Our First Experience With the Cold Plunge

For Chris's birthday, I got him a cold plunge tub. We've both been reading up on all of the health benefits of cold water immersion, and Chris has even been dabbling in some cryotherapy (my personal form of torture). So, after knowing it's been on his wishlist, I took the plunge and surprised him with this ice bath for his birthday. Here's how his first plunge went!

Backyard Sources

Before we dive in, let's talk about why so many people are raving about icy water these days. Cold water immersion, also known as cold plunging, cold exposure, or cold therapy, is all about subjecting your body to extremely cold water for a short period of time (I'm talking 45ºF to 60ºF for 2-5 minutes at a time). While it may sound crazy, this practice offers a myriad of health benefits. According to Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and professor of neurobiology at Stanford School of Medicine, here are the reasons why cold plunges are all the rage these days:

Benefits of cold water immersion

• To increase energy and focus
• Building resilience and grit
• Enhancing mood
• Increase metabolism

Other studies say that cold plunges can improve circulation and immunity and reduce inflammation. Again, I'm certainly no expert, and I urge you to do your own research, but this is something Chris is really excited about incorporating into his routine. Now, let's jump in!

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This ice plunge bath comes with a chiller to regulate the water temperature, but it hadn't arrived, so for the first time, we used straight-up hose water, which was about 60ºF — still cold. Unfortunately, there's no way to tip-toe your way into cold water. The only way is just to decide you're doing it and submerge yourself in one go. Chris said at first, it felt really cold, and he couldn't stop shaking, but once he focused on his breathing and sat really still, the water didn't feel so cold. I guess there's a thermal layer that permeates the water from the heat of your body. Really fascinating! He lasted for 3 1/2 minutes and was on cloud nine afterward. We'll definitely keep you updated as time goes on.

I've been nervous about trying since I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea for my health. I have Hashimoto's and trigeminal neuralgia (both sometimes triggered by cold), but I spoke with someone else who has an autoimmune condition who said cold water submersion drastically helped. So I'll give it a try, but I'm actually scared. Stay tuned!

Take a Cold Plunge at Every Price Point

In case you want to jump on this wellness trend, I gathered some ice baths at every price point to help you get started.

1. The Cold Pod $99
2. The Ice Pod $99
3. Ice Oasis $549
4. Prodigy $899
5. Anything Sports Ice Bath $1,499
6. The Arctic Plunge Tub $2,347
7. The Plunge $4,990
8. Nordic Wave Viking Ice Plunge $5,999 (Use code CHRISLOVESJULIA for $150 off!)
9. Siberian Cold Plunge $13,399