Cold Plunges & Their Benefits
Cold plunge.. sounds crazy right? It kind of is, but, hear me out, cold therapy has been shown to have many great benefits which we’ll get into. So I recently tried a cold plunge for the first time. Basically you sit in some cold for a few minutes, but the kicker is that you have to focus on your breath. As someone who does not like being cold, this was mentally very challenging. That’s part of the point of doing this though, which we’ll get to. For my first experience, I surprised myself and hopped right in and sat down so I was fully submerged up to about my collar bone. I instantly noticed my breath becoming rapid and deep, almost hyperventilation-like. I don’t remember much about the first 30 seconds, but what I do remember was that I noticed the shift once I started to focus on controlling my breathing with long, deep breaths. I noticed that I no longer felt overwhelmed by the cold, despite the water being 43 degrees F! At the mark of the first minute, I felt totally in control and calm. I even thought to myself at one point, “Hey, I don’t feel cold.” I lasted for 1 minute and 23 seconds, which I am extremely proud of! I got out, stood with the sun hitting my face, and felt so good!
Where it really gets hard though is on the second time. At that point, you know what to expect. You know you’ve done it before and so you have these expectations that you can do it again. However, doing it in the dark at 5:30 am is slightly different than doing it with sunlight at 9:00 am. Needless to say, the mental game was tougher on the second plunge. I was way more in my head more, telling myself I couldn’t do it and that it was cold. Thankfully I had the support of my boyfriend reminding me to focus on my breathing! I survived just over 1 minute on my second plunge.
I have dealt with a lot of chronic back, neck, and shoulder pain over the years as well as more recently have been managing some fatigue associated with anemia and adrenal fatigue with low cortisol. After doing the cold plunges, I have noticed I physically feel good in my body, pain free. I have also noticed I have been able to get through the day without that afternoon slump where I struggle to keep my eyes open. I know I haven’t done the cold plunges consistently enough, but I am excited to add cold plunges into my weekly routine to see how I respond. Additionally I see how this is both a physical and mental challenge to reinforce “I can do hard things” and prepare me to face other obstacles in life with better confidence and fortitude. It’s allowing me to challenge myself in a totally new way that is most definitely out of my comfort zone. I don’t anticipate it getting easier, but as with many other hard things, I am excited to see how my body and mind adapts to teach me new lessons.
The reason I tried cold plunges in the first place was because my boyfriend is reading The Wim Hof Method book. Throughout reading it, numerous times he has told me he thinks I would benefit greatly from cold therapy and the breathing technique described in the book. For now, we are starting with cold therapy.
Cold therapy or cold exposure, including cryotherapy, cold plunges or ice baths, and even cold showers have gained a lot of popularity and attention over recent years. Why is that? Well, cold therapy and more specifically, frequent exposure to cold has been shown to have many health benefits. Some benefits include:
Reduced inflammation, swelling, and muscle tension
Improve immune response by increasing circulation of white blood cells and activating other infection-fighting cells in the body
Boosts mood by increasing dopamine (“feel good” hormone)
May increase metabolism by activating brown fat
Interested in trying cold therapy? Start slow by gradually decreasing the temperature of your shower for the last 30 seconds. Focus on your breath and remind yourself it’s just temporary and you are strong. If you’re feeling ready for more, maybe you try a cold dip in your bath tub. If you’re ready to add this consistently into your routine, there are plenty of available options on line for at home tubs or tanks. I found a similar one to what we got her here. If you have any concerns or health conditions, I recommend discussing with your doctor before you try. Lastly, for your first time, I recommend having a buddy with you who can not only cheer you on but can also be there to cue your breath.
Be Health-full,
Heather
