Misconceptions are the fuel and fodder for some of the most dynamic moments in our lives. They’re generally thought of as bad, but we at The Natural High see them as great opportunities to start a conversation. To be sure, this attitude has often gotten us into trouble, but that’s the cost of conversations sometimes, especially if you have firm beliefs about this or the other…which we do.
One of the topics we enjoy elucidating on (in addition to poultry rearing, viticulture, music production, photography, or any of our other preoccupations) is of course the world of benefits offered by submerging our bodies in cold water. Cold plunge is such a simple thing that gives surprisingly rapid and lasting relief to some of life’s most challenging aches and pains (physical, metabolic, and mental). We humans are used to paying a hefty price for anything good, so it’s no wonder we assume the same for a therapeutic system that works so well for so many things. So, if it solves back pain that has plagued us for decades, it must somehow be equivalent to the pain it’s resolving, right? What could that look like? A 10 minute dunk in 36 degree water? That sounds about right…but it’s wrong.
If you want to know the truth about some of the most popular misconceptions about cold plunge therapy, sit back and dive into this juicy slab of informative copy. Perhaps you should take your socks off as well, the truths you’re about to learn will otherwise blow them right off!
Without further delay: The Top 5 Fascinating Misconceptions About Cold-Plunge Therapy
5. It’s all about workout recovery!
This one is understandable, so many professional and passionate amateur athletes have incorporated cold-plunge with staggering results that normies like us assume that’s all it’s good for. The reality is that although post-workout recovery has been documented in several scientific studies including:
-
A meta-analysis (2016) in Sports Medicine found that cold water immersion (CWI) reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by 20-50% in the 24–96 hours post-exercise compared to passive recovery.
-
A study in the Journal of Physiology (2017) reported that cold water (10–15°C for ~10 min) was effective in reducing muscle pain and perceived exertion.
it is just one small segment of benefits. Beyond the world of humans that perform and look like demi-gods, mere mortals like me are reaping a staggering list of other benefits! Check these out:
-
Reduced inflammation & muscle soreness
-
Increased dopamine & improved mood
-
Enhanced circulation & immune response
-
Increased metabolism & brown fat activation
I dare you to tell me that the aforementioned list doesn’t include something you’re looking for! Go ahead…oh okay, you’re gonna do it huh? Well, I’m sorry but I have to assume you’re lying just to be a provocateur. I’ll let it slide this time. Let us continue on to the next misconception that plagues our community!
4. The temperature needs to be as close to freezing as possible.
We’ve all seen the person on socials getting into a sub 39 degree tub with an air of superiority. Some people just need validation, and we should be kind to their needs. If your need to show off spills into your physical and mental therapy please take a moment to contemplate life. For the rest of us:
-
Optimal range: 50–59°F (10–15°C)
-
Beginners may start at 55–60°F (13–16°C) and gradually lower the temperature.
-
More experienced individuals may go as low as 39–50°F (4–10°C), but this should be approached with caution.
Cold-plunge therapy is about activating physiological responses that have a large range of benefits. The activation threshold is dependent on the individual. For most beginners the benefits are activated around or just below 60°F. You will quickly align yourself with your body and you will know when to reduce the temperature.
This is not about hurting yourself, it’s about helping yourself. If you’re self-flagellating to boost your ego and you’re willing to cause damage to the body to potentially feed your soul, your existential burdons probably need a more robust solution than even a cold-plunge system. And if someone is trying to convince you to the contrary perhaps contemplate calling shenanigans on them.
Just remember, discomfort is different than damage. Temporary discomfort is the cost for a waterfall of benefits and solutions, and that’s what we’re after. Remember the awkward conversation you had with your partner’s parents the first time you met? Like that. Super uncomfortable but also safe and worth it.
If it’s your first time, please be a wuss and start at 55–60°F. Listen to your body. Feel the waterfall of benefits after you get out of the cold-plunge. Let your senses and state of mind guide you into the cooler temperatures.
3. You need to spend more than 10 minutes to feel the benefits
Duration timing is like the temperature thing. Just start small and work your way up. There are no hard and fast rules to this. One of the biggest benefits of this whole thing is learning how to listen to your own body and how to collaborate with it. You will learn things about yourself, but you have to listen. Your body doesn’t speak to you in words, so it’s hard to reconnect with it in the context of a dialogue. It speaks to you in a chemical and electrical language that we have lost access to as a species. If you want to activate that understanding again, start simple and listen intently.
Time Duration:
-
1–3 minutes for beginners
-
3–5 minutes for intermediate users
-
6–10 minutes for experienced individuals (only if well-adapted)
2. Cold-plunge is best for people in their 20s
This misconception is driven by the same mechanics that most misconceptions are exaggerated by: social media. From my general distaste for social media and inclination for opinionated rhetoric that skews hard toward the voice of a cantankerous curmudgeon, you have probably already guessed I’ve sailed past my 20’s some odd decades ago. I’d like to take a moment now to apologize. Now that that’s done, I will get back to my diatribe against social media!
In all honesty, I think it’s a disservice to us middle-aged folks to market stuff like cold-plunge systems to only young people. Yeah, I get it, they’re cute and that sells, but we’re cute too and we deserve to know about easy stuff that keeps us young!
Joking aside, pretty much all age groups benefit. If you fall somewhere on the bell-curve of humans that walk around, you are within range to enjoy most of all the good stuff cold plunge therapy can offer.
Check out these basic guidelines to start and your expectations will be in the ballpark.
Young Adults (18–35) – Optimal for Performance & Recover
-
Best for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and biohackers looking to improve recovery, reduce inflammation, and enhance mental resilience.
-
Helps boost dopamine and focus, making it popular for productivity.
-
Can be uncomfortable for those with low cold tolerance but safe if done properly.
Middle-Aged (35–60) – Best for Recovery & Longevity
-
Helps combat chronic inflammation, joint pain, and metabolic slowdown.
-
Supports cardiovascular health by improving circulation and blood vessel function.
-
Can enhance testosterone and brown fat activation, aiding in metabolism and fat loss.
-
Those with hypertension, heart conditions, or respiratory issues should consult a doctor before trying.
Older Adults (60+) – Caution Required, But Potential Benefits
-
Potentially beneficial for reducing inflammation, arthritis pain, and boosting circulation.
-
May improve cold adaptation and metabolic health.
-
Increased risk due to heart strain, blood pressure fluctuations, and reduced thermal regulation.
-
Should be gradual and supervised, with shorter exposure times (30 sec to 2 min) and moderate temperatures (55–60°F / 13–16°C).
Kids & Teenagers (<18) – Not Generally Recommended
-
Limited research on safety and long-term effects for children.
-
Kids have a higher risk of hypothermia and may not tolerate cold stress well.
-
If supervised, very short (30 sec – 1 min) cold exposure at moderate temps (55–60°F) might be okay for teenagers in sports recovery.
1.You need sophisticated equipment to feel the full benefits.
Of course I’d like to tell you that you must order one of our units and if you tried this with bags of ice in your tub the end result will be catastrophic and should be avoided at all cost (or the cost of one of our systems). That would make me an unreliable narrator, and a jerk. I started with bags of ice in a livestock trough in the backyard, and it totally worked.
Obviously your body doesn’t care what gear you have, and it will activate the systems that give benefits when a handful of triggers are simultaneously tripped. If anything, I encourage you to go fill your tub with water and ice today! Don’t wait until one of our units arrives at your door, start enjoying the benefits today!
The real reasons you want a high-quality tub and chiller is convenience. There’s a lot to be said for a dedicated unit that keeps the water at the temperature you want, that keeps the water filtered, and that looks good. It’s great to know the temperature accurately, it’s nice not to have to dump an entire tub of water after just a few minutes of use, it’s nice to know it’s there right when you wake up or when you’re done with a workout. The sum of all these nice-to-haves is what inspired us to design and manufacture these systems.
We feel very strongly about these benefits and about cold-plunge therapy. We’ve invested our life savings into this business and made your well-being our life goal. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth. So, just know that you don’t need a high-end system like ours. We understand that our products are out of reach for a lot of people; but the benefits are available to anyone who can fill a tub with water and ice.
If you can afford the convenience our systems provide, we would love to be the ones who design, manufacture, and warranty your cold-plunge system. If it’s slightly out of reach, check out our floor-model options. If it’s not gonna happen right now for whatever reason, we still want you to be a part of our community. Ask us anything, we’ll help you do it as affordably as possible, and we’re always open to ideas!
Hope we get a chance to talk soon!
