Now that we are well and truly in the midst of summer, there’s no better time to try out a cold plunge or add it more regularly into your routine. Although taking an icy dip is something that has been a hot topic as of late, cold plunging is something that has been practised across multiple cultures going back thousands of years, boasting many therapeutic, spiritual and social effects.

Whether you want to cold plunge for your mental health, muscle recovery or
just to have something new in your routine; there are many amazing benefits that
come with the practice including:

Mental Health: Cold Plunge as A Natural Mood Booster

The moment we enter into cold water our body releases a wave of
endorphins and neurotransmitters. Endorphins are a natural mood
booster creating a sense of euphoria and reducing feelings of anxiety
and depression. This immediate shift can last for hours, leaving you
feeling refreshed, energised, and more focused. The main
neurotransmitter that is released is norepinephrine, which helps to
increase alertness and mood regulation.

Supporting Our Stress Response

One of the key benefits of cold exposure is the potential to enhance
your body's ability to adapt to stress over time, a concept known as
"hormesis." When you expose yourself to controlled stress (like cold
water), your body becomes better at managing other forms of stress,
both physical and emotional. This process may strengthen your overall
resilience, helping you bounce back from stressful situations more
quickly.

Faster Muscle Recovery

Cold plunging can do a number of things to help our muscles recover
quicker. Firstly, it helps to reduce inflammation. Use of our muscles
creates small tears in our muscle fibres, and the body responds with
inflammation to promote healing. Although this inflammation is
necessary, cold plunging speeds up this process by causing short-term
vasoconstriction, which slows down blood flow to our muscles,
therefore reducing swelling. Once we are out of the cold water, our
body starts to warm up via vasodilation, which increases the flow of
blood back to our muscles rich of oxygen and nutrients which aids in
the removal of metabolic waste products such as lactic acid.
Cold plunging can also help with muscle soreness or delayed onset
muscle soreness (DOMS). They help by numbing the sensory nerves
and dulling pain perception, providing temporary relief from soreness.

Boosting Our Immune System
There are a few ways cold plunges may enhance our immune system.
One of these is by increasing our white blood cell count. When you
immerse your body in cold water, the stress placed on your system can trigger a response that boosts the production of white blood cells,
which are responsible for defending the body against infections. A
strengthened immune system may also be due to the enhanced
circulation experience from cold plunging. When you exit the cold
water, vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) occurs, allowing fresh,
oxygenated blood to circulate through the body. This improved
circulation can help flush out toxins, enhance nutrient delivery, and
support overall immune system health.

Enhancing Sleep with Cold Plunge
One of the most powerful ways cold exposure can aid sleep is by
helping regulate your core body temperature. Our bodies naturally cool
down in the evening as part of the sleep-wake cycle, preparing for rest.
When this cold exposure is done regularly, especially in the evening, it
may help reinforce your natural circadian rhythm. Aligning your body’s
temperature regulation with its internal clock can improve overall sleep
consistency and quality.

As sleep can commonly be disrupted by stress and anxiety, the
beneficial effects that cold plunging has on our nervous system, as
discussed above, is also extremely beneficial in improving our sleep
onset and maintenance. If your stress feels more manageable, you will
hopefully spend less and less time getting to sleep.

The one thing I love the most about using ice baths and cold plunge is that to get these benefits all
you need is between 30 seconds to 3 minutes out of your day. Ice baths are
available at all of our Nimbus locations, so all you have to do is take this short
amount of time and show up to feel amazing.

Even better yet – attend one of our Cold Plunge Club’s hosted at all our studios nationally on the first Saturday of every month. This is a free event where you can come in and have an ice bath. It’s a great way to try an ice bath for your first time, as you are in an environment where everyone is supporting you through the experience. It’s amazing to see the empowering effect this has on people for their first time in an ice bath, compared to doing a session by themselves. Keep an eye on our socials for event details every month– spots are limited. Our January version down in Richmond can be found here, for the 11th January.

Words by: Lucy Kenna (Richmond Studio Manager and Naturopath)