day 4 - 25 Days of wellness
Hey there! I’ve seen a couple of people I follow do Advent calendars for various things - 1000 Hours Outside has one for outdoor family activities, and Nutritious Movement has one for movement to create a “butt for the holidays” haha. So good.
So here we go - I’m going to drop a little post each day on a little Wellness tidbit for you to consider. Enjoy!
DAY 4 - COLD THERAPY
This one feels extra-appropriate since at my time of writing this post I am 6 weeks from my due date and feeling a bit like a polar bear!
Once you’re finished with your journal-writing and breath work for the morning, it’s time for some Cold Therapy! BRRRRR!
If you’ve never done cold water therapy before, start by washing your feet and hands in cold water. As you continue to practice each morning, get more of your body wet as you work up to sitting in a cold tub or taking a 30 second to 120 second shower. Let the water wash over all of your body except for your head (face is ok but not necessary), focusing on the collar bones front and back.
This type of therapy is like taking your mitochondria (the energy centers of your cells) to lift weights at the gym. Exercise makes them stronger! Good healthy mitochondria means your entire will run better, and you should notice more energy. The focus on the collar bones helps the body increase “brown fat” or the energy stores that children have and were previously thought to be unrecoverable in adult hood.
If a bath or shower is not accessible or safe to you, cold wet washcloths can be used to rub down the body. Some like to alternate hot and cold showers, or start as a hot shower and then switch to cold. They’re all good. If you have a physical condition where taking a cold shower is not safe for you, enjoy a nice warm shower and give yourself a pat on your back. You still did water therapy! Yay!
NOTE FOR PREGNANT MAMAS
I personally have continued to take cold showers while pregnant and have greatly benefited from them! I would not recommend cold plunges, though I do know of at least one woman who continued cold plunges while pregnant -with supervision. I personally switched back to starting with a short warm shower, and then ending with a 2-minute cold shower once I became pregnant. I found this to be very comforting and still beneficial - a little bit less shocking to my body. I also make sure I aim the water at my collarbone and spine, and don’t spend any intentional time with the cold water on my growing belly. I then like to dry brush my whole body after toweling off to quickly restore heat - it’s quite invigorating!
If you want some extra accountability for this, check out my Smash Your Stress program! It’s free and guides you along a 15-minute routine to start each day with for massive stress relief.
See you on Day 5!
