Despite our best efforts to deny it, stress is an unfortunate aspect of life. We all experience stressful situations and days that feel overwhelming as the majority of us balance obligations ranging from meeting work deadlines to eating healthily. There are many ways to reduce stress, some of which are more effective than others, but one method is frequently ignored.
Learn more about ice baths and stress by reading on. Additionally, what you can do to combat daily stressors that may deplete your energy.
Relief from Short-Term Stress
Most of us tend to turn to comforting things when we need a break from stress. Because of this, we frequently reach for cozy items like blankets, hot baths, and cups of tea, among others. These methods of stress relief are perfectly acceptable, but if you're looking for alternative methods, you should consider the opposite end of the temperature range: cold!
Benefits of a Cold Plunge
You will initially doubt every aspect of cold diving (trust us, we did too), but after the initial shock of the water wears off, you might start to feel something else—a sense of calm. This is brought on by a variety of bodily responses to cold temperatures.
Your blood vessels narrow when you first come into contact with cold water, bringing blood to your vital organs. This natural constriction, which is aided by the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine, keeps heat inside the body. This chemical, also known as noradrenaline, is released when your body experiences stress (such as being submerged in icy water), which causes your blood vessels to constrict more. Your body naturally reheats when you emerge from the cold, reopening those blood vessels and enhancing circulation and blood flow.
Similar to how ice packs can help a fatty lip or swollen joint, cold baths and plunges also help reduce inflammation and swelling. In this way, a single ice bath can perform an entire body tune-up on your nervous and cardiovascular systems, flushing out the undesirable substances and promoting healing.
However, you should establish a daily routine of plunging if you want to fully benefit from the health advantages of ice baths.
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