{"id":4805,"date":"2023-08-31T11:36:45","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T16:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?p=4805"},"modified":"2023-08-31T11:37:51","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T16:37:51","slug":"cold-temperatures-for-better-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health","title":{"rendered":"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Freezing showers, ice baths, cold plunges \u2014 cooling off is a super-hot wellness trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read articles about people taking freezing showers every morning for a month, see TikToks of influencers dunking themselves in ice baths, and hear people discussing cold plunges on health-related podcasts. Many people claim that immersing yourself in cold water has all sorts of benefits for your mind and body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But does the trend live up to the hype? Here are a few of the ways cold plunges might help your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Effects on Metabolism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold plunges may raise your metabolism<\/a>, helping your body burn calories at a faster rate. This change is likely temporary, but those who do cold water immersions more regularly may see a greater effect<\/a>. On the other hand, there\u2019s not yet any evidence that shows that people can lose weight from cold plunges alone. While you may burn more calories overall with regular ice baths, the difference probably won\u2019t make up for a bad diet or lack of exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your metabolism may also be affected in other ways by cold temperatures. Some research shows that your cells may become more sensitive to insulin<\/a> after regular cold plunges, which means that your tissues can more effectively convert sugar in your blood to energy. This might help protect against conditions like diabetes<\/a>, although this hasn\u2019t yet been studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold Temperatures and Circulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exposing your tissues to the cold shocks your system<\/a>. You start breathing faster, your blood pressure ramps up, and your heart goes into overdrive. As a result, you have more blood flow throughout your body, which can reduce pain and help you move around more easily<\/a>. However, you can also boost circulation through other methods, such as by simply going on a walk<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise Recovery After a Cold Plunge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People who work out may find that an ice bath speeds up their recovery. Those who take the plunge after exercising have less muscle soreness<\/a> afterward. These effects are primarily seen after high-intensity exercise that gets your heart pumping fast, but not for strength-training workouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ice Baths and Immunity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may be able to use the cold to boost your immune system. One study reported that, after a month, those who ended their morning shower with a burst of cold water were nearly 30% less likely to call in sick to work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How the Cold Affects Your Mental Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The shock of a cold plunge may activate responses in your brain that help you better deal with stress<\/a>, improve your mood, and boost your ability to focus. One study also found that cold showers may help reduce symptoms of depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Cold Plunges Safe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you attempt a cold plunge, it\u2019s important to understand that water temperatures affect your body differently than air temperatures \u2014 just because your body can handle 40\u00b0F air for a certain amount of time doesn\u2019t mean it will be okay with 40\u00b0F water. Heat is leached out from your body 25 times quicker<\/a> when you\u2019re in water compared to air. Don\u2019t overdo your ice bath!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, cold plunges aren\u2019t a good idea for everyone. Because they strain your heart and have the potential to cause heart damage, cold water immersions shouldn\u2019t be attempted by people with a history of heart conditions<\/a> or by those taking blood pressure medications.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also important to know that, while cool showers or baths may provide some benefits, there\u2019s no evidence they can cure chronic conditions. Experts warn that you shouldn\u2019t use cold plunges in place of traditional medical treatments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Try a Cold Plunge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Want to test out cold water immersion for yourself? The easiest way to do this is by turning the dial to \u201cC\u201d at the end of your shower. You can also try filling up the tub with cold water and dipping yourself in. Some spas or sports clubs also have cold plunge tools available that you can use after a workout or sauna session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll have to bring the water temperature down below 60\u00b0F<\/a> to see any health effects. The good news is that you don\u2019t have to spend a ton of time shivering and freezing \u2014 30 seconds is often enough to experience benefits, and you\u2019ll get all the benefits you can after a couple of minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s best to go slow, gradually decreasing the temperature each day. This strategy is safer than, say, participating in a polar plunge where your body suddenly gets extremely cold without any preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As soon as you\u2019re done with your ice bath, warm yourself back up<\/a>. Put on warm clothes and grab a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cold<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Are Cold Plunges Right for You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, cold plunges may provide small benefits, although research into this area is in the early stages. As the authors of one recent scientific review stated, \u201cWithout further conclusive studies, the topic will continue to be a subject of debate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways, although they aren\u2019t likely to lead to major health changes on their own. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results once you have consulted your physician.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Freezing showers, ice baths, cold plunges \u2014 cooling off is a super-hot wellness trend. You can read articles about people taking freezing showers every morning for a month, see TikToks of influencers dunking themselves in ice baths, and hear people discussing cold plunges on health-related podcasts. Many people claim that immersing yourself in cold water […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":4804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nCold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Health Perch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-31T16:36:45+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-31T16:37:51+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mo McNulty\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@healthperch\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mo McNulty\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health\",\"name\":\"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-31T16:36:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-31T16:37:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/5a57400ed43ac496feb1e2ba4f505158\"},\"description\":\"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":627,\"caption\":\"Cold Temperatures For Better Health\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/\",\"name\":\"Health Perch\",\"description\":\"A Digital Health Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/5a57400ed43ac496feb1e2ba4f505158\",\"name\":\"Mo McNulty\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb737b5e10222b38c963cd0f3d1df5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb737b5e10222b38c963cd0f3d1df5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mo McNulty\"},\"description\":\"Maureen McNulty studied molecular genetics and English at Ohio State University. She has spent over a decade researching the genetic causes of \u2014 and possible treatments for \u2014 multiple types of cancer. Maureen is now a medical writer who is passionate about helping people use science to enrich their lives.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/mo-mcnulty\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch","description":"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch","og_description":"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health","og_site_name":"Health Perch","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/healthperch","article_published_time":"2023-08-31T16:36:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-31T16:37:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mo McNulty","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@healthperch","twitter_site":"@healthperch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mo McNulty","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health","name":"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress - Health Perch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-31T16:36:45+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-31T16:37:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/5a57400ed43ac496feb1e2ba4f505158"},"description":"Cold plunges may boost your health in certain ways. Incorporate them into a healthy lifestyle for best results.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Cold-Temperatures-for-Better-Health-Banner.jpg","width":1200,"height":627,"caption":"Cold Temperatures For Better Health"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/cold-temperatures-for-better-health#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cold Plunges: How Exposing Yourself to Cold Temperatures May Reduce Fat and Fight Stress"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/","name":"Health Perch","description":"A Digital Health Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/5a57400ed43ac496feb1e2ba4f505158","name":"Mo McNulty","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb737b5e10222b38c963cd0f3d1df5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb737b5e10222b38c963cd0f3d1df5?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Mo McNulty"},"description":"Maureen McNulty studied molecular genetics and English at Ohio State University. She has spent over a decade researching the genetic causes of \u2014 and possible treatments for \u2014 multiple types of cancer. Maureen is now a medical writer who is passionate about helping people use science to enrich their lives.","url":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/author\/mo-mcnulty"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4805"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4805"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4807,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4805\/revisions\/4807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.northwestpharmacy.com\/healthperch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}