Feb 8 in General discussion
Lesson #15: Feeling Alive?
One of the greatest benefits that I noticed very quickly (even after my first time) to getting in the cold water was just how alive I felt.
It’s the ultimate alertness, and it’s not uncommon to feel this for hours.
When we immerse in cold water for the short term, we activate our sympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as our “fight or flight” system.
That means that massive amounts of chemicals such as noradrenaline and norepinephrine are being released into our bloodstream to aid our bodies in the experience.
Short term, we are increasing our heart rate, our blood pressure, and our pupils are dilating.
Of course long term these are symptoms that can cause harm, but in very short hormetic situations like taking an ice bath or a cold shower, these can be beneficial.
One of the biggest challenges that people might experience when they start taking ice baths is that they think “more is better.”
It’s simply not true in this case, and as Dr. Susan Soeberg has studied extensively for a decade, the science shows that doing just 11 minutes PER WEEK is a very good baseline as to not stress or fatigue the body out too much.
In other words, enjoy that feeling of aliveness, but don’t overdo it.
Just like you wouldn’t try to drink 12 cups of coffee everyday because of the looming crash that would come on and the stress on your adrenal system, the same is true for cold exposure.
Be smart, listen to your body, and remember in most cases with regards to deliberate cold exposure, less is more.
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Lesson #15: Feeling Alive?
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