what are the benefits of cold plunging

Cold Plunge Benefits

• Increases blood flow.
• Reduces chronic pain.
• Better sleep.
• Boost in energy.
• Lower inflammation rates.
• Reduce muscle soreness. Pushing the limits of mental and physical strength, Cold Plunges are all about training the body...

Full Answer

What is cold plunging and why should you try it?

Additionally, cold plunging can help you better manage stress and anxiety because it teaches you how to counter the fight or flight response you likely experience while being submerged in ice water.

What are the health benefits of cold plunge immersion?

Good for the nervous system: Nerves in the autonomic nervous system are activated during the cold plunge immersion. The cold also stimulates you to take deeper breaths, decreasing the level of CO2 throughout the body, helping you concentrate.

Do cold plunges help with stress?

Most recently, cold plunges have been popularized by people such as Wim Hof, a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete who claims cold plunges (in tandem with certain breathing and meditation techniques) can help reduce anxiety and stress.

What are the benefits of cold plunges for athletes?

When you immerse yourself in cold water, the temperature constricts your blood vessels. In part because of this constriction, cold plunges have been shown to help flush waste products like lactic acid out of your muscle tissues. ( 3) Cold plunges can even reduce levels of cortisol — a hormone often associated with stress — in athletes’ saliva.

How long should you stay in a cold plunge?

The target time of a cold plunge is three minutes. This is why you should build up to a 5-minute cold shower in the weeks preceding your plunge. Three minutes is also long enough to tap into the most desirable cold-immersion benefits, such as improved blood sugar regulation and fat burning.

What are the benefits of plunging in cold water?

A cold plunge causes the body's muscles to contract and gives the lymphatic system a huge boost by re-starting circulation and helping to get waste products out of the body.

Is cold plunging healthy?

When you take the plunge into your cold plunge pool, the chilled water instantly numbs the nerves that surround your joints and muscles, causing the release of hormones and endorphins. The release of hormones and endorphins acts as an analgesic, which relieves inflammation and alleviates muscle strain and joint pain.

How many times a week should you cold plunge?

In a clinical trial, taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression. Sitting in cold water can quickly boost your system to increase alertness, clarity, and energy levels while also releasing mood-boosting endorphins.

How to reduce swelling in the body?

Immersing the body in cold water lowers body tissue temperature and constricts the blood vessels. This reduces swelling and inflammation, and can numb nerve endings, bringing immediate pain relief. Regular cold showers or cold plunging can be a useful part of pain management.

How does shivering in cold water affect your body?

Shivering in cold water is your body’s attempt to maintain core temperature. Shivering generates heat, and this increase in heat means a boost to your metabolism.

How does cold water help with inflammation?

And you may have heard about professional athletes soaking in ice baths after strenuous workouts. Immersing the body in cold water lowers body tissue temperature and constricts the blood vessels.

How does cold water help your body?

Immersing yourself in cold water stimulates blood flow, moving the blood through your vessels and around vital organ and cells in your body. Cold therapy makes every single vessel in your body contract, making it essentially a cardiovascular workout that brings more oxygen, CO2, nutrients, hormones, and toxins in and out of our cells. Considering that cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the US, having a daily practice that improves cardiovascular health sounds like a pretty good idea.

What is cold therapy?

Cold therapy (also called cryotherapy or cold thermogenesis) is essentially the process of using cold temperatures for health benefits. This type of therapy has been used for hundreds of years to decrease pain, improve recovery, and to improve overall health. Taking a cold shower is an easy way to experience cold therapy.

What temperature should I take for cold showers?

The optimal temperature for cold therapy is below 55’F. Check it out for yourself.

What is the role of the lymphatic system?

Its job is to regulate balance of fluids in the body, to absorb and transports fatty acids and fats, and to support the body’s immune system by filtering out harmful microorganisms and cellular waste from lymph . Cold therapy causes the lymph vessels in the body to contract, helping the lymphatic system better do its job and supporting detoxification in the body.

Why is cold water good for mood?

The mood benefits reported after cold water immersion are likely because it activates the body’s “fight or flight” response. The shock of being blasted by cold water provides a quick, natural high by elevating levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in our brains.

What is cold water immersion?

Cold water immersion is an ancient practice that has roots in many different cultures, particularly those in high latitudes. Scandinavians have long lauded the post-sauna cold dip as a way to rinse off toxins, jump-start blood flow, and release endorphins. Even Hippocrates and Thomas Jefferson avowed the benefits of soaking in cold water.

Why does Jenni walk with a towel in hand?

But now her neighbors wave when they see her walking with towel in hand, and a few have even started to sit in the stream themselves to reset their mind and body.

Why do people swim in cold water?

Swimming or submerging in cold water has gained popularity with the mainstream as a way to boost immune systems, build resilience to stress, and treat inflammation — especially during the pandemic as people search for simple, close-to-home ways to improve their wellbeing.

How many Germans have cold water swims?

Researchers followed 85 Germans who regularly participated in cold water swims and found they contracted 40 percent fewer upper respiratory infections than a control group. The swimmers’ blood samples showed boosted antioxidant protection, which may be why they were better able to stave off illnesses.

Where does Jenni walk?

Whether it’s a wintery blizzard or blazing sun, MC Jenni has walked to the edge of the cold Montana creek near her home every day for the past 14 years. She disrobes, takes a deep breath, and gazes at the trees, water and rocks. Then she plunges into the icy current.

Is it bad to plunge in cold water?

Plunging into frigid water is stressful on the body and can have harmful effects. Hypothermia, mainly. And in rare cases immersion can provoke cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, or respiratory distress, particularly in people with underlying health issues. Plus, cold shock induces uncontrollable hyperventilating as the lungs contract, ...