Important: Before engaging in this or any health and fitness trend/activity/fad/random thing you saw online - make sure to check with your health care team to make sure it’s a good choice for you!
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Cold plunging has been trending for a while now, and if you haven’t given it a try yet, you might be wondering: does it actually work? or is it all a fad?
One thing I can tell you for sure: whether through the placebo effect, positive thinking, or just believing that it does actually work, cold plunging has been working great for me.
A quick Google search will leave you with a long list of touted benefits:
Enhanced immunity
Better circulation
Reduced inflammation
Boosted mood
Increased metabolism
Better sleep
Faster recovery
Decreased muscle pain
Joint pain relief
Improved insulin resistance
Relieving depression
Elevated Energy
Weight loss
Improved skin and hair health
Decreased swelling
Boosted mental health
Increased mental clarity
Endorphins boost
Improved muscle repair
…And more.
And while there’s plenty of studies and anecdotal evidence online supporting these claims, one thing is for sure, I definitely notice a positive difference in the following areas when I cold plunge regularly.
better mood
increased energy
better temperature regulation
better cold tolerance
decreased soreness in joints and muscles
increased optimism
increased confidence in myself
increased resilience in daily life
general increased feeling of wellness
So I thought it would be fun to do a cold exposure challenge for the month of June, to kickstart your cold exposure journey!
June Cold Exposure Challenge
Starting June 1st, the challenge is simple - get cold!
We’ll start with 10 seconds of cold water immersion. You choose whether that’s in a cold plunge, turning your shower to cold for the last few seconds, in an ice bath, or out in a cold lake or river - or any combo you like.
Each week we will increase the time so that by the end of the month, you’re doing a whole minute on the last day!
Week 1: 10 seconds
Week 2: 20 seconds
Week 3: 30 seconds
Week 4: 40 seconds
June 30th: 1 minute!!!
Tips:
Week 1 is June 1-8th.
You don’t have to start with a tub full of ice to get all the great benefits from cold exposure. Anything under 15 degrees is perfect. A good starting point is between 10-15 degrees. Most homes have cold water running in the shower at anywhere between 6-12 degrees, so that’s perfect!
Dunk in real fast or ease in nice and slow - do whatever is easier for you. The goal is to keep it at a level that you can maintain each and every day - so go easy on yourself.
When you’ve completed your goal time for the day, ease yourself out of the cold water/shower, dry off and allow your body to warm itself back up naturally. You might get tingles, or warm-ness feeling all over - woohoo! You did it!
Need your own plunge pool? See the one I use here!
(PLUS get 15% off when you use code: RENEE07360)
That’s it!
Make sure to share your journey on socials using the hashtags #sirenruckclub and #badmotherruckers so I can find you and share! :)