By What’s the latest and proven craze that so many people are taking advantage of?
The amount of people I have seen on social media, crazily immersing themselves in ice baths & laying in the snow wearing next to nothing on, is enough to give me goosebumps! People aren’t the only cold water therapy advocates; we now have plenty of athletes, celebrities and influencers who happily apply cold therapy into their daily lives. The good news is that science has proven cold water therapy does work in some instances and can provide several benefits to people like us who are consciously on the lookout for more ways to enhance health and longevity. So, if you are curious as to what you should do, read on and see how cold water therapy can apply to your daily life.
Option One: Immerse yourself in cold water to ease muscle soreness
Coldwater alleviates pain because it causes your blood vessels to constrict. It constricts and improves inflammation and swelling (or, as we bodybuilders call it — DOMS). The same can be applied to any injury you may have experienced and the application of ice to ease swelling and inflammation. In a 2016 study, 20 athletes soaked in a pool of cold water — between 12–15 degrees, reported a lot more minor muscle soreness than those who didn’t apply the hydrotherapy technique after exercising. Although your shower won’t be as cold (unless you are currently in freezing temperatures), It’s good to start immersing yourself in cold water after training. You can slowly train your body to become accustomed to the temperatures by gradually increasing your time in the cold water. That’s a nice little experiment every single time you have a shower!
Option one: Increase the efficiency of your immune system
Continuous cold therapy has been shown to improve your immune system and fight illness. Not a bad idea right now with Covid somewhat out of control. One study tested whether people could voluntarily influence their immune response with deep meditation, breathing and cold water immersion techniques. The results were surprisingly positive. These participants happen to be exposed to an infection. The people who practised the techniques above had fewer symptoms than those who did not. What’s very interesting here is that researchers stipulated breathing technique had more impact on the immune results than cold water immersion. Coldwater was noted to have built up resistance to stress over time. Hence, one should practice cold water therapy regularly to help build your immune system.
The golden question is, can it help with weight loss (as so many people believe it does)
Coldwater immersion does speed up your metabolism. Science doesn’t back up the claim for weight loss, unfortunately. Sorry to burst your fat-burning bubble. There would need to be many more studies focused on continual immersion in cold water to assess the weight loss results (if there were any).
How to apply cold water therapy in your life
One: Gradually decrease the temperature of your water in the shower. Two: After a strenuous workout, immediately go for a cold shower. This will help you combat the dreaded doms for the following few days Three: Go to the beach for a swim during the cooler temperatures Four: Fill your bath with ice, and take a dip if you dare!
Takeaways
You can experience a lot of benefits from cold water immersion. The Wim Hof Method explains this in a lot more detail. His tolerance for cold is out of this world. Although it does prove to have a lot of benefits, I haven’t had the guts to try cold water therapy. I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to the cold. This is an exciting subject and, of course, something to aim for to boost your immune system. These days, the strength of our immune system is pretty much our barrier against Covid. This might be worth a second glance for its proven health benefits. I’d be interested to know if anyone does apply this and what it’s done for you. You can read more about cold water therapy here
- This timeframe is for cold water immersion.
NOTE: The health information in this post is for general information and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based on such information, I encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. I do not provide any medical/health advice.
If you would like to read more articles like this or start writing your own, please sign up via my link. I’d love to see you on the other side. Sign up here for your medium subscription. I get a portion from your monthly fee at no extra cost to you, and it will go a long way in supporting me as a writer.
If you would like to express gratitude with coffee, send the love via this link