What exactly is cold plunging? What happens during a cold plunge?
Cold plunging is the practice of immersing yourself in cold water, which is about 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 seconds to up to 10 minutes . For the brave, you an actually immerse yourself in an ice bath, which only about 2-3 minutes is necessary to recieve the full benefits.
What happens is this: Your body will have a pretty instant shock response, it’ll trigger rapid breathing, gasping, and a faster heartrate. Blood will rush from your extremities to your core. Your body then releases some beneficial hormones: 1) norepinephrine for alertness and reduction in pain 2) endorphins – which are feel good chemicals 3) dopamine – which improves mood.
Your body then will burn energy to generate heat, which will burn calories. Then once the initial stress has passes, your parasympathetic nervous system, or your rest and digest system kicks in, which will create a sense of calm.
Who should do cold plunges?
If you’re generally healthy – This is going to help boost your immune function by increasing circulation and white blood cell activity.
If you’re an athlete trying to reduce soreness – It will help you recover faster and improve your performance.
If you’re trying to manage everyday stress or burnout – It will help regulate your bodys neurotransmitters, leading to elevated mood and focus.
How can someone start cold plunging at home?
Cold plunging could be stepping into a cold bath, or for most people, just turning the water onto the cold setting in your shower. That should run about 45-55 degrees for NYC tap water. If you’re not sure if the water is too cold, heres a reference: A glass of cold water in your refrigerator typically would get to 40 degrees. If you’re entering into a cold bath, remember to step in slowy. For beginners, start with 30 seconds of the water on cold. Remember to try to breath and not hold your breath. Shaking and shivering is a normal response.
Consistency is better than intensity, so see if you can do 2-3x a week to start.
How do we know if the shaking during or after a cold plunge is dangerous?
If the shaking is intense and doesn’t top after a few minutes, or is accompanied with any numbness, dizziness, or confusion, then you should try to warm up immediately and monitor how you’re feeling. Gently rewarm yourself by having a warm drink, or using a warm heating pad. If after 15 minutes your symptoms are not improving or it’s getting worse, that’s when you should call for emergency services.
Your body should feel invigorated, not impaired.
Does cold plunging help with mental health like anxiety and depression?
Cold exposure will trigger a stress response in the body, which will help build up your resilience to other stressors. There has been reports that it can reduce anxiety and provide better sleep, but ofcourse it’s not a substitute for professional mental health care.
Who should not be doing cold plunges?
People with Heart Conditions/Circulation issues/ High blood pressure – Cold water constricts blood vessels and might spike your blood pressure, and can be dangerous if you have arrhythmias.
Asthma – The Shock of the cold might provoke an asthmatic attack.
People with Nerve damage – They might not be able to properly sense pain, numbness, or perceive how cold the water is.
Children and elderly – They have harder time regulating core body temperature and have a higher likelihood of catching hypothermia.
Existing fever or infection – Your body is heating up and trying to heal, so it’s best not to purposefully try to counteract that. You want your body to conserve energy and not deal with another physical stressor.
If you’re not sure if cold plunging is right for you, speak to your healthcare provider, and don’t try doing it the first time alone.