It often feels like there’s a constant race to find the “next big thing” when it comes to holistic health and nutrition. One way to do that? Go completely against the grain.
This year, more people are starting to integrate cold workouts, or cold-room training into their routines. Why? Exercising in a hot room is far less effective at increasing your metabolism than exercising in a cold room. Additionally, research shows that exercising in a cold room feels easier and you can do it for longer. Cold Studios have been popping up like Brrrn in New York, where you work out in a 45-degree (7°C). If you lose more weight, exercise better, and feel better [when it’s cold], then why aren’t we turning the thermostat down?” says co-founder and concept creator Jimmy Martin. To add to their experience, at the very end of class during the cool-down, infrared heat panels on the ceiling turn on to warm you while you stretch.
HOW IT WORKS
The cold can make you work harder, burn more calories, and burn more fat. This is based on a few true scientific claims. When you’re cold, your body works hard to warm you up, AKA, your metabolism revs up to compensate. It’s often referred to as “mild cold stress" - or as Michael Joyner, M.D., an endurance athlete and expert in human performance at the Mayo Clinic puts it; “In the cold, your body can regulate its temperature a little better, meaning you can often exercise farther or longer, so you can burn more calories.” In other words, use the frigid conditions to your advantage—but don’t expect your body to do the work for you.
This is not a cheat code, and working out in the cold will not result in calories dripping away as a faster rate. Integrating cold into your workout is simply a more efficient use of your body's internal mechanism. Working just as hard, but working smarter.
If the threat of pulling muscles crosses your mind, know that has more to do with movement patterns and lubricating joints, not actual temperature, which is a pretty well-established argument. All that said, heat does have at a major redeeming quality: recovery. At the end of some of your workouts, you should still strive to heat up your body or entered a heated space as studies show that warmth post workout can soothe pain and lower blood pressure.
As far as trends go, fitness is an ever-evolving space and we're sure to see more of cold workouts as we enter 2020's warmer months.
