'You're not a polar bear: The plunge into cold water comes with risks'

This is no joke, it is a real danger of which one must be aware.<p>I have seen such a case. Several decades ago, the son of a coworker of my father, a young male in his twenties, not previously known with health conditions, has died by jumping in very cold water during a hot summer day. It happened that there under water there was a cold current and the water was much colder than expected. He had an instant cardiac arrest and it passed some time until people around realized what happened, so resuscitation failed.

&gt; <i>&quot;Plunging the body into cold water triggers a sudden, rapid increase in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure known as the cold shock response.&quot;</i><p>I regularly sit in cold tubs (2-8°C) for minutes on end and never have this happen. Not because my physiology is different, but because I do not jump into cold water and fully submerge myself in one go.<p>I slowly walk into the tub, lowering myself in while focusing on my breathing.<p>My breathing is slow and stable, and via a health tracker I know for a fact that my heart rate slows down.<p>These cold tubs are all over Iceland, and I have lost count of the times I&#x27;ve sat in one when tourists (overwhelmingly Americans) just run into them screaming and shouting and then immediately run back when the shock hits them.<p>I&#x27;m no fan of the personal cult of Hof, but cold plunges have done wonders for my anxiety and joints.<p>They just need to be done correctly, like anything else.

The title implies that humans lack biological adaptations to swimming in cold water, but this isn’t true: we have an unusual amount of subcutaneous fat, the mammalian dive response, etc.<p>Like this article says- you need to be in good health and adapt your body to doing it over time, and it is fine. I’ve been practicing Wim Hof for a while, and can swim and freedive in ice cold water for quite a long time without any major issues. My body does not panic and tense up because I have learned how to relax and prevent that.