The 5 benefits of cold exposure (icebath)

« A cold shower a day, keeps the doctor away » the ice man

Exposure to cold has many benefits for the body. Indeed, it allows our body to activate, repair and purify itself.

In this article, we will highlight 5 reasons why you should add cold exposure to your daily routine.

Nevertheless, these baths must be guided to be done safely. Thanks to Léandre's exercises and advice, you will be able to immerse yourself easily in the cold bath to get all the precious benefits.

Cold activates our body.

• The 1st benefit: the cold makes you feel good.

When exposed, our body will react and increase the release of antidepressant hormones (secretion of endorphin and noradrenaline). This is a great boost that makes us euphoric, very confident and in a very good mood. We develop a positive state of mind, ready to face life and able to find "comfort in discomfort".

• The 2nd benefit: the cold helps us stay healthy.

Due to the fact that we are always in comfort, our immune system has decreased its reaction capacity. It therefore has difficulty in reacting rigorously against external attacks and we often fall ill (colds, sore throats, headaches...). Exposure to cold will then stimulate our immune system, notably by increasing the number of white blood cells, thus making it more capable of protecting itself against viruses or infections. As a result, we will be less easily sick. Moreover, our body also develops a capacity of fast adaptation to cold/hot.

• The 3rd advantage: exposure to cold makes you stronger

The special Wim Hof breathing coupled with the exposure to the cold increases the metabolism and thus the energy produced at the cellular level. Mental and physical strength is thus increased, as shown by the Wim Hof push-up exercise.

The cold repairs our body.

The 4th benefit: cold reduces inflammation

When faced with cold, the body reacts: blood is sent more quickly to the vital organs. This way, blood circulation is much faster, which allows the body's tissues to be repaired more quickly, thus reducing inflammation. This stimulation of blood circulation increases the body's need for oxygen causing us to breathe more deeply.

This benefit is very much used by sportsmen after an effort allowing them an immediate relaxation of the muscles and a faster recovery.

The cold allows the body to purify itself.

• Finally, the 5th benefit: the cold allows to eliminate impurities

When immersed in a cold bath, the spasms caused by the reaction to the cold decongest the internal organs, which favors the evacuation of toxins and impurities. The body is thus purified and we feel lighter, our organs are relaxed and falling asleep is facilitated.

As we have seen, cold baths have many benefits for the body. We have mentioned 5 of them but there are many others.

Before exposure to the cold, it is important to do breathing exercises to be able to bring enough oxygen to the body.

So, are you convinced and do you want to try it with Léandre?