryotherapy and recovery treatments before expanding into Manchester.
Both founders also come from military backgrounds – Chris served in the Army and Nathan in the RAF – which shapes the philosophy behind the space. They refer to their operating approach as the “Brysk Standard”, emphasising structure, safety protocols and clear guidance for clients rather than a drop-in, self-service wellness environment.
Despite the high-tech equipment, the studio isn’t aimed purely at elite athletes. Brysk says the majority of its clients are everyday people trying to balance demanding routines – busy professionals, parents, shift workers and amateur athletes – alongside people dealing with menopause symptoms, skin concerns or long-term inflammation.
Cryotherapy in particular tends to give immediate feedback, with many people reporting a noticeable lift in mood or energy after sessions. Other treatments are used more as part of a routine, with clients combining therapies to support sleep quality, circulation and recovery over time.
Manchester was chosen as the next location because of the city’s strong fitness and wellness culture. Run clubs, hybrid gyms and recovery-focused training have grown rapidly in recent years, and Brysk hopes to position itself as part of that ecosystem rather than a standalone treatment centre.
The studio already hosts a weekly run club and plans to run regular wellness events and group recovery sessions. Corporate wellness mornings are also available for companies looking to offer staff recovery sessions as part of wellbeing programmes.
Brysk has also partnered with physiotherapy provider Proflex Therapy, who run sessions from the studio on Thursdays and Saturdays for clients needing more structured injury recovery or treatment.
Rather than pushing people into a fixed programme, the idea is that visitors can dip in and out depending on what they need – booking single sessions, combining treatments, or using flexible credit memberships.
The long-term goal, according to the team behind it, is to shift how people think about recovery. Not as something reserved for professional athletes or occasional spa days, but as a routine part of staying healthy, focused and functional in everyday life.
Brysk is now open just off St Ann’s Square in Manchester city centre.
Bookings can be made at wearebrysk.co.uk.
