Many people think stress is always bad. The real question is: does the stress damage you, or force you to grow?
I get stressed every day. The cold plunge is part of my morning routine.
Almost every morning, I immerse myself in freezing cold water for six minutes. The health benefits include: decreased inflammation, release of dopamine, increased metabolism, lower anxiety, shocking away depression, and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. As far back as Hippocrates, cold therapy has been used to heal and rejuvenate the body.
If you want to know what happens to your body when you get into a cold plunge, watch this video (7:45):
A 2022 randomized control study published in the Biological Research for Nursing found significant pain reduction in people with gout arthritis, an inflammatory condition, when they used ice baths regularly.
Cold plunges triggers a shock response, which activates hyperventilation and puts your body into a fight-or-flight mode. This affects every cell in your body, increasing your dopamine, serotonin, and…