I have been cold averse most of my life. This probably came about through years of hanging out in fields and stables with horses as a teenager getting freezing fingers and toes. Once I was able to travel on my own under my own steam I flew straight to Australia and sweated there in the glorious heat for about fifteen months. After returning to the UK I had to regularly travel to warmer climes to get my heat fix.
I used to get cold feet easily and had constantly cold hands. I would feel the cold if a breeze blew and have to wear layers of warm clothes all the time. Then I went barefoot (see previous blog) and the warmth started to return to my feet as the blood flow increased with the mobilisation of ligaments and joints which had been static for too long. I also started breathing slowly and mindfully, which returns more heat to your extremities. I didn’t know this at the time.
When my dad, bless his soul, told me that he turned the shower to cold after his warm shower, I was quite shocked. My dad wasn’t the bravest, though he did love swimming and probably plunged in a few cold seas and pools in his time but not on a regular basis. He may have heard the benefits of it on radio 2 at some point or perhaps in Which magazine or the Telegraph had an article about it. So, when I started to hear about the benefits of the cold for longevity as a trained to be a health coach. I decided to try it. If my dad could do it, then so could I!
I started small, it was the only way and is the safest way. Just turning the tap to cold after my warm shower and then turning it off almost immediately. I couldn’t have been for more than 1 or 2 seconds to start with. The intense shock of the cold meant that it remained at no more than 10 seconds after a shower on the few occasions when I was in the right frame of mind.
Then I moved to Scotland and started dooking (dipping/swimming) in the loch’s and sea in SW Scotland. My guide, Linda, suggested I start with a wet suit in May time till it warmed up. It’s sometime in June when it gets over 17 degrees! So, I moved into ‘skins’ – your swimming cossie that is, with gloved hands because of Reynaud’s type symptoms after a long dook and wet suit booties, partly to walk in over the stones but mainly to save chill blained toes. I have gradually changed my body’s reaction to the cold. It no longer takes my breath away fully. If I do over breath, I can soon get it back under control. It’s akin to exercising a muscle. I had stressed my body out each time going in the cold water for longer and longer session. I managed to swim without a wetsuit into the autumn till the water reached 7 degrees! Now when I had a cold shower it was pretty easy to sustain a minute after a hot shower, possibly even 2 minutes on a good day. I still don’t like full immersing my head though as I often get a cold headache, like you get when eating ice cream to fast.
So why do I do it? Well, I feel ridiculously pleased with myself afterwards. My skin tingles and I feel happy immediately afterwards and this feeling lasts for the rest of the day. It’s scientifically proven to be a serious boost for those happy hormones. Endorphin and dopamine are released which make you feel great. There is also an increase of cortisol, so this is a good thing to do in the morning to wake you up as a boost of cortisol is like having a cup of coffee. Not something to do late at night when you want your cortisol to be dropping and your melatonin rising to help you sleep. Warm showers and baths with no cold at all are much better in the evening.
The ultimate goal would be to have a sauna at home. Moving from hot spaces to cold is an even more extreme stress for the body and can have amazingly beneficial results.
What are the benefits of all this messing about in the cold water then?
Well firstly it’s not for everyone. It is hard a first but if you’ve tried it several times and still really hate it, or feel ill afterwards or any other unwanted symptoms, then don’t do it. Perhaps try sauna instead?!
It can also be very dangerous if not done right. Always go with someone else if you are swimming in open water. Be careful of ‘after shock’ which is when your core body temperature keeps dropping after you get out of the water. If you start shivering, its time to get out. You need to regulate your breathing so you don’t hyperventilate.
Cold exposure can :
- increase focus and energy
- build resilience and grit,
- enhance mood
- increase our metabolism.
How wouldn’t want that?!
Cold exposure can increase levels of brown fat in the body which:
- Maintains your body temperature.
- Produces and stores energy.
- Burns calories.
- Helps control blood sugar and insulin levels.
Have you braved the cold yet? I’d love to hear more about it if so.
What have you got from the experience? Will you continue to do it?
Are you spreading the word and getting your friends involved?
References:
https://www.instagram.com/susanna_soeberg/?hl=en
https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance/
