Cold Water Therapy: Taking a dip in frigid Lake Ontario

While most Torontonians are busy taking a warm shower, a growing group of people are gathering at sunrise to take a dip in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario.

It’s called cold water therapy, and proponents of the practice say it has endless health benefits, including boosting the immune system and reducing physical and mental stress.

“We take people into cold water and perform breath work almost every morning here along the shores of Toronto,” said Nick McNaught, founder of Unbounded.

“There’s a whole bunch of reasons why we do it. There’s a bunch of physical benefits, a bunch of mental benefits and a real sense of community that we create through these practices.”

Unbounded Toronto was first featured in a chat segment on CityNews on January 11, 2022. After that story aired, hosts Erica Natividad and Richard Southern were invited to join the group for a beginner’s dip.

The session began at 7 A.M. when the water temperature was hovering right around 1 degree Celsius at Humber Bay Park.

Richard’s experience:

Taking the first few steps into the lake didn’t seem that bad, but once Erica and I continued to wade forward and the water continue to rise, the pins and needles started. It was a cold like I’ve never felt before. Taking a deep breath and plunging in up to my neck was the toughest part, but after that the pins and needles faded and a calm washed over. The experience ended up being a lot more peaceful and relaxing than I thought.

Erica’s experience:

Is cold water therapy actually good for your physical and mental health? Richard and I had to find out. For journalism, of course.
We were invited out to a sunrise plunge at Humber Bay Park and after some physical activity and a few breathing exercises, into the water we waded. It hits you immediately. The frigid cold temperature is like a shock to the system and my breathing involuntarily shifted to short, shallow breaths. I was warned this would happen. Our coaches helped us through that first wave of panic, instructing us to take deeper breaths like we practiced. They then encouraged us to submerge our bodies until the water hit our shoulders. It is largely a mental exercise getting past that instinct to run out, but I found having a group of people there made it easier. My body slowly acclimated from my feet up and then it was almost like a switch went off and I felt calm. Once that comfort level hit, we high-fived, we cheered, we screamed in unison, and we walked out again. All of that in the span of just four minutes. The verdict? For me, it felt great! It is invigorating and it makes you aware of what your body can handle. Thanks to Nick and the crew for safely walking us through the chilly experience.