The Secret Benefit Of Cold Therapy And How To Easily Start Today
Being cold is the bane of my existence. When you sprinkle, in cold therapy, making it seem as though it’s therapeutic, you’re sorely mistaken.
I messaged a family member the other day, and said, “try no to freeze your ass off up there.”
As a typical Northern born snow snob would say, “we are in the perfect weather season 1 of 2. 60 degree average days is what I look forward to, you can have that 90+ degree shit.”
He’s confused. Cold weather sucks. So does cold therapy.
But there are a few key benefits.
Let’s get the typical list of health benefits out of the way.
Wim Hof has brought massive attention to cold therapy. He’s the crazy run a marathon barefoot in the snow kind of guy.
With scientific research, it’s unquestionable the health benefits cold therapy has on our lives.
There’s evidence that frequent cold exposure speeds up metabolism, reduces inflammation, improves sleep, focus, and immune system response.
It sounds incredible, but if you’re like me, you still have to dip your sensitive little toes in 45F water, which is why I love this benefit.
Cold therapy forces you to regulate your breathing and control your mind.
You’ll see amateur cold plungers jump into an ice bath and breathe frantically. Yes, I was one of them.
Who’s in control? The cold or you?
I’ve heard plenty of excuses about why people don’t do ice baths or cold showers.
“I hate the cold,” they’ll say, which tells me they’re mentally weak. They of all people need to take advantage of the incredible mental benefits of cold therapy.
Sure, it’s not something I love to do, but I also want to make sure I’m getting out of my comforter zone every day and controlling my mind in the process.
That’s the critical benefit of cold therapy.
It forces you to take control of your mind. It helps strengthen your resolve. It teaches you to breathe and overcome.
If you jump into an ice bath and breathe as if a UCF fighter kicked you in the stomach, you’re missing the point.
The ice is in control, not you.
How to quickly build a cold therapy ice plunge, without buying bags of ice
It’s easy to take a cold shower or throw bags of ice in a bath, but the temperature is a pain to regulate.
Here’s how I’ve built my cold plunge and utilize it every day:
Buy a 18 - 20 cubit feet chest freezer. Make sure it’s lined with plastic, not metal.
Seal the inside crevices with food-safe silicone sealant.
Turn on your freezer chest and let run. Monitor the temperature with a laser infrared thermometer.
Once the temperature reaches 43F - 47F, plug the chest freezer into a digital timer and set it to run at night for 2.5 - 3 hours.
Unplug the freezer when you’re ready to get in.
Take 25 fast breathes in through your nose and out your mouth.
Get in for four to eight minutes. Breathe slowly and in control.
Exit the cold plunge and plug it back into your digital timer.
Purify your cold plunge using an ozone generator and hydrogen peroxide.
Enjoy cold therapy for the health benefits, but take advantage of the incredible impact it’ll have on your mind.
