What's up with this coldness?

Okay, I'm not particularly innovative or wise if I say that deliberate and controlled exposure to cold brings good things for the body and mind. That's a fact. There are evidence, countless lectures, studies, personal stories, and experiences that confirm the same thing. Cold is good for us.

Of course, exposure to cold should be voluntary and in controlled conditions.

A cold shower is the simplest way to expose oneself to cold, and anyone can do it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't also try ice baths, cryotherapy chambers, jumping from a sauna into the snow, or come up with your own way to expose yourself to cold, but in a controlled and gradual manner.

When cold showers are mentioned, the first question that comes to mind is "why would anyone ever do this?". It's uncomfortable just thinking about it, it sounds illogical, and suddenly it's becoming more and more popular under the name "cold plunge". All these reasons are enough for most people never to try a cold shower, and I understand that. Nevertheless, I'll try to answer the question "why would anyone ever do this?" and explain what useful things you can gain if you decide to give it a try.

So, what are the positive effects of exposure to cold:

Defense of the Body

• Rallies the troops

The army protecting our body is called the immune system. Exposure to cold sends a signal to the army - "something strange is happening here, wake up troops!". Soon after the signal, the army is awakened and ready to protect us from viruses and bacteria if necessary.

• Multiplies the soldiers

Not only is the army on standby, but reinforcements in the form of white blood cells are rapidly summoned. White blood cells are soldiers in our body and are ready to neutralize any threat we're exposed to. Exposure to cold leads to an increased production of them. So, not only is the army awake, but there are more of them.

• Trains the army

In addition to being awake and having more soldiers, exposure to cold trains our immune system, making our army more skilled and better organized to deal with any potential threat of illness we may face.

Increase in energy and alertness

When exposed to cold, our body is under stress. The brain is shocked and tells us, "What is this?! Get out of here!". It's not comfortable at all, and our only thought is to rush out and wrap ourselves in a towel. However, we stay. The brain realizes that "we're crazy". The situation becomes unpredictable and alarming. The body and mind are put into a state of absolute alertness. It's somewhat similar to being in a dark house knowing there's a serial killer on the loose outside. Maximum caution. Adrenaline levels rise, as does heart rate and blood pressure; we enter into complete focus and are ready to react. This is known as the "fight or flight" mode. Starting the workday in this mode is not a bad idea.

Enhanced feeling of happiness and well-being

This may sound impossible, but it's true. We already know that if we don't listen to the brain telling us to rush out of the cold shower, our body will react, and we are lucky for that. We voluntarily stay in an uncomfortable situation, and logically, our mood rapidly deteriorates. This is where the body releases endorphins. Endorphin is a hormone that serves as a remedy for improving mood, providing energy, and relieving pain. It's like a multi-purpose pill, only natural. The body says, "okay, you're tormenting me with this cold water, I'll fight back". It doesn't allow us to surrender even in such a tough situation. Sooner or later, we'll get out of the cold, but the endorphin will remain.

Battling stress

We've already learned that we're stressed in the cold. We're cold. But it's not the same cold when we take our first cold shower as the fifty-first. The body adapts, and after some time, we tolerate the cold very well. That's cool. But there's something even cooler. Our body doesn't understand the difference between different types of stress. This means it doesn't differentiate whether we're in a stressful situation at work, at home with our partner, or stepping into a cold shower. From this, it's not hard to conclude that if we spend time in cold water, we'll adapt more quickly to other stresses too. This doesn't mean there won't be stress; it means we'll handle it better. Isn't that something?

Improved circulation

When we're in the cold, everything shrinks (men know this). So do blood vessels, resulting in a slowdown of blood flow. The moment we leave the cold, our body quickly warms up. Blood vessels become significantly dilated, even compared to before we entered the cold shower. This leads to a sudden acceleration of blood flow, meaning much more oxygen and nutrients for our muscles and organs. Like fast food. There's plenty of food, and it arrives immediately, with a slight difference. This food is healthy.

Weight loss?

Okay, you won't lose weight by showering with cold water. However, if you're already in some kind of weight loss process, exposure to cold will help, here's how:

In our body, there are white fats and brown fats. White fats are calorie storages. Calories that, if not converted into energy and spent, become fat. These fats are usually stored around the stomach, but they can be anywhere (we know that very well). On the other hand, brown fats are used for heating vital organs and are mostly found around the heart (neck, chest, upper back). When the body needs heating, brown fats kick in, converting a certain number of calories from white fats into energy in order to keep us warm. There's no need to explain that being in a cold shower signals to the body that it needs to warm up.

"Coldness" around the world

Deliberate exposure to cold has been practiced throughout history, and that's no secret. In some countries, this tradition has been retained, and some people base their way of life on it.

The king of coldness is Wim Hof. A man who, through exposure to cold, breathing exercises, and meditation, achieved inexplicable results. Let me just mention a few:

In 2007, he climbed Mount Everest wearing only shorts and shoes. He reached a height of 7,400 meters. He stopped climbing because he injured his foot.

In 2011, he participated in a somewhat bizarre study. He allowed dead bacteria to be injected into his body. Although dead, they cause a strong reaction and the person quickly develops symptoms as if they were sick. Fever, headache, shivering, nausea. Of course, he was fine.

In 2022, for his 63rd birthday, he symbolically spent 63 minutes in an ice bath.

The Finns have lived by the concept of "sisu" for more than 500 years. The sisu concept is based on determination, perseverance, courage, resilience, and endurance. Not bad qualities to have. Avanto is the physical expression of the sisu concept and involves swimming in water (lake, river, sea) covered with ice. The ice is broken, and you either enter it like a bathtub or, if there's space, swim. Finns believe that this strengthens the body and spirit, as well as the sense of community, so avanto group swims are held for bonding rather than racing.

You've decided to give it a try, but you don't know how...

Again, I'll deal with the simplest solution, a cold shower. To feel some benefit, you need to spend 11 minutes in total in a cold shower during one week. You can split it into sessions or do it all at once, but 11 minutes per week is the minimum. More is desirable. It's also desirable to do it gradually.

How cold should it be?

The literature says 10-15 degrees, but the literature says so because it has to say something exact. The truth is that the term "cold" is individual. For someone, even 16 degrees will be very cold, while someone will splash around like in a pond at 5 degrees. This leads us to the answer that it should be cold enough that the only thing you want is to escape from there immediately but not cold enough to harm yourself.

Protection

If you spend time in ice, try to protect your head, hands, and feet to reduce the risk of frostbite.

Not for everyone

Although exposure to cold has countless benefits, people with cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, individuals with certain neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis or polyneuropathies should avoid these procedures. Also, there should be an awareness that prolonged exposure to low temperatures can lead to frostbite. It would also be desirable for pregnant women to skip it.

All in all...

You can use whichever technique you want for exposure to cold and call it whatever you like. Whether it's a cold shower, an ice bath, cold plunge, jumping into the snow, it doesn't matter. What matters is that this thing has so many benefits that it's a shame not to try it, regardless of whether it's mainstream.