COLD PLUNGE THERAPY

The effects of cold water on the immune system have been studied widely. Coldwater helps boost the white blood cell count by forcing the body to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defenses. This is extremely beneficial, especially with COVID-19 and all of the other ways one can get sick.

How can Cold Plunging make you happy? The answer is quite simple, the cold water gives you a rush of Norepinephrine:

Norepinephrine is a naturally occurring chemical in the body that acts as both a stress hormone and neurotransmitter. It helps regulate mood, anxiety, and other functions. It helps mobilize the brain for action and can improve energy and attentiveness.

Your lymphatic system is a network of vessels that runs throughout your body and transports waste bacteria and toxins away from your cells. When our lymphatic system isn't circulating properly we can quickly start feeling unwell, come down with colds, have achy joints, infections, and a build-up of toxins in the body. Usually, the body relies on exercise to keep the lymphatic system circulating. Your body does not have an automatic heart pump to push the fluid around the body; therefore, it relies solely on the contraction of muscles to move the waste out. Cold plunging 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.

Your metabolism is how fast your body converts food into energy. The faster and more efficient your metabolism is, the more energy you'll likely have, and the easier you'll find it to lose weight. Not only that, but cold-plunging can actually aid weight loss by increased burning of "white fat" (bad fat). This happens because cold exposure forces your body to rev metabolism and get the needed energy for heat generation. It also starts to use brown fat (aka "good fat") to convert into heat energy. The rest of the body that is using energy, unrelated to heat production, starts burning up the "bad fat" and as a result, it creates accelerated weight loss.

Cold therapy can help you reduce joint pain and inflammation. Cold plunges have actually been scientifically proven to help counteract the side effects of muscle overuse such as soreness, pain, and tightness. When we dip into cold water, we constrict a lot of the blood vessels and this helps to reduce swelling and inflammation caused by the body sending too much blood to the affected area. Even better, the cold can actually numb the nerve endings and act as a pain reliever.

Cold-water immersion stimulates blood flow. When you immerse your body into cold water, the blood rushes to surround your vital organs. Your heart is then forced to pump more efficiently, pushing blood through all your vessels, and supplying every part of your body with the oxygen and nutrients needed. This sends the body into a "shock" state where all the blood begins to flow directly to the vital organs, replenishing them with oxygen and nutrients, and improving the efficiency of our blood flow for the rest of the day.

One thing you will always hear from someone coming out of an ice tub is that they notice every other thought disappeared, besides being in that exact moment. When the brain thinks that it is going to die, it goes into survival mode and the focus becomes laser aware. Your mind will not even allow you to think about your problems. All you can think about is that exact second that you are in. It's a perfect practice for mindfulness and being present in your life.