Benefits of Cold Therapy

Have you heard of The Wim Hof Method? In recent years, cold therapy has gained popularity, because it is connected to numerous health benefits!

Benefits of Cold Therapy

Exposure to the cold routinely is linked to a number of different health benefits.

Coldwater immersion triggers the body’s natural healing engagement that can relieve the symptoms of many medical conditions and promote a sense of health and well-being.

Scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism, improves the quality of sleep, more focus, improves the immune response, reduces inflammation, swelling, and sore muscles. So many athletes have a practice of cold therapy using ice baths or other forms of exposure to cold to speed up recovery after physical exercise.

Participants of the WHM report health benefits that range from higher energy levels to relief of symptoms caused by autoimmune diseases.

• Speeds up metabolism
• Improves quality of sleep
• Boosts your energy, focus, mood, and memory
• Improves the immune response
• Reduces inflammation, swelling and sore muscles.
• Pain Relief
• Increases your tolerance to stress 
• Reduce muscle spasm
• Increases brown fat
• Increased adrenaline
• Boosts happiness
• Improves blood circulation
• Cold therapy can make you stronger overall, both mentally and physically, by teaching you to work through something uncomfortable.
  

If you want to learn more about the Science visit The Wim Hof Site!

When practiced routinely, cold water immersion can offer long-lasting changes to your body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory, and digestive systems that improve the total quality of your life!

Where to start

Cold Showers

Make it a transition – Start hot and slowly transition to cold temperatures, ending your showers on the coldest setting you can handle. Always end with cold!

• Transition:
  • Take your regular shower at the temperature you choose
  • When you are ready, you can either start to transition to cold, or crank it ice cold instantly.
  • You’re welcome to switch back and forth from cold to hot – but Always finish with cold!
  • But do whatever is going to make you stick with a routine! If that means a slower transition, then do that!
• BREATHE! Focus on your breath, feeling the ins and outs of the breath. The breath is a powerful tool! Deep belly breaths, feel the expansion of the belly, ribs, and chest, as you exhale, release the shoulders, feel the belly pull in towards the spine!
• Visualize success! Practicing Cold Therapy Daily is going to lead to many benefits, so think about all of the benefits you’re going to get from this experience!
• Don’t tense up Obviously your instant reaction to the cold is to tense up. Try to stay calm and focus on the breath!
• Keep a strong posture, and get the entire body immersed!  

Ice Baths

Maybe, just maybe, after trying out the cold showers, you invest in a chest freezer or tub for ice baths! Ice baths help to relieve sore muscles, so many athletes use this method!

• Temperature of the water should be about 44–60° Fahrenheit (7–15° Celsius). 50° is a great place to start.
• Staying in for 2-15 minutes

Lake/Ocean Immersion

If you live in a cold part of the world or experience cold seasons like I do (NY), then why not jump into the lake or ocean? I do not recommend just jumping into an ice-cold lake in the middle of winter, this can be dangerous. But using the right techniques, anyone can enter the water, receiving benefits like mental clarity, a strengthened immune system, reduced anxiety, and more!

People always think you’re crazy – you’re going to get hyperthermia, have you ever heard of the Polar Bear Jump? – Nobody questions that!

And being surrounded by the beauty of nature, adds so much to it!

I recommend you do your own research and look into the WHM for more on this!

When is the best time for Cold Therapy?

There are benefits to cold therapy both in the morning and before bed. First thing in the morning allows you to be energized for the rest of the day, while they say cold showers at night, helps to lower body temperatures, which allows you to transition into a good night’s sleep. Could be a preference, my husband does cold showers daily, and he prefers mornings!

Give it a try!

Let me know in the comments hows it going! Try out the WHM Mobile App!

This also relates to my recent post about Grounding!