Submersing yourself in cold water has several benefits including increasing metabolism (short term effect), increasing metabolically active brown fat (long term effect) and stimulating luekocyte (white blood cell) production.
I am primarily interested in reducing inflammation.
Decades of sitting with poor posture has made me continuously stiff and sore. Although a movement practice involving mobility training is the core of my treatment plan, other more targeted treatments (chiropractic care, massage therapy, and hot/cold treatment) can both provide acute relief.
This isn’t just a theory for me. I have never felt better or slept deeper than after a plunge in a ice cold alpine lake.
Jumping in a freezing cold lake is the simplest solution but involves travel, weather dependency, and access. In order for this to become a habit I need to make it easy. I need a cold plunge tank in my home.
The simplest way to cold plunge in your home is to add ice to your bathroom tub.
This is the lowest initial investment (around $30 for ice) and is where you should start. Eventually the cost of ice adds up, and running to the store for ice is a friction point that gets annoying.
If you find yourself sticking with the habit, it makes sense to invest in a cold plunge tank.
Cold Plunge Tanks
Cold plunge tank components consist of a tank, filter, purifier, and chiller.
Cost
Should you build one from components or buy one already built?
Commercially available cold plunge tanks cost $3,000-7,500. The price difference is in size (4′ – 6′), materials (cheap metal stock tank vs nice looking tub), power (1HP vs 1/2HP Chiller), water treatment method (ozone vs filter) and features (cold or hot and cold, timers, insulation, etc).
Examples:
I think its worth the price, but should I build one from components?
A 2×6 model from Polar Monkeys is $3400.
The components are as follows…
- $180 Stock Tank 2 x 6
- $1650 Water Chiller 1.5 HP
- $59 Water Pump
- $90 Water Filter
- $70 Ozone Generator
- $8 Venturi Injector
- $150 Various hoses, connectors, sealants
Total for materials is $2207, saving me around $1200. Plus I get to build something!
More coming soon…