What is cold water immersion?

The benefits of a hot sauna to cold plunge go way back to the Finnish and other Nordic cultures who originated the technique. It starts with a twenty minute sauna session, followed by a cold water dip outside or a cool shower. Being immersed in cold water after a hot sauna encourages the immune system to produce white blood cells to fight off sickness. It also stimulates the lymphatic system by forcing it to contract which pushes fluid through the lymph nodes. The cold immersion process assists in detoxing the body and strengthening your immune system. Ideally the hot/cold exposure is repeated until the body is completely relaxed. Some examples of cold immersion are: jumping in a lake or river, rolling in the snow, plunging into an ice bath, dumping a bucket of cold water on your head, a cold shower etc.