Benefits of a Cold Plunge
Originally published January 2024
As I am still thawing from my New Year’s polar plunge, I am thinking about all the benefits that can be gained from a practice of cold plunging. Cryotherapy, cold plunges, cold showers, ice baths may appear to be some trending fitness hack but there is a lot more to gain than “being trendy” by exposing your body to freezing cold temperatures.
You don’t need to be Wim Hof or have access to expensive facilities to reap the benefits of cold therapy.
Benefits of Cold Therapy
Decrease Inflammation
The cold can constrict your blood vessels which restricts blood flow to affected areas. While inflammation is a necessary and natural bodily response to physical stress or injury, prolonged inflammation could be a problem.
Improve your mood & help combat anxiety and depression
Research has shown, and is ongoing, that a cold plunge can help alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression.
“Some believe that an ice-water face immersion can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which prompts the body to relax after a stressful event. Researchers also hypothesize that adapting to the shock of an ice-water plunge may improve a person’s ability to cope with other stresses,” says Dasgupta. (EatingWell)
Boost your immune system
Research shows that exposure to cold can increase your body’s production of white blood cells which aids in immune function.
Relief for post-workout soreness
This benefit primarily effects for endurance athletes as research has shown that, “taking an ice bath after resistance training actually blunted muscle growth and strength.” (NPR)
You feel invincible after!
Purely anecdotal evidence :)
There is still a lot of research being done in this space, but overall the potential benefits seem to be worth the temporary discomfort of jumping into freezing cold water. I encourage anyone thinking of doing any type of cold plunge to be aware of the risks including hypothermia, shock, and those with certain risk factors should avoid doing cold plunges.
References:
https://www.eatingwell.com/cold-plunge-benefits-8348427
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/10/08/1204411415/cold-plunge-health-benefits-how-to
