Cold Water Therapy, a Training Ground for the Mind and Body
Author: Michael Roviello
Cold therapy a new fad or ancient tool? These days it’s not hard to find a social media post being shared by someone sitting in a horse trough of ice-cold water or a person doing jumping jacks in a -230 degrees Fahrenheit cryotherapy room.
It’s a fast-growing recovery tool being used by not just athletes but weekend warriors and average Joes looking for that mental edge or relief from physical pain. Many are using as an alternative to natural energy boost and anti-depressant too. So why so much buzz and how can we train our mind and body using such a simple technique?
As a Wim Hof Method instructor, XPT coach and owner of a human optimization center that has cold water therapy devices, I have the opportunity to put a lot of people through this experience. I typically ask people if this will be their first experience and many have reflected back to their athletic H.S or college days soaking in cold water after practice. Many fail to report that they soaked from the waist down, while getting your heart and shoulders underneath the ice water provides a totally different and more challenging experience.
So, what are some of the physiological changes that occur in ice water? The first phase of the ice bath experience is when you first step in. You will typically get a strong fight or flight reaction as your nervous system switches to the sympathetic tone. Shortness of breath, shallow breathing and an immediate reaction of wanting to get out or clench and fight the experience occurs. It’s a normal reaction and important part of the process.
Our internal thermostat a region of the brain called the hypothalamus senses danger and signals for a variety of processes to occur. Our body starts too ramp up noradrenaline, also called norepinephrine, a fight or flight hormone starts to flood our body. This neurotransmitter creates many affects in the body and is associated with fight or flight and perceived danger.
Immediately this neurotransmitter will raise our heart rate, and in the blood vessels, it triggers vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels), which increases blood pressure. It starts to have an effect on our mood too, increasing alertness and speeds reaction time. It’s been shown to play a role in concentration and depression.
As our blood vessels start to restrict and move blood from the extremities to the core to ensure our precious internal organs stay at normal temperatures, we typically feel the discomfort in the hands and toes due to loss of circulation and blood flow. Sound scary yet?
Human beings are very old, very resilient, we’ve sailed the seven seas and walked across freezing cold temperatures and baron deserts. In the Information age, we have been accustomed to a comfort, temperature controlled lifestyle and comfort might be making us weak and sick….
Here is where the training starts… Well, actually it starts before you even get in. Its commitment, make that decision mentally before you step in. The cold teaches us to decide and to commit, a training process for our behavior. Have you ever done something half-ass and still were making the decision even after you started the process? Of course, we all have but we know that at our best is not when we are half committed. I like to call it, all in! It’s a perfect metaphor for life.
As we sit in “stress”, cold water is a type of hormesis, a controlled stress, we are choosing to be uncomfortable, and that pays dividends for the mind and the body.
As our sympathetic nervous system takes over, we can consciously focus on our breathing, work to decrease our respiratory rate and breath slower, fuller, longer and calmer. This is like a changing of the dial of the nervous system, putting us into a more parasympathetic (rest and relax ) state and also having a direct effect on our brain waves, going from more beta waves (attention on our outer world) into alpha and theta waves (attention on our inner world).
This meditative state we find ourself in and conscious breathing techniques allows us to train our mind and body to adapt and react to stress in a healthy way. It also allows us to go deeply into meditation while sitting in cold water and influence our nervous system moving from fight or flight to restful states by changing our breathing, mentally surrendering and letting go. Acceptance is a powerful lesson and when we fight the experience we suffer and when we let go, we find peace. Sound familiar to life experiences? By using the cold as a teacher, we can train our behaviors, reactions and nervous system. So next time you think about taking an ice bath, it’s not about conquering the ice bath, but more about conquering yourself!
References:
Briley, M., & Chantal, M. (2011). The importance of norepinephrine in depression. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 9. https://doi.org/10.2147/ndt.s19619
van Marken Lichtenbelt, W. (2017). Who is the Iceman? Temperature, 4(3), 202–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2017.1329001
Author
Michael Roviello is the cofounder of co-owner of Optimyze, Mind, Body Breath, a Human Optimization Center based in Phoenix, Arizona. Michael is also a Wim Hof Method Certified Instructor and XPT Certified coach.
Michael served as a helicopter search and rescue swimmer in the U.S Navy and now owns and operates Optimyze. Michael has a MBA and Master Degree in Adult Education and Training. Michael is a health advocate and coach empowering others to take personal responsibility using biohacking, self-discipline and primal techniques helping to bridge the gap between science and ancient practices.
Disclaimer:
All information posted is merely for education and informational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for professional or medical advice. Please consult with your Primary Care Physician if you have any concerns or questions. Should you decide to act upon any information on this website, you do so at your own risk.
Cover photo: Wim Hof Method Fundamentals course. IG: Poonam_lata_333