Cold plunge, also known as cold-water immersion therapy, has long been used by many cultures to unlock key health benefits. Cold plunge sessions can have a quick and drastic impact on your feelings, health and wellbeing — releasing endorphins improving your mood, boosting energy levels, reducing inflammation, and strengthening your immune system.

Top 5 Tips while Cold Plunging for The Best Experience

1. Breathe Intentionally – With the initial shock of the cold on the system, your breathing is your greatest anchor. A good goal is to work towards 5-8 breaths per minute to help your body and mind relax by activating the sympathetic nervous system. 
2. Submerge to the Neck – A common beginner mistake with cold plunging is not going in far enough to submerge the neck. You want to be in enough so that the upper part of your neck is fully in the water, which will more fully activate the vagus nerve to enable a fuller hormonal response, maximizing benefits like anti-inflammatory response and mood-boosting. 
3. Start “Easy” – Unless you’ve been practicing cold exposure for a long time already, don’t start by pushing yourself too long. The worst thing you can do with a new practice is push your body too far, too fast. 
4. Cycle Hands and Feet Out if Needed – Hands and feed have more nerve endings than anywhere else on the body. Each foot alone has over 2,000,000 nerve endings, so it’s normal to have a little more trouble keeping the hands and feed submerged. Feel free to cycle your hands and feet out of the water as needed if you can’t hold them in the entire time. 
5. Dunk your Head Right Away – Right when you enter the tub, dunk your head all the way under the water. This sends a powerful signal to your system and will help speed up warming regulation in the body, which makes the cold more bearable, more quickly.