07/01/2022
Why Cold Exposure?
I’ve sited (cherry picked) a couple papers on the positive effects on your immune system by suppressing illness and being able to better cope with stress.
That being said, I’ve always looked at the practical effects of all wellness related activities I do and cold exposure, quite simply makes me feel great after. You can’t really tell if it’s suppressing illness as there’s a strong correlation to a healthy lifestyle which also affects immune system, however, for me it’s both how I good I feel after and it acts as an “emotional reset”.
These practical effects, placebo or not, are still realized.
So should you practice cold exposure? That’s up to you. Is it the one thing you could do to improve your wellness? Probably not, I’d prioritize improving sleep (unless sleep is difficult then maybe cold exposure could help!) How do you get used to the cold? Great question… The reaction you experience is similar to being exposed to other forms of emotional stress but… the anxiety quickly subsides when your body realizes it’s no longer in danger. If you’re new to this, that will be longer and it gets better. First start with showers to help your body cope with that stress
1. Start with a hot shower. At the end of your shower, turn the temperature down as low as you can tolerate 30 seconds of exposure on your back (then you can turn around, lift up your arms get adventurous…). If you can - mark your faucet so you know where you were for step 2!
2. Repeat these steps and try to go a bit cooler each time you can hit 30 seconds, if not, stay at the same temp until it becomes “normal” (if you do this honestly, it will become normal)
3. Once you can get your shower down to as cold as it will go, I find 2-3 min allows for enough of the practical benefits
Glad I’ve convinced 1% of you…
References (google for full paper
1996;72(5-6):445-50. doi: 10.1007/BF00242274.
2008;70(5):995-1001. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.052. Epub 2007 Nov 13.
