Scroll through Instagram and you’ll likely see videos of people climbing into tubs filled with ice and frigid water, taking cold showers, or plunging into freezing alpine lakes. While you might be tempted to write off these feats as a social media trend, submerging your body in bone-chilling water is actually an age-old practice known as cold water therapy, a type of cryotherapy.
Cold water therapy is the use of water to promote health or manage disease, according to research. While it has a long history, it’s primarily used to speed healing after an injury, ease joint and muscle pain, and quicken recovery from exercise, among other possible health benefits.
Research on the topic has generally focused on pain, muscular injury prevention and recovery, and mood, and cold water therapy is considered a complementary therapy given that it’s an evolving field. Read on to learn about potential health benefits and the possible risks of cold water approaches for health and medical uses, and to evaluate if this therapy is worth discussing with your doctor.
Resources We Love on Cold Water Therapy
Website
Wim Hof Method
Learn more about the Wim Hof Method by visiting the official website. Here, you’ll find a blog, a newsletter, online courses, an app, and books.
Book
What Doesn’t Kill Us
Written by investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney, What Doesn’t Kill Us explores how extreme environments such as freezing water and high altitude may make people stronger. While the book covers many topics, it includes cold water therapy and the Wim Hof Method.
Television
National Geographic’s Limitless With Chris Hemsworth
In National Geographic’s show Limitless With Chris Hemswoth, the actor interviews scientific experts and takes on a variety of physical and mental challenges in search of answers on what may help humans live healthier and longer. In "Shock," the second episode in the series, Hemsworth works with cold exposure as he goes for a freezing swim in open water. (His exposure was much more extreme, and under medical guidance, so don’t try this at home.) It’s chock-full of visuals on the effects of cold and hot temperatures on the body, and may be useful if you’re interested in learning more.
Products, Blogs, and Guided Videos
Note: Everyday Health does not endorse these products. There are no universal guidelines for how cold the water should be or how long to stay in cold water. After you’ve talked with your doctor or worked with a licensed therapist, if you’re interested in practicing at home, some of these links may be helpful.
Polar Monkeys
While you can take ice baths in your bathtub, companies like Polar Monkeys are designing tanks to use indoors or outdoors. This Hallandale Beach, Florida–based company offers steel tanks, inflatable tanks, and cedar wood tubs with chillers that drop the water below 40 degrees F (water temperatures of 50 to 59 degrees F are recommended by most experts).
The Cold Plunge
Based in Lincoln, California, The Cold Plunge creates tubs built specifically for cold water immersion therapy. You can set the water temp (down to 39 degrees F), and the indoor or outdoor tubs are generally safe for most healthy people. If you want to know more before you plunge, check out the company's blog, watch guided plunge videos, and review the potential benefits.
Ice Barrel
For some people, barrels offer a more accessible way to do cold water therapy. Ice Barrel offers lightweight barrels (55 pounds when empty) that feature an easy-to-use drainage system and enable you to sit in an upright position. Need more info? Explore its blog.
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