Back to my ocean swims on the first day of Spring on the 1st day of September and the 1st anniversary of my husband’s passing…
In winter 2017 I overcame a limiting fear and belief and tentatively started swimming in ocean pools. By 2020, I was swimming at least weekly throughout the year. It soon became an addiction. I even contemplated shaving my head again as a big obstacle was the hassle with long hair - a swimming cap soon solved that.
Anyway this year I felt my nervous system was too fragile too cope with the stress response of the cold exposure during cold weather so skipped swimming over the winter months of July and August.
For me the last year has been about nurturing my nervous system which for the first time in my life has been very fragile as a result of a few stressful years culminating in the passing of my husband a year ago. As much as I love my ocean swims regardless of the weather, listening to my body this winter, it didn’t feel right.
When I did eventually did go back in this week, it felt glorious!
There has been a huge increase in the popularity of cold therapy; plunges and ice baths. As is usually the case, the popularity goes hand in hand with some health professionals and social media influences claiming it a cure for EVERYBODY after all it can’t hurt… well actually for some people it can…
Firstly I must make a distinction between types of cold therapies. Most people immediately think of ice baths.
Ice baths in my opinion are a bit extreme for most people. I believe they have some value for a limited amount of people. Like intermittent fasting, ice baths are more suitable for men. To my mind a small demographic of women can do and can absolutely get benefit from them if they do the work leading up to it and if still cycling, time it correctly.
The cold therapy I believe most beneficial are cold exposure and plunges like cold water face washes, cold showers, cold air on your skin, and ocean swims…
There are numerous benefits and for some people it has been the catalyst for improved mental and physical health and recovery. I do however, urge caution for those with fragile nervous systems or experiencing a recent stressful event and also for people with an autoimmune diagnosis. It can trigger a detrimental stress response and a flare and I wouldn’t be doing it while experiencing an autoimmune flare. When starting out, gradual exposure is recommended. Maybe start with cold water on your face, move on to immersing your face in cold water, then cold showers, cold air exposure, gradually increasing the length of time starting from just a couple of seconds. Cold plunges are exactly that a plunge meaning a limited amount of time. It’s mainly the initial shock to the body that is triggering the benefits.
Like almost everything, it’s not about going gung ho and it’s not ‘if a little is good a lot must be better.’ The principle of hormetics applies: small amounts of stressing the body to a point is beneficial. Over doing it becomes detrimental.
As someone who has not been cold adapted most of my 59 years - it has been quite liberating to gradually become more adapted. It’s still a work in progress for me and one I am excited to continue, especially as I age, for how invigorating it is, the apparent health benefits at a cellular level and how good I feel mentally, emotionally and physically. And of course it’s another opportunity for me to be at one with nature - my place of comfort and nourishment.