Taking The Cold Plunge - The Wellness Trend I Tried
On my quest to continually keep bio-hacking myself and doing my best to be in optimal shape inside and out, hot/cold therapy has been at the very top of my list.
As you may have noticed on my IG I’ve boasted many times on how I always take cold showers in the morning. To be honest, when I started taking cold showers, it was merely because I live in Hawaii and I don’t have central AC. in the summer it can get pretty brutal- especially in my last apartment, so it actually felt really good. I have to admit tho- I wasn’t always doing it first thing in the morning.
As my obsession over the last year with various wellness podcasts has grown, I started hearing about cold plunging and the benefits of cold therapy. Obviously not everyone has a cold plunge, so when Dr. Andrew Huberman ( a neuroscientist & mega podcaster with over millions of followers on all channels ) suggested taking a cold shower first thing in the morning was the next best thing, I had to implement it into my routine.
I know this is very easy for me to say living in Hawaii, where my cold isn’t exactly your cold in NY- but as a flight attendant, I can assure you that I have braved the cold shower in all parts of the world and US and at 4:45am ( most of my roll times are this early ) I promise you its never easy, but it’s so so worth it.
I am no scientist, but I can attest, though it can sometimes feel like the hardest 1-3 minutes of my life, it one hundred percent has helped propel me into my days and FORSURE has woken me up, made me smile, and overall boosted my mood heading into the day. I love it. Before we go any further..
Heres a list of *some* benefits to cold therapy:
Improves mental performance (resilience, grittiness, the ability to move through challenges).
Releases dopamine in our bodies, improves mood, and enhances mental clarity, and lowers depression (according to research). Dopamine is a molecule that is commonly misunderstood as the molecule of pleasure, but is actually the molecule of motivation, reward and pursuit.
Elevates mood for long periods of time.
Increases metabolism
Reduces inflammation post exercise and in general
Enhances performance in strength training
Many people use cold exposure deliberately to shift their body state as a way to train their mental CAPACITY so they can better cope with stress in real life, when life presents stressful events.
SO to say I have been intrigued to try an actual cold plunge would be an understatement. It seemed everywhere I looked someone was cold plunging. I’m sure you’ve seen it too! Obviously athletes have been onto this for years now, decades- but what about us everyday babes on a mish? Like the some of us who can’t afford the cold plunge, or even have the space for it?
Why stop at just a cold plunge? To maximize and you know I love to take things to the limit, you can also practice Hot therapy alongside this practice with implementing a sauna.
A wellness-mish I needed to achieve. Cold therapy- preferably with the sauna to go with it.
To hear all the amazing benefits of Cold Therapy and its effects on the body in depth detail you can listen/ watch here.
For the entire explanation and further education on cold and heat therapy go read more here. and to listen on the Huberman podcast click here.
Right around the height of my obsession, is when I saw Studio 7 Hawaii grace my IG feed. A couple of my fav local surfers started going to this little private, aesthetically pleasing studio that had both a cold plunge and a sauna- sitting right next to each other!
Studio 7 has Cold Stoic Plunge that stands at 35° and a traditional Almost Heaven Sauna that is heated at 200° with 20% humidity
I had to go. I had to try. I looked it up and it was literally 5 miles from my house- destiny had found me and I was ready to take the plunge.
Not alone tho. I enlisted my new wellness bestie Keala - a yoga teacher and friend, Keala has a flexible schedule- thankfully- so when I messaged her last minute to try with me on a random Thursday and she said yes- I was elated.
Studio 7 in nestled in East Honolulu- Aina Hina and is the cute quant oasis I had been looking for. Austin, the owner, is an ex-football player who had a few too many concussions and injuries, which forced him into an early retirement. His own experience with cold therapy runs much deeper tho than just an athlete, Austin’s sister has had serious illness in her life and though holistic healing and doctors have helped her, it only took one session of cold therapy to set her into a direction of healing she hadn’t experienced before. After that and seeing the white space on our island home, Austyn decided to create a place for the everyday athletes each on their own healing, bio-hacking mish to recover. The name Studio 7 comes from a term in the bible- where on the 7th day God rested- and the metaphorical sense that we all need rest and recovery just as much as we need to train.
My experience? Ummm one word: EUPHORIC. I had never ever been exposed to 35° water- maybe once in NZ but I can’t be sure. I just know it wasn’t in a deliberate way like this so it was terrible lol.
This tropic girls blood is as thin as water and I reach for a sweater when it drops below 75°, so this- THIS WAS MAJOR. My first 30secs I was yelping asking how much longer and cursing- but with a simultaneous smile as wide as my face- for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was the most alive-in my body.
Thank God Keala was there- she was the perfect coach to get me through the seconds and eventually up to 3 mins in the cold plunge.
We opted for the contrast therapy that Studio 7 Hawaii offers, 45 mins of HOT/COLD therapy. We started in the sauna which is set at 200° for 15 mins and that was really hard, you know I love to sweat but I was drenched. Then, after a quick shower we jumped straight into the cold, that was probably what made it all more shocking. As I type this I just nervous giggled. Because that’s exactly what this therapy- just the thought of it- does to you. It makes you giddy and it leaves you craving more.
We were laughing, gasping, and had a dance party- in the sauna. The vibes were high. Studio 7 hawaii provides towels, a timer, shampoo, conditioner, and a Bluetooth speaker- all the things to optimize your experience.
If you’re on Oahu and want to try Austin has created a discount for all my Babes On A Mish- for 20% off through the month of AUGUST.
Use code: BABEONAMISH and if you’re lucky you’ll score the special member pricing he is offering to only the first 50 members- the best part is you can add a friend for only $10 more to any session.
Complete pricing and details are all here and be sure to follow STUDIO 7 HAWAII as the intention is to complete this space to become a wellness getaway with acupuncture, massage and more.. - I already peeped the cryotherapy that was set up on my last visit!