The Longevity Series: Cold Therapy

It seems like there are always new and trending topics when it comes to fitness. If you’re new to improving your health, you may wonder what is worth considering, and what is worth skipping over. In this blog I’m outlining benefits of cold therapy and why it may be worth a second look.

First off, what is cold therapy? Typically, cold therapy is performed one of a couple ways: either in a vessel of water, or in a cryotherapy booth, but think about it: we’ve been treating injury and inflammation with cold therapy (via ice and ice packs) for many years. This methodology is just on a much larger scale.

  • Cold water therapy, or hydrotherapy, is performed around 59 degree fahrenheit. It can be done by cold water immersion where the entire body is immersed in the cold water up to 15 minutes (such as in a cold plunge), cold showers for up to 15 minutes, or contrast bath therapy - where you switch limbs from cold to warm water, totaling about 30 minutes.

    • Benefits of cold water therapy include:

      • Improves blood pressure and peripheral blood flow

      • Increases metabolism

      • Reduces body fat and improved insulin resistance

        • These cause a decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes

      • Aids in muscle recovery and decreases pain

      • Regulates the nervous system

      • Reduces stress and improves mood

  • Cryotherapy is performed in a booth where temperatures are near or below freezing for a max of 3-5 minutes MAX.

    • Benefits of cryotherapy are very similar to cold water therapy:

      • Pain relief and muscle healing - can help with arthritis

      • Weight loss due to increased metabolism

      • Cryotherapy also has shown big improvements in inflammation, which in turn improves:

        • Dementia symptoms and risk

        • Risk of cancer

        • Eczema symptoms and incidence

        • Migraines via targeted therapy

      • Cryotherapy can also decrease anxiety and depression symptoms

Based on the data available, cold therapy provides many health benefits. It can also be dangerous if not properly performed. Be sure to consult a physician prior to implementation if you are unsure whether or not cold therapy is the right course of action for you.

Katelyn Romanowych