VM LIFESTYLE
PILATES
LIFESTYLE BLOG
April 2024 |
Harness the Power of Hot & Cold…
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From a hot water bottle to a sauna or an ice pack to an ice bath, hot and cold therapy has been around for centuries in many different forms and used for many different reasons but more recently here in the UK it’s making its place into the wellbeing sector and when you hear the benefits you will know why.
Big names such as Wim Hof have put these powerful health tools at the forefront and are getting us to sit up and listen! As you have probably realised from reading my blogs, listening to me in class or following me on social media you will by now have realised that I am passionate about exploring the full breadth of wellbeing and healthy lifestyle habits so I can build a toolkit that I can draw on in life to help me and my family manage what’s thrown at us… whether that’s making the most of the positives or dealing with the negatives in the best way possible.
My first tool in this category of my kit started with cold showers! Honestly if you had said to me even 2 years ago ‘try giving cold showers a go its really good for your health’ I would have said outright that’s just not for me! Then one of my clients said she does ice baths and it makes her feel amazing and she has so much more energy…so I started to read, listen, learn and my mindset was in a whole other place. Let’s give it a go I thought…A year on and I still take cold showers, I now have an ice bath in my garden which has recently got a buddy as we’ve built a beautiful little garden sauna to enjoy alongside the cold therapy.
How is this a health tool you ask? What do you get from it? What are the benefits? I asked the same questions and here’s what it is to me…It gives me a sense of control and power, I have to take control of my breathing, my mind and my body which feels incredibly empowering!! Whilst this complete focus takes place you shift your attention and mind from your thoughts (which are quite often worries, anxieties, to do lists, work…you know what I’m taking about here right?) to your body and breath…it’s like an automatic switch off of the problems around you and a complete sense being in the present moment!
Still not convinced? Yes I get it, so here’s some more and lets delve a little deeper into the science…Deliberately expose your body to stressors (ie. Cold water exposure) on a regular basis and you actually start to train your nervous system to reframe itself and stay calmer when you're in other stressful situations, clever right? Just like when you workout and train muscles to make us physically stronger we can train our brain to become mentally stronger and this can help us to deal with stressful situations better.
Other key benefits of cold exposure includes…
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Relieves muscle soreness
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Reduces inflammation
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Supports immune function
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Boosts energy levels (release of ‘good’ hormones)
So whether you’re looking for a tool to help manage stress or a tool to help pain relief, cold water exposure is definitely worth considering.
Let’s look at the flip side a take a minute to warm up and explore heat therapy (already sounds more appealing right!)
You are probably already familiar with smaller interventions such as using a hot water bottle on sore or injured muscles to get some form of instant relief of pain and discomfort. Heat exposure can relieve aching muscles, help to reduce pain and speed up healing, drawing the nutrients to the injured area.
Heat exposure in the form of saunas for example also promotes relaxation often releasing endorphins and reducing cortisol levels as well as helping to detoxify the body and getting rid of some waste through sweat. Acting as a stress reliever and form of pain relief this can be another reason to add this tool to your kit.
The most intriguing and more science based benefits are how the heat can increase circulation through expanding blood vessels, increase heart rate and core body temperature almost mimicking the effects of a brisk workout and providing a whole host of benefits for the heart, including decreasing your risk of cardiometobolic disease. As much as I’m enjoying learning the science behind it these days, neither my writing skills or my scientific knowledge can handle relying this in more detail but if you want to read some interesting research for yourself I have quoted a document below along with some interesting podcasts if you prefer to listen on the go!
If you are still reading and now feel intrigued enough to see how you can include this in your wellbeing journey here’s some first steps that may help get you going….
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Read and listen to some articles or podcasts and get your mindset in the right place (especially for cold exposure!) Stay open minded and take small steps at a time.
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Take your normal hot shower and when you’re in that good mindset turn the water to cold. Just for 15 seconds to start with and build up over time. Try to stay calm and control your breathing. Warning! You are not likely to enjoy it! This is exactly the point, you want to push your body out of its comfort zone, so I can promise you it probably won’t feel good in the moment, but notice how you feel after…. (Refer to my Feb blog on ‘breathing’ if you need help controlling your breath)
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Stick with it for a couple of weeks even if you’re not sure. Consistency is the key to habit forming and we’ve already established this is a healthy habit!
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If you have access to a sauna (at your local gym for example) see if you can schedule in regular sessions. Relax, enjoy and know it doesn’t just feel good at the time but you are adding to your health toolkit too, win win!
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Being on a wellbeing journey is about exploring different things and seeing what does and doesn't work for you as an individual. As my blogs begin to build momentum and cover a range of topics hopefully you are able to see that you can build your own unique toolkit of techniques and healthy habits to help you feel better, live happier and manage life's ups and downs with more clarity. Keep me posted on whether hot or cold therapy becomes part of your wellness toolkit.
Useful links, research and podcasts….
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/
