Have You Seen #ColdWaterTherapy Trending? Here’s What the Popular Hashtag Is All About
The Story
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about cold water therapy, or at least seen the hashtag #ColdWaterTherapy on your social media feed. Key celebrity proponents like Daniel Craig and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo have been talking up the benefits of ice baths (or “cryotherapy,” if you want to sound all sciencey) for a while now, and there are an average of 2,000 new videos of the subject appearing per week on TikTok, with total video views surpassing half a billion, so it’s probably a good idea that you know something about it, even if you ultimately decide not to partake in a regular plunge.
RELATED: What Is Cold Therapy? And What Are the Benefits?
The health & fitness experts at Mirafit broke down for us the key aspects of cryotherapy, from how to incorporate it into your routine to what benefits you can expect, which goes a very long way towards explaining the kind of clout its getting on social media.
The Snapshot
In brief, cryotherapy involves using cold temperatures to cool your muscle and tissue, supposedly to create all kinds of health benefits. As a general practice, it’s been around for a very long time (think “polar bear plunges” and ice baths), but as exercise scientists have taken a closer look at what used to look like an insane ritual, they’ve discovered that — surprise, surprise — there’s a method behind the madness.
What constitutes cryotherapy? Well, you can dip your toes in the waters, so to speak, by starting with some simple cold exposure: a cold shower, say, or walking around outside in cold weather while underdressed, but more and more people are looking to regular ice baths as the best cost-benefit tradeoff. You just need a bathtub or a barrel and a powerful icemaker and you’re set.
We’re not going to lie to you: it will be tough at first. You may only last a few seconds, or only be able to submerge your lower body or even just your legs below your knees, but gradually you’ll build a higher tolerance and work up to full submersion. You can and should also use a timer, beginning with ten seconds or less and working your way up to minutes of total submersion.
What about the benefits? The experts at Mirafit say these range from the practical to the psychological:
- Better recovery. Your muscles, joints and connective tissues take a beating when you work out regularly, and cold therapy will help stave off inflammation or speed up recovery by causing your body to boost its circulation in response to the cold stimulus.
- Enhance metabolism and immune function Here’s what the Mirafit experts had to say: “Studies have shown that the use of cryotherapy has the possibility of increasing your metabolic rate as your body works to warm itself back up after experiencing the extreme cold. The practice may also help to boost your immune system, as the increase in circulation which occurs when immersed in cold water can help remove toxins from the body. Research also suggests that it may increase the amount of white blood cells, which helps bolster the body’s defence against infections.”
- Beat depression and anxiety. If you struggle with the sads, you’re not alone. Luckily, you can take actionable steps to improve your mood. Exercise is a good starter, but cryotherapy also causes the body to produce endorphins, the same feel-good chemicals released when you go for a long run, and the anecdotal evidence on social media suggests that the long-term mental health benefits of cold exposure far outweigh the temporary pain.
The Lesson
Cryotherapy doesn’t require expensive equipment or access to the most exclusive health clubs. In its basic, ice-and-water format, it’s one of the most affordable and effective health interventions you can incorporate in your routine, with benefits that you would pay top-dollar for if they came in supplement form.
Wondering how to get started? The experts at Mirafit recommend you take things slow: “For those who have never tried the practice before, it is best to take it slowly. Rather than trying more advanced versions of the therapy, taking cold showers can be just as beneficial for beginners as those who use cold exposure regularly – and can be a key introduction to an effective post-workout routine, leaving your body revitalized and in its best condition to smash your next session.”
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