Considering a Cold Plunge?

Cold plunges are having a moment on TikTok right now, but the truth is that they’ve been around for centuries. What is a cold plunge? It’s a type of hydrotherapy that involves immersion in cold water for somewhere between 30 seconds and three minutes. Why do people do this? That’s an easy one: they do it because of the vast array of benefits it provides for their bodies. From reducing inflammation to supporting weight loss, the benefits of a cold plunge are remarkable. Read on to learn more!

Cold Plunge Benefits

Why is a cold plunge beneficial? When the body is exposed to the shock of cold water, several physiological responses occur, resulting in a variety of benefits. While they were once primarily used by athletes to speed recovery, cold plunges are now used by people in every walk of life. Among the many benefits of a cold plunge are the following.

A cold plunge reduces inflammation. Inflammation in the body is the cause of many chronic illnesses, and a cold plunge reduces it by narrowing blood vessels and redirecting blood flow to vital organs. This is called vasoconstriction, and it reduces inflammation in specific areas. Cold plunges can be especially helpful for those dealing with chronic inflammation, because they lower cytokines, a type of pro-inflammatory protein, resulting in an anti-inflammatory effect.
Your immune system gets a boost from a cold plunge. When you are immersed in cold water, your white blood cell production is stimulated. This strengthens the immune system and helps prevent immune system burnout.
Taking a cold plunge is good for exercise recovery. Fitness enthusiasts have long understood that cold plunges help increase the blood flow necessary to deliver oxygen and nutrients to damaged tissue. This speeds the recovery process and makes it more efficient.
As you might expect, a cold plunge stimulates circulation. The vasoconstriction and dilation that occurs during a cold plunge pushes blood through the body, delivering it to muscles and organs and promoting waste removal from extremities.
Muscle contraction during a cold plunge stimulates the lymphatic system. By doing this, cold plunges support detoxification, aiding lymphatic drainage and helping to flush out toxins. Cold water immersion also boosts the production of antioxidants, helping to protect against oxidative stress.
Cold plunges activate shock proteins. Because cold exposure can be dangerous, our bodies produce cold shock proteins, which protect the cells from stress. Cold shock protein benefits are numerous and include the reduction of muscle loss, activation of antioxidant enzymes, and promotion of cell survival. Shock proteins have also been linked to the regeneration of damaged neurons.

The Right Way to Plunge

So, are you ready to try a cold plunge? Make sure you’re doing it correctly. The right cold plunge temperature is usually somewhere between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, though some people prefer it as cold as 38 degrees Fahrenheit. How long should a cold plunge be? This requires a more subjective answer. Most people plunge for three minutes or less, though some stay in as long as 15 minutes or more. How long to cold plunge is a personal choice, but it’s recommended that you start with a short time and work your way up to a longer plunge

Treating the Whole Person

At Advanced Functional Medicine, an integrated medical clinic, we exclusively practice functional medicine. A full functional medicine approach to healing uses a comprehensive diagnostic screening to get to the root of a patient’s issues. Our whole body approach to medicine utilizes all-natural, researched-based nutritional approaches to optimize the body’s natural healing abilities, rather than just using medication to treat symptoms. Each individual receives unique and customized care, formulated based on the latest scientific resource, and we have a 96 percent success rate in patient outcomes. As a medically driven, patient-focused health clinic, we support our patients’ individual health goals, providing natural relief for symptoms of chronic factors and expert guidance about the decisions affecting a patient’s long-term health. It is our goal to help reverse chronic disease without resorting to dangerous or unnecessary drugs or surgical interventions, promoting healing from the inside out, in its truest, healthiest form. To schedule an appointment or learn more about how we can help restore your health and strengthen your body’s unique physiological functions, call 858-500-5572 or contact us through our website.