Plunge Pools?

[ötzi]

Ive been seeing a lot of ads on tv for a plunge pool system (I havent seen enough ads to remember who makes the thing), that seems compact and perhaps even affordable. It got me thinking and reading about plunge pools, and theres a shitload of supposed benefits. Anybody do plunges regularly? Anybody have a home system? Just wondering what its all about, basically.

[garyfromterrace]

I thought wim hof was all about that shit. There is a thread about it, and yes I know that there is breathing involved too...My entirely worthless opinion based on absolutely no science is that cold plunging works. I love jumping in freezing cold water after a sauna or steam (and feel better after it) and always ice inflamed joints after tweaking to reduce swelling (ie anti-inflammatory). I have been looking at these things too and the price point seems to be getting fairly reasonable.

[Dantheman]

All temperature stress is effectively low intensity exercise and good for you. Voluntarily doing difficult and uncomfortable things has proven psychological benefits and immersion in ice water definitely counts as a difficult and uncomfortable thing. When you add those two things to a decent body of experimental evidence you can pretty safely say that cold plunges and sauna are going to be net-positive for most people.

If you have the money and space for either go for it. With unlimited amounts of money and space I'd definitely own each. But, I don't, so I just go out in the cold in winter and in the heat in the summer, which seems to work pretty well and is free.

[skiballs]

Can’t deal with the nut sack shock.


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[Bosco]

I use my pool in the winter that gets down to around 45 degrees F. I also bought an Ice Barrel for the summer and a chiller system from Amazon. Cost me around 2K.

[ötzi]

Can’t deal with the nut sack shock.

Really seems like a dealbreaker, I gotta say.

[neufox47]

Cold plunge or just a plunge pool? Last saw the data for sauna was much stronger and robust than cold plunge.

Never understood having a temperate plunge pool other than an excuse to get the wife in a bikini.


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[MakersTeleMark]

Pet Rocks are cheaper.

[gaijin]

I started the Hof thread. His entire program could be a simple .pdf. But it did have a substantial impact on my life. I haven’t had a warm shower in nine years. I prefer cold. That’s the strangest take-away from all that cold water training— that I now prefer cold. I have a shower just like the rest of you but warm water is fucking boring. All that said— I don’t do ice baths anymore. Too much work. And the ground water from the tap suffices except for summer months— where I frequent an onsen down the street that has both a cold plunge and a literal freezer. I don’t talk about it much anymore because people just kind of write me off as insane… which I predict people did thousands of years ago when random yahoos would talk about how positive of an impact running had on their lives.


Sorry not much help regarding pools or brands. I guess my takeaway is just turn your shower temp to low and suffer for a few months until your body does the transition and it becomes the norm. Summer is easy. It’s around November when shit starts getting real. Winter can be as painful as you want it.

Of course this is assuming you live someplace that gets cold and not LA or Austin as per the Rogan trend.

[tgapp]

i have a cold plunge and sauna
our sauna is probably the smallest it could possibly be for a traditional sauna (5x6x7') and our plunge is a used ice barrel with a 1/3hp chiller and a canister filter
i don't pretend to understand all the sciencey huberman bro brah bullshit but what i do know is that after 3 cycles of hot and cold again and again you get to this place where your whole body vibrates and you just feel incredible
I have yet to find anything - including exercise - that feels even remotely as euphoric and energizing as the sensation that you get after multiple cycles in a row.

Sauna is easily the best investment that we have ever made,

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[skiballs]

Is that before or after the carnal kink?


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[tgapp]

Is that before or after the carnal kink?


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why not during

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[m2711c]

cause of the previously mention shrinkage problem.

[tang]

I’m a believer. I just use a metal 4’ trough from Home Depot and built a simple frame and cover for it. I mostly stop in the summer - takes a lot of refreezing of water in milk jugs to keep it cool (no chiller). But fall winter spring it stays plenty cold. Winter often first involves breaking through the ice layer. The funny thing is that all sub 60F water is basically cold. 30F burns more, but even 55F is a bit shocking when you drop in! And your body does adjust after a week or two of doing it. Net net, there’s a way to do it in the cheap if you don’t need tye whole chiller thing.

[tgapp]

I’m a believer. I just use a metal 4’ trough from Home Depot and built a simple frame and cover for it. I mostly stop in the summer - takes a lot of refreezing of water in milk jugs to keep it cool (no chiller). But fall winter spring it stays plenty cold. Winter often first involves breaking through the ice layer. The funny thing is that all sub 60F water is basically cold. 30F burns more, but even 55F is a bit shocking when you drop in! And your body does adjust after a week or two of doing it. Net net, there’s a way to do it in the cheap if you don’t need tye whole chiller thing.

agreed. ours generally hovers around 45 degrees, on account of our underpowered chiller. what I will say though is a DIY plunge is honestly pretty cheap - I bought everything used on FB marketplace, and we're about $600 into our plunge setup with the most expensive part being our fancy barrel (there are WAY cheaper ways to get an actual container)

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[RootSkier]

<p>

Really seems like a dealbraker...

</p>
<p>
You&#39;re the fucking iceman. WTF.</p>

[gaijin]

I have always found Rhonda Patrick to be the voice of reason regarding cold (and heat) shock. If you ever see her in an interview, she amazes me with her off-the-cuff knowledge and ability to speak to details with no notes in front of her. Here is her layman summary: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topic...posure-therapy Dig deeper at your own peril. ;-)

[zion zig zag]

I've been tempted to get a galvanized tub and drop a sump pump in the creek when I want to fill it, and then just empty after use so I don't have to worry about keeping it clean or cooling the water. I don't think the water temp ever gets much over 55 degrees and I imagine that's still a decent shock? Building a sauna shed in that same spot is a long term goal.

[Bosco]

I've read or heard where less than 50 degrees is the goal. However, the article referenced above says 59 degrees. I personally don't find 55 degrees to be cold enough, and prefer 45 to 48 degrees.

[XXX-er]

is this the Wim-Hoff thing ?

[tang]

Yes that’s it, W-H. And yeah anything in the 50s has a pretty good effect for me. I’ll stay in longer at those temps. 5-10 mins. In winter, when 30F ish, I’ll just do 90 secs or so. It’s a lot more of a burning feeling at that temp - and I keep my hands and feet out. But 30-60 is all pretty cold feeling.
Also it’s amazing how your body adjusts. But I still always procrastinate some and find little chores to do before managing to drop in!
And yes, steel trough works great!

[gaijin]

On procrastination-- It's been more than nine years and I still hesitate every morning until I remind myself that I know I love it. Get in and within two seconds (one breath, essentially) I am already loving it. But it is wild how much I still dread it before it hits. Maybe it is just instinct to be afraid of cold water.

[::: :::]

After eight or nine iterations at a custom sauna & plunge design over the winter and spring, I realized I don’t have client money…so scaling back expectations and getting a kit barrel sauna. My property is mostly sloped so I need to put a gravel pad down for a level area & I’ll make a simple deck in front of it for sitting/lying/cooling space. And we’ll have an upright plunge adjacent to the deck (set down eighteen inches so getting in is easy access)
It should be ready for use by Labor Day
Looking forward to the hot/cold/hot/cold/hot/cold cycle!

[bagtagley]

Agree with everything gaijin said. Started with cold showers in the summer which made the transition easier to colder water in the winter. I had a much higher cold tolerance and found cold plunges (I used the lake at our local park) to be tolerable if not enjoyable. I lasted a couple years until I got the flu last winter and broke the habit. Starting back up again this week.

[Dhelihiker]

I just built a bad ass sauna, cold plunge, hot tub with a outdoor hot shower. The cold plunge is great. I got the eco plus 1.5hp chiller and it is a work horse. I live in 100 degree weather and it can cool the tub from 65 F to 50 F in about 30 minutes. I cant recommend the chiller enough. Fuck putting ice in it. The whole project took about 3 months completely solo. I love it