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What happens to your body during cold water swimming or ice baths?
When our bodies are exposed to extreme cold, we have a ‘fight or flight’ response that kicks into action. This is usually triggered by stress or danger.
Once our fight or flight response starts working, the stress hormone noradrenaline is released, which makes us more alert and boosts our concentration, among many other important things.
So let’s talk a bit more about the physical and mental health benefits of getting chilly in the water.
Speeds up your metabolism
When you’re swimming in cold water or having a cold bath, your body has to work harder to stay warm – and as a result, you burn calories much more quickly. The colder the water, the harder your body has to work to turn fat stores into energy.
Boosts your immune system
Spending time in cold water or a cold bath gives your body a ‘cold water shock’ and this can kickstart the immune system through the production of white blood cells and antioxidants. These are needed to prevent all kinds of illnesses from the common cold to heart disease.
Gets you a better night’s sleep
Swimming in cold water and taking ice baths regularly can lead to better sleep too. The effect of cold water stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system, which helps our body rest and repair - and promotes a feeling of calm to help us sleep.
Anxiety and depression
The motion of swimming can help reduce anxiety and depression as you focus on your body’s movement – and is a great form of exercise for mindfulness. And by swimming in cold water, your body produces even more endorphins to combat stressful feelings.
Managing stress
Regular cold water swimming can help us to cope better with different types of stress, as the body starts to learn how to regulate our stress hormones like dopamine. Your body sends a signal to the heart to beat faster and this helps to heat up our body and give us more energy.
Improves your circulation
The sudden change in temperature from being immersed in an ice bath or swimming in cold water tells our heart that it needs to pump more blood to our organs. In turn, this improves our circulation and helps flush toxins out of our system, giving our skin a healthy glow! The increased blood flow also helps to flush waste products and reduce muscle inflammation - which is why lots of athletes choose to have an ice bath after taking part in intense sports.
Mood and confidence
The increase in adrenaline from being in cold water can create a feeling of euphoria. This is caused by the release of endorphins – a hormone that makes us feel good and can even relieve pain. As a result, cold water swimming or a cold bath can improve our overall mood, confidence and even libido.