Start with short dips, slowly wading in and getting your face wet first. Over several weeks, incrementally increase your time in the cold water while wearing a wetsuit to retain warmth. Repeated exposure helps reduce the intensity of the cold shock each time as your cardiovascular system becomes accustomed to the cold.
To get use to the cold water just start with putting legs in up to knees. After a few mins go a little deeper and slowly move into deeper and deeper water, or jut be brave and jump in all the way.
Turn down the thermostat. Slowly start decreasing the temperature in your house to a level you can tolerate. It will also save you money. Take cold showers.
Boost your immune cells with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, kiwi, and rose hips tea. These can contribute to a resilient immune system. Ensure adequate levels of vitamin D, which is crucial for coordinating the immune response and preventing infections.
Immersing yourself in colder water daily can help cold water swimmers to start training. Cold water showers are the best way for beginners to prepare for the water temperature of swimming outdoors. Being in very cold water can cause an initial cold water shock, resulting in hyperventilation.
Brief cold showers have a similar but less marked effect. Acclimation (acclimatization) is a process by which your body gradually adapts itself to cold water through repeated exposure. Through acclimation, it's possible to greatly reduce or eliminate cold shock.
The risks and disadvantages of drinking cold water include thickening of mucus causing respiratory difficulty, headaches, tooth sensitivity, slowing gastric emptying, aggravating achalasia (a rare disease making it difficult for food to pass from the esophagus to the stomach), and causing 'cold stress'.
Cold water can cause a sudden spike in heart rate and blood pressure. This increase can cause heart failure and stroke for vulnerable people. Cognitive Impairment. Cold shock can cause an immediate panic, fear or stress reaction that then impairs clear thinking and decision making.
People with cold intolerance may have conditions, such as anorexia, issues with their blood circulation, or thyroid disorders. When someone has cold intolerance, it means that they are usually extremely sensitive to cold temperatures.
However, with so many potential culprits, it can be hard to know what vitamin deficiency causes you to feel cold. Typically, it's a lack of vitamin B12 or iron. Iron deficiency can slow down thyroid function, which can lead to a condition called hypothyroidism, making you feel cold.
Gradual Exposure: One effective strategy for increasing your tolerance for cold water is to gradually expose yourself to lower temperatures. Start by taking short, lukewarm showers, and then gradually decrease the temperature over time.
However, even within a given genetic makeup, individuals are still able to modify and possibly improve their tolerance to cold through acclimation (achieved in a laboratory setting) or acclimatization (achieved in a natural setting).
Habituation makes swimmers feel more comfortable getting in to cold water, so it becomes easier to take the plunge. If you immerse one side of the body repeatedly in cold water, the habituation you develop remains if the other side of the body is immersed in cold water.
Adjusting your thermostat down by a few degrees, shedding layers, and spending more time outside in cold conditions—basically, anything that causes you to shiver—will help your body acclimate to the cold, Brazaitis says.
Start Early: Cold water acclimatization can take several months. Ideally, start training in cooler water 6 to 12 months before the swim. Frequency Matters: Consistency is key. Aim for 3-4 cold water sessions per week, increasing duration as your body adapts.
If you struggle to take the plunge, start with your feet and hands and submerge one limb at a time. If you still find the chill too much, start with a normal temperature and spend the last two minutes of your shower time beneath a cold stream until you can build up your confidence!
Research indicates that icy water may have a positive effect on recovery after exercise by reducing inflammation and soreness. It also may help build resiliency, restore balance to the nervous system and improve cognitive function and mood.
'The secret to acclimatising to cold water is just to swim in it, often – at least once a week, and preferably two or three, gradually extending the time that you stay in the water,' says Dr Heather Massey a swimmer and a researcher at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth.
Our new research shows that a common genetic variant in the skeletal muscle gene, ACTN3, makes people more resilient to cold temperatures. Around one in five people lack a muscle protein called alpha-actinin-3 due to a single genetic change in the ACTN3 gene.