Feel the chill

As we enter the cooler winter months the ocean temperature drops making it more challenging to enter the water. You may also start having hotter showers to warm yourself up. But what actually happens if we continue to expose ourselves to cooler water temperatures?

When we enter cold enough water temperatures, the body goes into sympathetic dominance and the heart rate and blood pressure increase to pump blood to the vital organs. Over time, the body is trained to balance and restore the nervous system and encourage homeostasis (a stable environment for optimal body function). As your tolerance to cold water immersion develops, so should your stress response in every day life. This has shown to support immune function in some individuals and assist with the delivery of nutrients to tissue. It can also improve the digestive process by increasing stomach acid production and motility. A cold ocean dip also implements movement and exposure to nature into your daily routine. If you can’t get to the ocean, alternating hot/cold showers can do the trick.

As always, remember to do your research and find out if cold water immersion is right for you.