Chill out – looks like ice baths might actually work

Researchers have struggled to determine whether the increasingly popular practice of “polar ice plunges” really has health benefits, or whether benefits are more likely to come from having the kind of active lifestyle and social community that make someone likelier to jump in. But new, more rigorous research shows that an occasional icy dip might help combat obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, muscle soreness and diabetes, and may even prepare the body to cope with other, future stressors.

In a recent survey of 1,114 female cold-water swimmers, published in the journal Post Reproductive Health, more than one third reported that their hobby eased mood swings associated with menstruation and menopause. Among menopausal respondents, 47% said it reduced anxiety, 30% said it reduced hot flashes, and 20% said it reduced night sweats.

Cold-water bathers have also reported pain relief from musculoskeletal injuries and decreased symptoms of depression, as well as feeling more alert and attentive. In one study, they reported improvements in mood after just one icy dip.

Joyce C. Harper, a University College London reproductive researcher, told Scientific American: “I recently swam in a semi frozen lake, and I was overcome with uncontrollable laughter.”

Sounds like something we could all use right now... give the ice bath a go?

Read the full article from Scientific American here.