The Incredible Benefits of Cold Water Immersion

Cold water immersion also known as “ice bath therapy” has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, as a powerful tool for stress management and wellbeing. Whether it be through a cold shower or a dip in a cold Scottish loch, as I’ve (finally!) been doing recently, there are so many incredible cold water benefits to take advantage of. 

The practice of cold water immersion therapy can be traced back to ancient times, when it was used as a means of purification and a way to increase physical and mental strength. 

The science behind it has since been proven, with a variety of studies showing the incredible benefits of cold water immersion, and in recent times yoga teacher and cold water enthusiast Wim Hof has made this practice very popular.

So if you are interested in learning more about the incredible cold water immersion benefits, from increased energy levels and motivation, boosted immune system, lower levels of stress and anxiety, to decreased inflammation, read on! 

Physical Health Benefits of Cold Water Immersion

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it is not always a negative force in our lives.

In fact, stress is beneficial when it is controlled and only in short bursts. Challenges motivate us and boost our performance, and give our immune system a boost.

Cold water immersion is a huge challenge to our body, one that triggers the stress response. When the first level of the stress response, the fight or flight is engaged, we get a release of adrenaline (and epinephrine- same molecule, it just got given a different name as it’s released from the brain) and cortisol, and our immune system gets a boost, shuttling immune cells to our throats and limbs. 

Cold water immersion has a variety of other physical benefits. It’s a great way to reduce inflammation, especially in muscles and connective tissue, such as tendons and ligaments. It improves circulation, and flushes out toxins in the body. The cold water stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms, which can help to speed up recovery time!

Cold Water Therapy For Fat Loss

Cold water therapy is a scientifically proven way to boost your metabolism and burn fat. Much like a furnace, when you're exposed to colder temperatures, your body works to generate heat to stay warm. This process produces more energy and thus burns calories, stimulating your metabolism. 

Not only that, but studies have shown that when exposed to cold this way, and we bring ourselves to the point of shiver, the body starts to convert “white fat” cells (which store fat droplets) into “brown fat” cells. Brown fat tissue is super rich in mitochondria, the “cell factory” that converts what we eat into energy.

In 2014, Dr. Lee discovered that during cold exposure and exercise, levels of irisin and FGF21 (hormones produced by brown fat tissue) rise, which triggers the body to burn white fat and help you lose weight. In fact, 10-15 minutes of shivering increases irisin to such a level that it has the same effect as an hour of moderate exercise!

And the colder the temperature, the faster the metabolic process…

Fun fact: young babies have a lot of brown fat to keep them warm, as they do not have the ability to shiver. As we get older and develop the ability to shiver to stay warm, we gradually lose brown fat tissue. This is why children never seem to feel the cold!

Insulin is a hormone that helps you regulate your blood sugar levels. But if you are diabetic, it means  you’re insulin resistant, and your body stores fat more easily. This can be tackled through cold exposure, as it clears glucose from the bloodstream and improves insulin sensitivity. Brown fat also helps the body to manage insulin overload, by improving glucose equilibrium since this is the number one energy currency for your cells.

Think of cold water therapy as a powerful tool for kickstarting your metabolism. Exposing yourself to colder temperatures can help you unlock the energy you need to keep burning fat - it's the key to long-term metabolic health!

Mental Benefits of Cold Water Immersion 

If you’ve considered cold water therapy for anxiety, you’re on to something. Cold water immersion has a range of mental benefits, from improving mood to reducing stress. 

Let’s start with my specialty, shall we? Managing stress and anxiety.

As I mentioned above, the cold water triggers the body’s natural fight-or-flight response, essentially causing you stress. Now you’re probably thinking “Why would I want to cause myself more stress to reduce stress?”

Bear with me! Getting into a cold shower or body of water gets you into fight or flight- the trick now is to take control of it through deep breathing. Practices that emphasise a long exhale like Rectangle breathing or Mountain breath, that I teach in my programme and course, will stop that stress response and return you to a state of calm.

Which, in short, is training your nervous system and yourself for resilience. Every time you do this, you are learning to self-regulate. So the next time you are in a stressful situation, whether it is physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, you will be better equipped to face that challenge.

If you’ve ever tried cold water immersion, you would have noticed how “buzzing” you feel after. The motivation, the clarity of mind, the elevated mood…

It’s no surprise when you know that your dopamine level rise by 250% from your baseline levels!

Dopamine is a molecule that makes us feel good, it’s a reward for our brains! It makes us motivated to get it again, which is why it’s critical to our motivation and why we can get addicted to substances that create a peak of it like nicotine, cocaine and amphetamines.

But unlike these drugs that make our dopamine level crash very shortly after and take our baseline level even lower than where we started (making us feel miserable in the process), cold water immersion keeps our dopamine levels high for hours and hours, and even bring our baseline level up.

So when practiced consistently, it makes us happier and happier!

Dopamine also has an incredible effect on our brain, making connections between neurons that are not usually firing together. As a result, we get a boost in creativity and problem solving, and great clarity of mind!

Tips for Safe & Effective Cold Water Immersion

Cold water immersion can help you to reset your body and mind and improve your overall mental and physical health. However, it is important to remember that cold water immersion should be done with caution and safety in mind.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your cold water immersion sessions:

1. Start slow

You don’t need to jump into a cold loch or plunge into icy water to get the benefits! You can do cold water therapy at home. Start by gradually introducing your body to colder temperatures, such as turning your water to cold at the end for 30 seconds and gradually increase the time, or dipping your feet and hands in cool water. This will help you to slowly acclimate to cold water immersion. There are also specific cold water therapy tubs you can purchase if you’re serious about implementing this into your routine.

2. Take your time

Don’t rush into it, cold water shock can be fatal! Never go alone and stay close to the shore.

If the stress response is making you feel dizzy or sick, come out of the water and breathe deeply. Then maybe try again. It may take a few minutes for your body to adjust to the cold temperature, so be patient and take your time.

3. Focus on your breath

Cold water immersion can be intense and overwhelming. To help your body cope with the stress, focus on your breathing and make sure to keep your breath steady and slow, with long exhales.

4. Boots, gloves and hat

Wear wetsuit boots and gloves if going into a loch or the sea. First, this helps protect your feet from sharp stones and will make walking more comfortable and safe, so you don’t fall into the water. This will also help you stabilise your core temperature. Our hands, feet, cheeks and ears have glabrous skin: it’s hairless and has a special vascular structure designed to cool us down quicker. It’s also why warming your hands and feet afterwards will warm your entire body quicker!

5. Master the art of the quick change

Make sure you get changed quickly after coming out of the water. Your body is so numb that you don’t feel the cold that much anymore- don’t hang around!

Use a changing robe (the fleecy ones, they’re a game changer!), and quickly put on thick socks, warm bottoms and top, and warm your hands! Having a hot drink in a flask is also a great idea.

6. Listen to your body

If it doesn’t feel right, you’ve had enough or you start to feel cold at your core, get out the water! You have NOTHING to prove! 

When Is Best And How Long Should You Do Cold Water Therapy?

To not mess up your biological clock, it’s always best to do cold in the morning, and warm at night. This is the gold standard for a good night’s sleep.

Then, start with your goal in mind. Are you doing this for stress and resilience, mental health benefits, inflammation control or weight loss?

A recent study has shown that we get benefits from 11 minutes per week in total. It doesn’t have to be in one session but can be distributed over 2-4 sessions across the week.

For muscle recovery after intense exercise, under 5 mins has proved to be effective when done between 4-8h following exercise.

For fat loss, it has to be to the point of shiver, and you must let your body warm back up on its own afterwards- no hot shower allowed!

How cold? The rule here really is just cold enough that it stresses your body and you want to get out! 

By following these tips, you can make the most of your cold water immersion sessions. With practice and patience, you’ll be able to reap the incredible benefits of cold water immersion for stress management and wellbeing!

In summary

The practice of cold therapy has gained popularity in recent years for its incredible benefits to wellbeing and stress management. With a few minutes of cold water immersion per week, you can reduce stress, improve blood circulation, improve sleep quality and increase energy levels.
Additionally, you can help reduce inflammation, increase mental clarity and help you manage your weight! 

And best of all, it can be used by anyone looking to improve their overall health and wellness, so are you ready to take the cold water plunge?

➡️ Do you live near Loch Lomond? Do you want to join a group of like-minded women to go cold water dipping? If so, get in touch!