The Ice Age
We’ve all seen it….fellow humans (often dressed up in costume), lining the beach on January 1st, ready to run into the lake screaming like a crazy banshee and racing out just as fast. That’s a polar bear dip my friends….very different than the practice of cold water therapy so get that vision out of your head!
Canadian winters are cold enough as is, so it might seem funny to consider practising cold therapy - in fact, it might seem down right crazy. But if you have dabbled in the natural health world at all, I’m sure you have come across some of these folks, seen an article about it or noticed it on a list of health services at clinics and spas. “Cryotherapy” is the fancy word for cold therapy - but it sounds more mysterious so that means it can be expensive :) Some clinics and health spas offer cryotherapy experiences in the form of cold chambers with dry cold air piped in, others it’s ice baths or maybe contrast therapy (alternating between hot and cold). Most hot spring resorts have a cold “plunge pool” to allow you to experience a different spin on the healing power of water. Regardless, it’s out there, but it doesn’t have to be expensive! Cold therapy is available to all of us - from the comfort of our own home. So let’s take a look at why anyone would voluntarily torture themselves in the freezing cold - and feel good about it!
The most famous cold water guru is Wim Hof, aka the Ice Man, who has long practiced cold therapy: running half marathons in bare feet on the ice and snow, chopping through the ice to immerse in freezing water, and swimming in the most frigid waters of the world - for much longer than science says we should be able to before we freeze to death. He has developed a method for others to practice which includes: training in breathing techniques, cold exposure and commitment (willpower, patience, dedication - basically the brain side of it). Should you be interested in getting serious about your cold water therapy, I’ll leave you to research Wim and his methods further, just keep in mind that he didn’t get there in a day so don’t get “in over your head” and end up needing a cold water rescue!
Cold therapy for health benefits is still being investigated in the literature, but regardless of what the findings may be, I’ve noticed that things that have been around and practiced for centuries across the globe, usually have some merit to them - even if it’s hard to nail down and prove exactly what that is. So let’s take a quick peek at what sort of benefits might be driving this frosty idea. Physiologically speaking, there is some support that frequent exposure to cold can help to improve the function of our immune system, reduce inflammation and improve quality of sleep. Some suggest a shift in metabolism may occur, improved energy, and just a general improvement in the “efficiency” of some of our body systems, not to mention some positive benefits for our mind. We have talked in the past about our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Recall that sympathetics will turn on in response to stress but then should turn off once the job is done. As we know, with chronic stress (be it mental, physical chemical or emotional), the system doesn’t turn off and can hijack our mind and our body, leading to chronic inflammation, disease, and feelings of anxiety. Immersion in cold water is a stressor to our body and it must react to it. Using the cold as a stressor allows us to “practise” turning our sympathetic nervous system on and off and this may help us regulate it when we’re out in the world - even though we used to think that wasn’t possible.
Psychologically speaking, training your mind and body to remain calm during discomfort can be a very valuable life skill. We need this skill to better respond to future cognitive stressors and physical stressors such as our ability to self-regulate when emotionally triggered or experiencing pain. Finally, after the dust settles and you get out of the cold, doesn’t it always feel good to know that you overcame discomfort? This is after alll, how we learn and grow. And when we practice it mindfully, safely and regularly, it’s also how our body learns to react to stress effectively and efficiently - but not over-react.
So how can I dabble in this you say? I’d suggest first why not try the “free” versions - you shouldn’t have to break the bank to torture yourself right?! First, ensure you don’t have health conditions that would make this dangerous (like cardiac or blood pressure concerns - at least have a chat with your doc first if you aren’t sure!). Next, you could start with contrast showers: alternating the water between warm and cool (careful not to do super hot and super cold - you’ll confuse your system a bit too much and may feel dizzy and lightheaded). Try ending your shower on the cool. If you just want to do cold and not worry about contrast, end your shower with more than 30 seconds of cold, working your way up to 3 minutes if you can. Remember, this isn’t a polar bear dip situation - no crazy panic. Stay calm and focus on deep controlled breathing and try to relax. If you want to get more serious, in the winter perhaps you can drag some friends down (or find a cold water group) to dip into the lake with. As I mentioned before, as the popularity of this therapy increases, there are also more and more health spas offering various cryotherapy options, but they certainly are not free.
As with everything else on the health/wellness front, you’ll have to try it for yourself to see if it’s for you! But try it regularly for awhile before you pass judgment, a one-off isn’t going to result in significant change. Try making it part of your morning routine for a couple of weeks and see. Remembering we are trying to remain calm, focus on breathing and control our impulse to lunge for the tap or race out of the shower. Adding this into your day might help with your physical self but it can also help you on your quest to train your mind and your nervous system. And as a bonus - starting your day by overcoming even “planned” discomfort, can set the tone for you to conquer whatever else might come your way - before you even leave the house!