“You can cold plunge without telling everyone.” 😂
My nephew recently sent me this meme of the guy standing on a street corner holding up this sign. I could not stop laughing because you really can’t submerge yourself into ice water and not tell everyone you know about it… including all of you. 😉 At one point in time, my social media manager told me I was not allowed to post any more videos of me jumping into cold bodies of water
I’ve been cold plunging almost daily for several years, and it just feels so good!
Don’t get me wrong—it’s painful to get in the freezing cold water every single day. But when that timer beeps after two minutes, I jump out and feel giddy from the endorphin rush that lasts well into my day!
I laugh, dance around, and have a bit of a permagrin most of the morning.
As pictured below, I use a tub from The Plunge. They offer a variety of models with a ton of helpful features, including smartphone connectivity, a spacious interior and sleek design, and an easy access filter to make maintenance a breeze!
The Wim Hof Method®
The Wim Hof Method®, which combines breathing, meditation, and full-body cold water immersion, has compelling research on its immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory benefits.
For example, one study took two groups of adults: the control group and the study group. The study group was trained for 10 days on the Wim Hof technique, and the control group was not.
At the end of the 10 days, all research participants were injected with E. coli endotoxin (which would normally make us sick). The group trained in the The Wim Hof Method® had lower inflammatory markers on blood work and fewer flu-like symptoms. The control group had higher pro-inflammatory markers and more flu-like symptoms.1
This is one of my favorite ways to stay healthy and feel energized and focused all day!
I do 3 rounds of 30 breaths, followed by meditation and then 2 minutes of cold immersion. The whole process only takes 15-20 minutes.
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References:
- Kox M, van Eijk LT, Zwaag J, van den Wildenberg J, Sweep FC, van der Hoeven JG, Pickkers P. Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 May 20;111(20):7379-84. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1322174111. Epub 2014 May 5. PMID: 24799686; PMCID: PMC4034215.
