I Tried Cold Plunging—Here’s Why I’m Glad I Overcame the Freezing Discomfort
Last Monday, I joined 30 strangers in NYC’s Flatiron district to try one of the most talked-about wellness practices in recent years: Cold Plunging. The session took place at Othership, known for its unique, guided sauna and ice bath classes. I attended a class called the “Reset,” which included a two-minute-long cold plunge. As a first-timer, I had no idea what to expect.
Before my ice bath, the guide warned everyone that “the first 30 seconds is the hardest,” and she wasn’t kidding. The water was a bone-chilling 32°F, right at the freezing point. I dipped in all the way to my neck, and immediately felt an almost unbearable, burning cold. (I seriously felt like I was Jack in the final scenes of the Titanic.) After about 90 seconds, my body was so numb that the burning sensation started to fade. Finally, at the end of the two minutes, I could only feel a mild pins and needles sensation. I was numb and shivering, but I managed to waddle out of the pool. Although moving around hurt for the next 20 seconds, something magical happened shortly after. The cold settled, and I felt energized, confident and alert (literally as if I had just taken my morning double espresso shot).
While ice baths have been around since the ancient Greeks, cold plunging has taken off in recent years, especially on TikTok. #ColdPlunge has over 120,000 posts on the platform, with thousands of people, including celebrities and fitness influencers, documenting their experiences. In 2017, Nina Dobrev told StyleCaster about her daily morning ritual: plunging into her unheated, ice cold pool. Last year, Hailey Bieber posted a TikTok of herself in an ice bath, and in 2022, Harry Styles tweeted a photo of his cold plunge while on tour.
Othership only has locations in NYC and Toronto, but you can cold plunge at other places: luxury gyms like Equinox in Hudson Yards, another social wellness group like Ice Cold Club, or in the comfort of your own home. There seems to be a growing trend of health enthusiasts buying ice baths to do their plunge at home, making the practice more accessible than ever.
What is cold-plunging?
There’s no set-in-stone definition around, but cold plunging is a form of cryotherapy, where you immerse yourself in water that’s 60°F or colder. Once your body hits the cold water, it goes into shock, lowering your internal temperature and slowing your blood circulation. This dramatic shift in body regulation is believed to offer various mental and physical benefits, which is why so many people swear by the practice.
What are the benefits of cold plunging?
You may know that cold plunging pretty popular in the fitness space. Athletes rely on ice baths because it’s believed to reduce muscle soreness and soothe inflammation. Adherents of cold plunging also believe that it may even reduce anxiety and improve overall mental health.
Although the research is still pretty limited, there is some science to back up the benefits of cold plunging. According to a study from MDPI, people who immersed themselves in 68°F water for 5 minutes every day reported feeling “more active, attentive, alert, and inspired.”
Those with inflammatory issues could also benefit from a cold plunge. In another study published in Sage Journals, people with gout arthritis, a condition that causes severe pain and swelling in the joints, reported a reduction in pain and improved joint mobility when they plunged in 68°F for up to 20 minutes everyday.
Aside from pain management and mental clarity, cold plunges may have the potential to regulate blood sugar levels. One scientific review from 2022 shows that those who voluntarily dipped in cold water had a reduced resistance to insulin and improved insulin sensitivity.
What are the risks of cold plunging?
It’s important to note that the recommended time for a cold plunge is 2-3 minutes. Experts do not recommend exceeding 10 minutes, as anything longer can be potentially damaging to skin tissue and other bodily functions. Dr. Kristi Colbenson explained to USA Today that the duration of a cold plunge should match the water’s temperature: the colder the water, the shorter the immersion time.
If you have cardiovascular issues, it’s important to consult a doctor before cold plunging. Ice baths can lower your body’s internal temperature, which in turn can reduce your blood pressure and heart rate—potentially posing risks for those with heart conditions.
That said, as long as you are limiting your cold plunges to less than a few minutes, cold plunging is an effective way to wake up, feel more alert, and improve your mood. I can see why some people take a plunge in the morning, because it could definitely be an alternative to caffeine. Now, is cold plunging a necessary thing to do every single day (like some celebs)? Definitely not. But Hippocrates said “the water can cure everything,” so maybe it’s worth doing at least once.
