Embracing the New Year with Cold Therapy
Welcome to 2024!
Over the new year I found myself in beautiful Yosemite National Park with friends. Enjoying sunny hikes in nature, eating delicious food (one of my dear friends is a private chef:), and cold plunging in the crystal clear, and very cold river water the park so generously offered us.
The Power of Breath in Cold Plunging
YES! Very cold water can take your breath away.. but that's actually part of the practice: BREATHING. Breathwork has been a part of my practice - from my days in the dance world, to Pilates, yoga, and beyond. Breathwork is a powerful healing modality and has become increasing popular, especially by Wim Hoff - you can read about his work here: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
Plunging myself into cold water is not something new to me, I've been doing it for sometime now, though last few years much more regularly at about 3 x week and I LOVE IT!! Just as my Swedish genes love to stay in a hot sauna for hours... but I'll talk about that another time:)
Benefits of Cold Therapy
COLD THERAPY is so very beneficial for the body, mind + spirit - and has a long history of improved general health benefits, some of which include:
reduced inflammation,
improved hormonal and metabolic health
Improved mental focus
increased fat-burning metabolism by increasing metabolically active brown fat
increased endorphins help elevate mood and can help relieve aspects of depression
The long-term positive effects of submerging our bodies in cold water are similar to those of exercise, providing improved heart rate and vascular control.
It's important to note that women do NOT need as cold a plunge as men, and begin to SHIVER (that's when the benefits REALLY KICK IN;) at a higher temperature than men. Typically, temperatures range anywhere between 32-59 degrees F. I tend to follow the recommendation of Dr. Andrew Huberman and aim for about 18 minutes in cold water each week. You can listen to his thoughts here:
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/using-deliberate-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance
Have you tried cold plunging?
I'd love to hear about your experience - just reply to this post
If you're interested in learning more about lifestyle additions that could improve your health + well-being, reach out to set upa free discovery call with me!
I'm Lisa Thompson, a Functional Nutritionist (FNTP) and I'd like to guide you on a journey to optimal health by providing education, support, accountability, motivation and inspiration. Using a holistic approach, I look deeply at how all of our inter-dependent systems work uniquely, and specifically in each of us- keeping in mind the bigger picture and LIFESTYLE choices that impact our well-being. For instance: how and when we eat, whether we get good sleep, what role exercise plays in our life, and how community, friends, family and belief systems impact our health and vitality.
I am currently taking new clients at this time and would love to work with you.
Email me: lisa@lisamarlenethompson.com