3 Legitimate Reasons You Should Not Cold Plunge, and 1 Sure Sign You Definitely Should
Everyone is on the cold plunge kick right now.
In the past year, I've seen a massive rise in the popularity of cold plunging. Before companies started selling at-home cold plunges left, right, and center most people looked at you like you were crazy if you willingly got into cold water. Now that we know there can be legitimate reasons to cold plunge, the concern is less about getting people to take the plunge but when you shouldn't
There are 3 key reasons why it's best to save your dip in cold water for another time.
Reason #1 - Immediately Post-Training
Right after a workout is not when we want to be cold plunging.
I'm sure you've seen images of football players jumping into cold tubs filled with ice after a steamy day at summer training camp. It's been the classic image of cold plunging forever but it's not the right image to portray.
When you hear someone refute the benefits of cold plunges they often pull on research that was done immediately post-training with runners and other athletes. The results show that the cold can blunt the adaptation response that causes muscles to grow bigger and stronger. You probably don't want that because getting results from your workouts are hard enough as it is.
Give yourself at least 3 or 4 hours post-training before plunging into cold water. This gives your body a chance to kick in the adaptation response to training before kicking out additional inflammation with the cold water.
There are much better times to cold plunge than right after your workout. If you're in the middle of a long weekend of back-to-back events you can use the cold water to blunt some pain and freshen back up but for your normal workout routine, save the cold plunges for recovery days and keep them away from your training.
Cold water it seems can be as effective as Advil at cutting down inflammation but we need that initial inflammatory response after a workout to signal muscles to grow bigger and stronger.
Reason #2 - You're Redlining
Have you ever felt like you were on the verge of having a complete meltdown?
Like if one more task hits your plate you'll lose it. This stressed-out state of "too muchness" for too long is how we reach burnout.
When we're redlining on the edge of burnout, our nervous system is already fried. Often when I see someone push themselves through cold plunging when they're already on the edge, the physical and environmental stress of the extreme cold is enough to reach the tipping point. People will feel depleted and run down if they don't have the extra capacity to handle a cold plunge from this state.
So don't cold plunge if you're already pushed to the limit.
How will you know if you're in this state?
If you're feeling frazzled and pushed to your limit, you're probably close enough to want to avoid cold plunging right now. You can also gain insight into the state of your nervous system with HRV or if your resting heart rate or breathing rate has gone up recently.
In this case, spend some time doing activities that promote more relaxation first without the intensity of a cold plunge, like float therapy.
Reason # 3 - You're Already Sick
Maybe you didn't heed the warning of reason 2 and now you're sick. This is definitely not a good time to cold plunge.
The stress of cold water on your system might boost your immune system but not when it's already worn down.
Cold plunging to boost your immune system happens best when you’ve already got a robust and healthy immune system. When you’re fighting off a cold or flu your body needs the resources to recover.
Don’t drain yourself further by plunging when you’re sick.
Now if there's one good reason I've seen to be a for sure sign that you should cold plunge it's this - you're scared.
The cold water may intimidate you. Don’t let it win. Most people may still look at you like you're insane if you willingly take the plunge but that's what separates you from 99% of people.
Bold choices will lead you towards bigger things in your life.