MERIDIAN, Idaho — Idaho News 6 has recently covered ways to combat the winter blues. One option you might not have considered: making yourself colder — on purpose.
Some Treasure Valley residents are embracing the “cold plunge” trend and reporting big benefits.
Find out what health benefits may be gained from doing ice baths
While most people start their mornings with a warm shower and coffee, Meridian resident Brian Collins heads to his backyard tub.
“I jump in first thing in the morning 630 or 7 o’clock. And I do about three minutes,” explains Collins, a frequent ice bather.
Collins does this five or six times a week, and the very first time he tried it, he was hooked.
“After I got out, I just felt incredible," he says, "I had so much energy throughout the day, and it was spectacular."
“The effects of this are real,” says Dr. Daniel Noonan, a cardiologist at High Desert Heart. Dr. Noonan also does the cold plunge.
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“I think commonly people see decreased mental stress, increased mental clarity, and improvement in baseline heart rate,” says Dr. Noonan.
But can the shock of freezing cold water cause a heart attack?
“There are some folks who shouldn’t do it, but not many,” says Dr. Noonan. He adds that if you have blood pressure issues, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor before you commence a cold plunge routine.
While many clamored for Senior Reporter Roland Beres to take the plunge, his answer was, "not a chance." Beres says he prefers a hot tub to a cold tub. But heat can have benefits too.
"Yeah, that’s absolutely true,” explains Dr. Noonan, “We see similar types of benefits, decreased stress, better heart rate, better heart rate variability.”
Collins says the tub he uses costs about 70 bucks online. He keeps it outside for natural refrigeration. But you can buy water chillers that connect to the tub as well. More expensive tubs can cost close to a thousand dollars.
