The Benefits of Cold Therapy

Physical Health

Cold has a dramatic effect on the body: Step into a cold shower or jump into an icy lake, and you’ll likely feel your heart race and your lungs gasp for air. Your blood vessels constrict (a process called vasoconstriction), and you may start shivering.

Your newly alert brain activates cold-shock proteins, which bind to nucleic acids and other proteins to help your body adapt to the cold. The molecules regulate various cellular processes, including metabolism and the stress response.

Specifically, cold shock stimulates the release of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in your body’s fight-or-flight stress response. Norepinephrine also functions as a hormone, and it signals brown adipose tissue (BAT), or brown fat, to burn calories and produce heat to regulate body temperature in cold environments.

BAT is rich in mitochondria, which are responsible for its brown color. (Mitochondria are essential to energy, focus, vitality, and metabolism. And yet most of us have no idea how our mitochondria work. Learn how to tune up your body’s quadrillions of “energy factories” at “The Care and Feeding of Your Mitochondria.”) Brown fat generates heat by burning calories through a process called nonshivering thermogenesis, which involves breaking down glucose and fat molecules.

Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat’s primary function is to maintain body temperature by burning energy. Researchers have been studying BAT’s potential to improve glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

A growing body of research suggests cold exposure may be one way to increase the amount of brown fat your body produces.

Mental Health

Cold-water therapy may ease depression. To understand how this works, it helps to know what happens in the body during depressive cycles, says Claudia Skowron, MS, LCPC, CADC, a mental healthcare provider who recommends cold-water immersion to her patients.

“When someone is actively ­depressed, they may have low energy levels, low levels of serotonin or dopamine in the brain, high cortisol levels, and low metabolic functioning,” she explains.

Immersion in cold water increases endorphins, which can elevate energy and improve mood. “Endorphins help lower cortisol, which plays a significant role in managing depressive symptoms,” Skowron says.

Cold-water immersion can also spike dopamine, the so-called feel-good neurotransmitter. “Cold-water exposure has been remarkably helpful for clients battling substance use disorder,” she notes. “Its ability to boost dopamine helps manage cravings and impulsivity, making it a valuable tool in addiction recovery programs.”

There’s not enough research to prove indisputably that cold-water immersion improves mental health, Minson says. But one small study he conducted showed a decline in participants’ cortisol levels three hours after spending 15 minutes in cold water. Their moods got better, too.

He believes at least some of the mental health benefits of cold therapy come from the sense of accomplishment it offers, which can create a positive upward spiral.

Skowron adds that “submerging yourself in cold water is always unpleasant, but doing so regularly builds mental resilience. It teaches us that we can push through discomfort, which translates into being better equipped to handle stressful situations in life.” (For more on the benefits of cold conditioning, visit “The Health Benefits of Cold Conditioning.”)

Optimize Your Cold Exposure

Research has shown that the therapeutic benefits of cold-water immersion start with a single exposure. This is how to build a healthy tolerance for cold.

Take care. If you have cardio­vascular issues or Raynaud’s phenomenon, check with your healthcare provider before you begin. Cold exposure is likely to exacerbate ­Raynaud’s symptoms. When cold plunging outdoors, go with a friend or a group for safety.

Keep it brief. Begin with a 10-­second cold shower or plunge and work up to one to two minutes in ­water temperatures around 50 degrees F. Extend the time as your body adapts.

Breathe deep. When you first submerge yourself in cold water, your body’s shock response is activated. Practicing controlled-breathing techniques can help.

“Breathwork plays a critical part in cold-water therapy,” Skowron says. “Learning how to control breathing, such as with the Wim Hof Method (learn more about this breathing technique here), reduces the panic in the body and subsequently increases alpha brain waves, which aid in calmness and relaxation.”

Recover. Allow ample time for your body to warm up and repair. If you’re doing plunges outside in cold weather, be sure to dry off and get dressed immediately afterward. And take a moment to relish your sense of accomplishment.