For many people, the cold plunge is the best part of the whole sauna experience. You sit in the heat until your body is warmed through, step out and dip into cold water. The contrast is immediate, and that is exactly what makes it. But what actually happens in the body?
What the cold does
When you go into cold water, the blood vessels near the surface of your skin contract and the body sends more blood towards the internal organs. Your breathing speeds up and your heart rate rises at first. After a few seconds the initial shock settles, and many people describe a feeling of calm and sharpness that sets in straight afterwards. That reaction is what most people come back for.
The contrast between heat and cold
The point is the switch. In the sauna the heat dilates your blood vessels; in the cold plunge they contract. Alternating between the two is like gentle training for your circulation. Many people find they sleep better, feel more alert and relax more easily in the hours after a session. There is growing research in the field, but the simplest reason to do it is that it simply feels good.
How to do it safely
- Go in calmly, never head first. Let your body adjust in the first few seconds.
- Breathe in a controlled way. The first reaction is to gasp for air, so try to keep your breathing steady.
- Stay in briefly. A few seconds to half a minute is plenty, especially at the start.
- Warm up again in the sauna afterwards and repeat as many times as you like during your session.
If you have heart or circulatory issues it is wise to check with a doctor before you start cold plunging. For most people, though, it is one of the simplest ways to give the body a boost. With us the cold plunge is always right by the sauna, whichever of our Stockholm locations you choose.