For ten minutes, Chantelle Johns and Kristen Holter smashed everything they could inside the small and isolated room they paid to enter. Upon leaving they both said they felt great.

"It's a good way to take out some energy," said Holter.

"We had a lot of built up anger over the last few months," said Johns.

Smartypantz, located in central Edmonton, runs the two smash rooms alongside their escape rooms. Patrons pay for five or ten minutes for the opportunity to destroy a table with dishware, chairs, tire, and glass vases.

They're pretty much allowed to break anything but the walls.

Chantelle Johns (left) and Kristen Holter (right) demolish items in Edmonton's first smash room. (SmartyPantz)

It's been open for a month, and is touted as the first in Western Canada. The rooms are popular in Toronto, the first of its kind opened in Dallas in 2008.

Sandy Jung, an associate professor of psychology at MacEwan University, says it's a great way for people to have fun away from work, but that's it.

In the long term it doesn't reduce stress. It might make you feel a little bit better for that moment. - Sandy Jung

"In the long term it doesn't reduce stress," said Jung. "It might make you feel a little bit better for that moment.

"It sounds really appealing to people that if I smash a car or watching a music video where these people are smashing their guitars and it sound great. It's more of a vengeful thing."

Jung went on to say activities like yoga would be more effective for relaxation.

"Typically what people would use are more conventional ways of talk therapy. Cognitive behavioral approaches, mindfulness techniques, and deep breathing exercises are the kind of thing for stress relief reduction," she said.

While Johns and Holter were adamant they enjoyed the feeling when they exited the smash rooms, both admitted it may have came from the thrill of breaking things they normally couldn't in everyday life

@Travismcewancbc Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca