Diving Deep into Cold Plunge Benefits: What You Need to Know

There has been a growing trend of people plunging into cold water to gain various mental and physical health benefits. Athletes use cold plunges to recover faster and reduce inflammation, while laypeople use them to naturally boost their energy levels, lose weight, improve their mood, and feel better overall.

Are these benefits real or merely myths? Is there any scientific evidence to support these benefits? We will explore the answers to these questions in this article.

The term “cold plunge” refers to a self-rejuvenation practice where a person will submerge their body in cold water, usually with a temperature ranging from 45°F to 60°F. It could be cold water in a home bathtub, swimming pool, or a natural body of water, such as a lake or river.

The concept of cold plunging can be traced back to various ancient cultures, such as the ancient Romans, Vikings, and Greeks. Archaeological evidence shows these ancient people used to take cold water baths all the time to reduce fatigue and improve circulation. Of course, they didn’t have much choice since they had few options for heating water.

In modern times, cold plunges are a choice by laypeople and athletes who wish to recover from exercise and improve their mental and physical health and wellness.

Which specific benefits can cold plunging offer a person? Below are the most commonbenefits of cold plunge:

• Improved Circulation and Blood Flow
• Faster Muscle Recovery
• Reduced Inflammation
• Enhanced Mental Clarity and Focus
• Stronger Immune System
• Boosted Mood and Reduced Stress
• Weight Loss and Fat Burning

Improved blood circulation is one of the best benefits of cold plunging. When a person submerges their body in cold water, it naturally causes their blood vessels to compress in order to preserve heat for their body. Then, once the person steps out of the cold water, their blood vessels expand, causing blood to flow through the body quickly. As this happens, the blood delivers vital nutrients and oxygen to the body’s tissues to stimulate them.

Oxygenated blood flow to the organs, heart, and muscles will improve your body’s cardiovascular health while removing lactic acid and other waste products. Anyone who regularly engages in physical activity or exercise will benefit from this the most because their worn muscles and tissues will recover faster.

Cold plunging to recover the muscles has always been a familiar concept to athletes. They know firsthand that immersing themselves in cold water after a tough workout will help reduce soreness, inflammation, and pain in their muscles. The reason is that the cold temperature slows down the blood flow to their sore muscles, which forces out lactic acid and reduces swelling.

One effective way to reduce chronic inflammation is cold plunging because it constricts the blood vessels and hinders the body’s metabolic processes.

Then, once you stop immersing yourself in cold water, your blood vessels will expand, and blood flow will move faster again. That is when vital nutrients will be delivered to your joints and tissues to reduce inflammation and eliminate waste elements.

Anyone dealing with arthritis-related pain and stiffness can find relief from immersing themselves in cold water. Cold plunging also works to reduce muscle soreness after lifting weights or working out intensely.

Cold plunging has some wonderful mental health benefits, too. Scientific evidence shows that immersing yourself in cold water will cause your body to release those feel-good hormones called endorphins . These are the same hormones that get released from your body during exercise.

So, you could very well experience better focus, improved cognitive function, and more mental clarity from cold water immersion.

Frequent cold plunging can strengthen your immune system because it enables the body to produce more white blood cells to defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria.

Even taking cold showers a few times per week can significantly reduce your risk of getting sick.

Studies show that cold plunging can improve your mood and lower your stress, anxiety, and depression levels.

Once your body feels the shock of cold-water immersion, it activates the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which is responsible for improving your mood and levels of motivation.

Cold plunging has become a popular method for losing weight because it increases brown fat production in the body . In case you didn’t know, brown fat is the opposite of white fat because it burns energy (calories) rather than storing it. So, when your body feels cold temperatures, the brown fat starts burning energy to keep the body warm. That means it also burns calories, which leads to fat and weight loss.

Please note that you should always prioritize a nutritious diet and daily exercise regimen to lose weight. Cold plunging is merely meant to assist you with your weight loss efforts by combining it with diet and exercise.

The amount of time you should cold plungesper session will depend on your personal health, experience, and tolerance level.

Beginners should only take 1-to-2-minute sessions in cold water that is anywhere between 50°F and 59°F. That is just enough time for your body to get used to the cold without shocking it too much.

If you can learn to tolerate 1-to-2-minute cold plunging sessions, try to increase the session time to 3 to 5 minutes at between 45°F and 50°F temperature.

If you can tolerate 3-to-5-minute cold plunging sessions easily, then you are advanced enough to increase the session time to 5 to 10 minutes at a water temperature between 39°F and 45°F.

It might feel more difficult to tolerate an incredibly low temperature, so don’t try to push yourself too much. Get out of the water if you feel too uncomfortable.

• Consult your primary care physician before beginning any cold plunging routine. If you have any preexisting health conditions, your doctor can tell you whether cold water immersion is safe for you or not.
• Only a cold plunge if you feel healthy. Don’t cold plunge if you don’t feel well.
• Ask a family member, friend, or someone else to stay close in case you need them to assist you.

Are you interested in beginning your cold plunging routine? Below are some helpful tips on how to get started:

Starting a cold plunging routine is a gradual process. You might even want to start with lukewarm water for 1 to 2 minutes if you really need to adapt your body to the routine. Then, slowly lower the water temperature per session as your body gets used to it.

Pay attention to how your body feels while immersed in the cold water. Don’t stay in the water if you feel numbness, dizziness, or severe discomfort. Remember that the whole point of cold plunging is to refresh yourself, not torture yourself.

One effective cold plunging strategy is to take a warm shower for a few minutes before immersing your body in the cold water. That way, it will help your body slowly adapt to the sudden temperature changes that it will feel.

Practice breathing slowly and deeply as you plunge into the cold water. The idea is to remain calm and relaxed during the cold-water immersion session.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated before and after you plunge into the cold water. Good hydration is the key to helping your body recover and restore its standard temperature.

There is no doubt that cold plunging offers numerous benefits to your mental and physical well-being. It can provide you with terrific benefits, such as weight loss support, improved mood, reduced depression, lower stress, and more.

Our ancient ancestors certainly knew what they were doing when they started the cold plunging trend thousands of years ago. It is a highly effective way to improve the mental and physical health of athletes or ordinary individuals who want to recover and feel better.

So, what are you waiting for? Try your first cold plunge and experience the benefits for yourself!