Chill Out with a Cold Plunge

Eliza Peabody knows the idea of willingly submersing your body in cold water is intimidating. But she also understands the full benefits of taking the plunge anyway.

“Just do it,” said Peabody, a North Hills resident who cold plunges regularly. “Tell yourself to get in and take it 10 seconds at a time. Before you know it, it gets easier.”

Her first plunge, at a 2024 event hosted by her yoga studio, MOVE, in partnership with MindFuel Method, turned into a habit. When MindFuel opened a permanent location last year, Peabody and her husband became regulars. She is one of a growing number of Pittsburghers who have added cold plunging to their wellness routines. Area experts say the practice is no longer a fringe activity reserved for elite athletes.

Cold plunging means submerging the body, typically up to the shoulders, in water that ranges from the high 30s to the low 60s Fahrenheit for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. It can be done in a bathtub filled with ice, a dedicated cold tank at a wellness studio or even a cold shower. The practice is often paired with heat, alternating between a sauna and a cold plunge in what practitioners call contrast therapy.

Frank Velasquez

Frank Velasquez, ATC, CSCS, RSCC*E, has watched interest in the practice surge over three decades in sports medicine. Velasquez is director of sports performance at Allegheny Health Network. He started as an athletic trainer in minor league baseball, spent 16 years in professional baseball and later built AHN’s sports performance department.

“There’s vasoconstriction that’s occurring,” Velasquez said. “Your vessels and arteries get smaller. It squeezes out byproducts of muscle contractions (lactic acid) that are found in the blood after intense exercise or activity and helps blood circulation.”

That process, he explained, is central to why cold plunging works. Intense exercise produces lactic acid, which contributes to soreness. The constriction and release of blood vessels during a cold plunge helps move that lactic acid out of the muscles.

Velasquez said the clearest, most researched benefit is its effect on inflammation. He recommends starting around 55 degrees for two to five minutes, ideally after a hard workout or the morning after intense activity.

“It’s an uncomfortable environment, but it releases endorphins and adrenaline,” he said. That combination sharpens alertness and mood and can provide roughly three hours of increased energy, a finding he said is backed by research. Contusions, bruises and overuse injuries also tend to respond well, Velasquez said. He has even seen benefits for some clients managing autoimmune conditions such as lupus and fibromyalgia, though he cautioned that research in those areas is still developing.

BrainWaves Float Studio

Paul Mularski Jr., who owns BrainWaves Float Studio, has watched the same trend from the business side. The studio opened four years ago as a float center, and cold plunging was, in his words, “almost an afterthought.” It has since become one of the studio’s most popular offerings.

“People are pretty terrified of it when they first come,” Mularski said. “I’ve walked into that room with people and you can almost see the blood drain out of their face.”

His advice for beginners is simple. Commit the moment skin touches the water, rather than easing in slowly. He also teaches a breathing technique known as breath of fire, done for about 45 seconds after entry, to help clients relax and signal to their bodies that they are in control.

Mularski’s studio offers three temperature options, ranging from 55 degrees in an indoor private room to as low as 45 degrees outside. Most clients, he said, prefer the tubs to stay no colder than 48 degrees. He described the primary benefits his clients report as reduced inflammation, a metabolism boost and a surge of endorphins and adrenaline. On the mental side, he said a three-minute morning plunge can replace a cup of coffee.

“You’ll wake your body up and stimulate your nervous system,” he said, describing how the cold clears mental fog.

BrainWaves Float Studio

The experts agree cold plunging is not for everyone. People with heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid it, and anyone considering contrast therapy, which moves the body rapidly between hot and cold, should get clearance from a doctor first because of the strain it can place on the heart.

People with Raynaud’s disease or other conditions that affect the ability to sense temperature also face added risk, Velasquez said. He stressed that plungers should never go alone, since staying in too long can lead to hypothermia.

Mularski’s studio treats water safety the way a public pool would, adjusting pH levels, adding hydrogen peroxide, filtering continuously and dosing the water with ozone. Staff clean the tubs daily, change filters several times a month and drain and refill the water at least once a month, more often if use is heavy.

For beginners, Velasquez suggests starting small, with cold showers at no less than 50 degrees for just 10 to 15 seconds before progressing to a cold tank. Mularski said three minutes is the industry standard for reaping benefits, though people with more body insulation may need more time, and those with less insulation may find the industry standard too long.

MindFuel Method

Peabody’s routine has become second nature. She starts in the sauna for 15 to 20 minutes, plunges for two to three minutes in water in the low to mid-50s, then returns to the heat. Ending on cold gives her an energy boost, she said, while ending on heat helps her sleep. Either way, she said, she sleeps well and rarely feels sore after a hard workout.

“It’s always worse in anticipation than in reality,” Peabody said of the mental hurdle newcomers face.

Velasquez sees a broader lesson in the practice, one that extends past sore muscles and cold water. He believes seeking out discomfort, in small and controlled doses, helps people build resilience as they age. “I think it’s really important that as we get older, we put ourselves in these uncomfortable situations,” he said.

For those willing to take the plunge, the experts agree on one point: give it more than a single try. Like any practice, the benefits build with repetition.