What is it?
Cold water therapy is the practice of using water that’s around 59°F (15°C) to treat health conditions or stimulate health benefits. It’s also known as cold hydrotherapy.
The practice has been around for a couple of millennia. But recent adaptations include ice baths, brisk daily showers, outdoor swims, and cold water immersion therapy sessions.
While some might see cold-plunging as just another trend, it has historically been used for its health benefits. It is dated back to ancient civilizations as a part of their bathing routines. While initially this started as a way to cleanse their body, they eventually recognized the health benefits from bathing in cold baths.
The research is clear: Cold water immersion can help lower your body temperature much faster than just resting in a cool environment can.
A 2015 meta analysis by Zhang et al 2015, of 19 studies concluded that contact with cold water (around 50°F or 10°C) cooled off overheated people twice as fast as recovery without hydrotherapy.
The key is to immerse as much of your skin as possible. This means dunking your whole body in cold water, not just running your wrists under a cold tap.
What are the benefits of a daily Cold Plunge?
More research needs to be done still but this is what we have for now!!!
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