Much as I did with Weight Vest Walking (HERE and HERE), I want to document my experiences with cold plunges. Cold plunging has grown in popularity, with companies creating tubs that you can fill with ice/water to help you plunge at home. I have personally always HATED cold water, so I figured I need to hop on the train and give it a try.

Based on podcasts I’ve listened to and conversations I’ve had with others who frequently plunge, recommendations range for both water temperature and duration of time for the plunge. Anything below 60 F is “ideal”, but I’ve talked to people who have gone as low as 30-34 F (they have actual ice on the surface of the water). Additionally, some recommendations say start as low as 30 seconds and work all the way up to 10 minutes in the cold water.

As of this writing I have done about a week straight of cold plunging in my pool. The water temperature is roughly 48-50 F, and I have gone for 2-3 minutes each day. I figure that as the weather “cools down” here in Phoenix, the pool temperature will naturally drop (and allow me to follow an easy progressive overload model for myself). For someone who struggles to even take a cold shower, this is quite a dramatic (but appropriate) schedule for me. I am doing these plunges in the late afternoon/early evening (I currently have no plans to be jumping in my pool as soon as I wake – we have a bobcat who consistently hangs out in our backyard, and I’d rather not spend my morning in darkness in a cold pool with a bobcat lingering around. Maybe as I become more comfortable with the water I will shift my sessions to the morning).

There are a lot of proposed (and researched) benefits of cold plunging: mood enhancement, improved recovery, reduced inflammation, increased levels of resilience). I will only comment on what I have experienced in my first week, and will post a follow-up article in a few weeks with more updated information. Thus far, my initial reaction is that I LOVE the cold plunging. I like doing difficult things – it has long been a belief of mine that doing hard things creates a more robust human. Learning to control your breathing in a stressful situation essentially makes the cold plunge a mini lab setting for resilience training. Additionally, it has felt easier each day to get into the pool. It feels like something I need to do (much like brushing my teeth or cooking meals – it’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it must be done). When I get out of the pool, I typically have a boost of energy and my soreness greatly reduces. I am dealing with some lower-back/hip issues at the moment, and when I get out of the pool they feel the best (I honestly wish they would feel that good all the time).

Overall, my early impressions of cold plunging are really positive. I understand that I am not going that long or diving into extremely cold water yet, but I plan to progress accordingly. I am interested to see how it affects my training with weights, sprints, plyos, and climbing. I am uncertain if it will negatively affect certain adaptations that I am looking for, and how I will need to adjust my schedule (if at all) to maximize everything. I am wondering if all of this stimulus will create a net positive or net negative on my health and performance. I will be sure to update with more thoughts and notes in due time!