I’ve jumped on the trend. I’m a cold plunge guy now. As of mid-February (2024)I have done at least one cold plunge per day for 90 days straight. I’m doing my best to reliably and consistently show up for myself and take better control of my health in middle age.
So what have I noticed? Is it really worth it? Let’s back up a bit first and talk about how I got here.
Why do I suddenly feel so darned old?
I always laughed when I was in my 20s and 30s and the “old” people warned me about what would happen in my 40s. I lived what looked like a pretty healthy lifestyle. I have always loved going to the gym. For decades that has been my sanity. If there’s one thing Middle Aged Wanderer does every single day, it’s go to the gym.
I’ve always loved hiking and being outdoors. From time to time I get onto a running kick. I even watch what I eat every once in a while. That’s especially true since I have a relatively big build and tend toward weight gain despite all the activity if I’m not careful.
However, I didn’t realize that I was overlooking some bad habits that would eventually come back to bite me. Part of it was just general bad diet — nothing too bad, just your standard, modern American diet. But one that is definitely not 100%.
For years I’ve been able to overlook the fact that I really don’t get very good sleep because I could still get up in the morning and perform throughout the day.
The worst of it is energy drinks. I find them terribly addicting. I know because I’ve caught myself at work thinking about a quick trip to the convenience store. It was not because I really needed anything, but as long as I’m there I could get an energy drink that I know I don’t need. I’m now convinced hat those things, over time, will destroy your body’s natural ability to manage itself.
All of this serves to just slowly wear you down bit by bit. When I was younger, my body would make up for it. I could treat it like garbage and it would still show up day in and day out and make up the difference.
Welcome to Middle Age
Then I hit my 40s. Very quickly I found myself exhausted, and getting more and more exhausted every single day. My body finally just threw up its hands, metaphorically speaking, and said “I can’t do it anymore. I’ve given all I have to give. There is no more.” I would still go to the gym. But now a workout for me would be some walking on the treadmill, then into the weight room where I would do one exercise with 5-minute rest times and call it quits. Some days I would get up early and drive to the gym, but sit in the parking lot for 20 minutes before just going back home.
I was so broken. I just didn’t have it anymore. And I had to get it back.
Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired
That was about one year ago and it led to a long, and still on-going, process of rediscovering what it means to be healthy. Certainly, the process has not been just one thing. Rather, it’s a conglomeration of multiple new habits and adventures. I’ll likely write about other aspects of the journey over time. But today we talk about cold plunge.
In my journey away from feeling too darned old there has not been one silver bullet. That fact applies to cold plunge, although it is certainly one important aspect. I had been watching a very close friend post about his ice baths for two years. In that time I always thought it was something I should try. But I’m just such a pansy. It took getting sick and tired of being so sick and tired before I finally jump in, so to speak.
A Cold Dip A Day; For 90 Days
So what have I experienced in the past 90 days of a daily cold dip? The social media hype would have you believe that it brings immediate health. There are social influencers who would have you believe that it is the single greatest health breakthrough of the modern era. That has not quite been my experience. My experience has been more subtle.
However, I certainly have felt benefits and intend to continue the practice.
Very quickly after starting a daily cold dip I noticed I was getting better sleep. That is something that I have been pursuing for more than a year and a half. My body seemed more willing to fall into REM or deep sleep, and I started having just a little bit more of that energy the next day that I have so desperately needed.
Just as quickly I was surprised to find real peace and relaxation while sitting in the cold water. The cold water somehow became a comfort to me. As I stand outside the tub on a cold winter day with the wind blowing and lamenting how cold and uncomfortable it is, I quickly learned that the best thing to do is sink down into the cold water. That, at least, is a known quantity. I know what to expect and how to handle it. Even as my heart beat and blood pressure increase from the stress of the situation, I feel able to relax into it. And besides, when you’re in the water the wind can’t touch you.
Lastly, I do feel stronger. I don’t mean stronger as in I can lift heavier things. I mean fundamentally. Internally. I really do feel like my body is healthier, more capable of fighting off sickness, and more equipped to do what it needs to do. I don’t get stuffy as often. My head feels clearer. My mood is better because I just generally feel better.
So is there any science behind all this? My honest answer is that I don’t know. I know what I’ve read on the internet, all of which is obviously true. And I know that I have tried it for myself and feel better as a result. Is it simply placebo? Maybe. But if it works, then placebo is exactly what I need.
Why Do Ice Baths Work? I’m Not Sure
I am convinced of at least one benefit. That is that our bodies evolved to not only deal with, but to actually thrive on experiencing acute stress in certain quantities. I don’t know all the big words. Suffice it to say, much of what I have read points out that when we experience a spike in stress our bodies create a number of chemicals hormones. The most recognizable is adrenaline. Later, given the chance for that stress to go away and the body to enter a state of rest and peace, different glands produce other complimentary chemicals and hormones. These two sets of chemicals work together to create a whole, healthy body.
You can’t have the good without experiencing the bad.
The problem is that our modern lifestyle, as stressful as it is, doesn’t afford us the opportunity to experience these short-lived, acute spikes in stress followed by relaxation. Instead, we experience this constant, low-grade, ever-present stress. It only rarely gets worse. But it even more rarely lessens. It’s… just… always… there…
That exhausts and destroys us at a fundamental, critical level.
The cold plunge helps break that. Once a day I force my heart rate and blood pressure to increase. I force my body to tighten up as its natural instinct is to want to jump out of the water. I force it to feel a primal, pure stress. And then I force it to calm down, to relax and feel peace and comfort in the moment.
Michael Easter talks about the importance of strategically putting these kinds of stresses on the body in his book The Comfort Crisis.
I’m convinced I just generally feel better through cold dipping.
A New, Modern Trend?
And it’s not a new thing. While it’s certainly more common the past few years, the idea of a healing cold bath has been around for hundreds of year. Legendary vintage body builder Eugene Sandow wrote about the important benefits of the “Magic Cold Bath” more than 125 years ago.
So I’m convinced. Even more, I enjoy it.
Sure, it’s hard some days. I’m tempted to skip sometimes. It is cold, after all. But I never regret forcing myself in. When I do it really only takes a few seconds before I remember and appreciate the warm, comforting embrace of ice water.
Check Out Some of Middle Aged Wanderer’s Favorite Health Products.
NOTE: These are affiliate links and I earn a commission every time you purchase from one of them.
Cold Plunge
100-Gallon Cold Dip Tank
Dip Tank Cover
Digital Thermometer
Books
Breath by James Nestor
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Why We Sleep by Mathew Walker