To Hack or Not to Hack | Cold Plunging
The science and safety behind one of the trendiest recovery rituals.
Welcome to the first post in the “To Hack or Not to Hack” series—where I uncomplicate wellness by breaking down trending wellness hacks with real science and practical insights.
We’re starting with cold plunging, inspired by my recent Arctic plunge in Finland after a wood-fired sauna. It was intense, exhilarating—and raised a question I get all the time: Is cold plunging actually good for women?
Cold plunging has made its way from elite athlete recovery rooms into the daily routines of wellness influencers, spa menus and everyday seekers of vitality. With images of icy tubs and morning plunges flooding social media, it's tempting to hop into freezing water in the name of longevity and health. But does the research support the buzz—especially for women?
Let’s dive into the facts. I’m breaking it down from a wellness coach female-focused lens.
What Is Cold Plunging?
Cold plunging involves submerging the body in cold water—usually between 50°F (10°C) and 59°F (15°C)—for a short period, often 2–10 minutes. It's a form of cold water immersion (CWI), which has been used for decades to reduce inflammation and support muscle recovery.
Where It Came From
The therapeutic use of cold water dates back to ancient civilizations. The Edwin Smith Papyrus from around 3500 BCE references cold water for medical treatments, and Hippocrates, the Greek physician, documented its use for fever and fatigue.
Cultures worldwide have used cold water immersion for centuries:
Nordic countries pair sauna sessions with icy dips in lakes.
Japanese misogi rituals involve cold-water purification.
Russian banya culture features cold plunges post-steam.
In modern times, cold plunging has transitioned from athletic recovery protocols to mainstream wellness practices. The practice got a massive modern boost thanks to Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete who pioneered a method combining cold exposure, breathwork, and meditation. His claims—boosting immunity, decreasing inflammation, and increasing mental resilience—sparked interest worldwide and helped drive the U.S. cold plunge trend. Some studies have shown Wim Hof practitioners have a unique immune response when exposed to stressors, though findings are still evolving.
“The Wim Hof Method brought cold plunging into mainstream wellness—what people tend to forget is that the method includes breathwork and meditation techniques, not just plunging.” – Vango Wellness
Different Forms of Cold Water Immersion (CWI)
CWI isn't one-size-fits-all. Here are the most common methods:
Cold Plunge Tubs: Purpose-built tubs for full-body immersion, often set to 50–59°F (10–15°C).
Ice Baths: DIY style with water and ice in a standard tub. Intense and harder to control temperature.
Cold Showers: Accessible and beginner-friendly, but less intense. While cold showers activate thermoreceptors and may provide some alertness and circulation benefits, they don’t immerse the entire body, so the physiological effects (like norepinephrine spikes and anti-inflammatory responses) are more limited.
Natural Water Immersion: Lakes, oceans, and rivers, particularly in Nordic cultures.
Contrast Therapy: Alternating between hot (sauna) and cold (plunge) to stimulate circulation and recovery.
Cryotherapy Chambers: Exposing the body to extremely cold air, often between -220°F to -280°F (-140°C to -170°C), for 2–3 minutes. Dry, fast, and trendy—but still being studied for its efficacy compared to traditional CWI.
💡 Even 30 seconds of cold water at the end of a shower can stimulate your nervous system—start where you are.
Today's Americanized cold plunge trend, however, often isolates the cold, pushing for extreme durations and temperatures without considering the nuanced interplay of other factors. This shift could be playing a significant role in how our bodies react, especially for women.
What Research Says—Especially for Women
Physical Recovery: CWI has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and accelerate fatigue recovery after exercise. 12
Mental Health: Cold exposure can trigger the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, potentially boosting mood and reducing negative affect. 3
Hormonal Responses: Regular cold-water exposure may decrease cortisol levels due to acclimation, suggesting limited stimulation of the pituitary-adrenal cortex axis. 4
But here’s the rub: Most studies have predominantly involved male athletes, leading to a limited understanding of the female response to CWI. 5
Menstrual and Perimenopausal Symptoms: A survey of 1,114 women reported that cold water swimming reduced menstrual symptoms, notably psychological symptoms such as anxiety (46.7%), mood swings (37.7%), and irritability (37.6%). 6
Thyroid Function: Cold exposure may acutely stimulate thyroid hormones, but the long-term effects on thyroid function, particularly in women, require further investigation. 7
Traditional Medicine Perspectives: Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine advise caution with cold therapies for menstruating or postpartum women due to potential energetic imbalances. These systems view cold as constricting and potentially disrupting to the reproductive system.
The lack of female-specific research leaves us with critical questions:
Are the reported benefits of cold plunging, such as reduced inflammation and improved mood, equally applicable to women?
What are the long-term effects of repeated cold exposure on female hormonal health and reproductive function?
How do different phases of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause influence women's responses to cold plunging?
Are the current recommendations for time, and temperature, safe for the female body?
How Often? How Cold? What’s Safe?
Given the current research limitations, women should approach cold plunging with caution and prioritize informed choices. Here's what I recommend:
Check with your healthcare provider: if you suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, poor circulation, venous stasis, cold agglutinin disease; cold therapy is contraindicated
Start slowly: 1-2 minutes at 59°F (15°C).
Limit to 2–3 sessions per week if you're new to it or navigating hormonal fluctuations.
Listen to your body—shivering, numbness, or post-dip fatigue are signs to pull back.
Age matters: Older adults should avoid extreme cold without guidance.
Breathwork matters: Setting yourself up for success means brining it to a full body experience. Incorporate a steady breathing pattern like 5 breaths in, 5 hold, 5 out while plunging.
Reminder: Just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it’s right for your body.
TO HACK OR NOT TO HACK?
✔️ Hack—but with cautious personalization.
Cold plunging can be beneficial, but I want to stress: it’s not a one-size-fits-all, nor a daily habit to incorporate.
Women, especially those navigating hormone transitions or stress-related fatigue, may want to test slowly, track how they feel, and skip the super low temps popularized on social media.
Cold plunging is one of many tools. It’s not required for wellness, and it's certainly not a badge of honor. I rather you stick to a cold shower if that makes you feel good.
So, choose it only if it enhances how you feel without pushing your body to the extreme.
Do I cold plunge? Yes—but not regularly. As a wellness coach, I use it sparingly, in moments when I feel the need to reset—always accompanied by breathwork. For me, it’s a tool, not a daily ritual. And that’s exactly how Vango Wellness sees it: useful when done with purpose and cautious personalization.
📩 Don’t miss next week’s “To Hack or Not to Hack” post —I’m diving into mouth taping. Hype or health? You’ll find out.
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Effects of cold water immersion after exercise on fatigue recovery and exercise performance--meta analysis, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36744038/
Can taking a cold plunge after your workout be beneficial?; https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/cold-plunge-after-workouts
Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9953392/
Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water – a continuing subject of debate; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9518606/
Treating exertional heat stroke: Limited understanding of the female response to cold water immersion; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36505067/
How do women feel cold water swimming affects their menstrual and perimenopausal symptoms? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10928965/
Cold exposure distinctively modulates parathyroid and thyroid hormones in cold-acclimatized and non-acclimatized humans. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.01.16.906081v1.full