Benefits of Cold therapy - Physical and mental health optimization!

Lo que el agua me dio - Frida Kahlo

I did a month-long experiment to begin each day with a cold shower!!!

Real quick - if I have lost you already, here is another option for you, especially if you are wanting some of the benefits like reduced inflammation. My dad says that if you were to simply put your entire legs into a bucket of iced water this might be enough to cool down your core temp by a few degree. Not as effective as a full-body cold plunge or cold shower, but hey! something is better that nothing (in this case, at least!) right??

Ok, now back to our original post!!

The purported health benefits of cold therapy include:

- increased energy

- reduced inflammation

- fortified immunity

- balanced hormones

- fat loss (!)

- production of endorphins

(as outlined on www.wimhofmethod.com)

Yes, I agree - a hot epsom salt bath sounds way more effective in reducing stress and facilitating muscle-recovery/pain-relief. However, this is more an exercise of will-power, and quite literally stepping into the discomfort.

I follow the #wimhofmethod to start with a very intense breathing exercise, then I pop into the shower starting with warm water and then COLD for 60 seconds, minimum.

(for more information, visit Wim Hof’s website )

Having done it for 29 days in a row, I can say that it has been an incredibly energizing practice! To be fair, Im already a "morning-person" and I love the cold. But I do not think either of these has anything to do with the benefits I have experienced.

Most obvious personal realizations thus far:

1. The power of the breath to manage stress, and regulate my brain chemistry as the cold pierces my skin!

2. A perfunctory understanding of the line I hear so often "I am not my thoughts".

3. I feel like I am starting every day with a “win”, which in turn makes everything else go a little better

4. I feel more energetic throughout the day (not just the 5 minutes after the shower!)

Unfortunately, I did not do any blood work or take any preliminary quantitative measurements to prove that this exercise has any physiological beyond my "feeling" great!

I love the fact that this can be done by anyone and anywhere. I am extremely interested in the connection between exposing the body to extreme cold and longevity. If you have any comments or questions, please do share them below.