How Cold water therapy can boost your immune system

Lets begin with what cold water therapy is exactly.

Cold water therapy is the practise of using water that’s around 59 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15 Celsius, to treat health conditions or stimulate health benefits, it can also be known as cold hydrotherapy.

This practice has been around for a couple of millennia, but recent adaptations include ice baths , brisk daily showers, outdoor swims and cold water immersion sessions.

Did you know that you only need to expose yourself into the cold for one to two minutes to feel the benefits?

Let's look at why, when we step into the spine chilling, icy waters our immunity can be boosted.
There is growing evidence that cold water therapy can stimulate your body’s immune system. This would theoretically improve your ability to fight illness.

In one Dutch study, researchers tested whether people could voluntarily influence their own immune response by practicing meditation, deep breathing, and cold water immersion techniques and the results were very encouraging.

When study participants were exposed to a bacterial infection, the group that used these techniques had fewer symptoms . Their bodies produced more anti-inflammatory chemicals and fewer pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to the infection.

It’s important to add that in this case the researchers felt the breathing techniques were more influential than the cold water immersion, but they credited cold water with the building up of a kind of resistance over time.

As with everything, continuity and building these practices into your life on a regular basis will be key.

I recommend that cold exposure 3 - 4 times per week is ideal. This can also include just stepping outside without layers of clothing, and just by having the cold air on your skin is still classed as exposure.