Can Cold Water Therapy Help the Transition to Menopause?
We’re honoured to welcome Lauren Chiren as a guest writer on the WUKA blog - a woman who’s not just leading the conversation around menopause, but transforming it. Lauren is a globally recognised menopause and workplace wellbeing expert, with a background in psychology, executive leadership, personal training, and health coaching.
After mistaking her own menopause symptoms for early-onset dementia, she left a successful corporate career and turned that deeply personal experience into a mission: to educate, empower, and create lasting change. Since then, she’s trained over 200,000 people through free courses, certified more than 500 Menopause Coaches and Champions (with a bold goal of hitting 20,000), and partnered with over 400 employers to build menopause-savvy, supportive workplaces. Her work is shaping government policy, redefining corporate strategies, and ensuring no one faces menopause alone.
In this post, Lauren dives into an unexpected but powerful ally for this life stage: cold water therapy. Let’s just say - you might never look at a chilly dip the same way again. Over to Lauren!
Why Cold Water Therapy Might Just Be the Menopause Ally You Didn’t See Coming
Let’s face it: when your hormones already feel like a rollercoaster with no brakes, the idea of voluntarily plunging into icy water sounds... absurd. But here’s the cold, hard truth - cold water therapy is gaining serious traction for good reason, especially when it comes to navigating the highs and lows of menopause.
Why choose cold water therapy?
Let’s start with the obvious question. When menopause already feels like a wild ride, why would anyone willingly add icy water into the mix? Turns out, there’s power in choosing your own kind of discomfort - and that’s where the magic starts.
Menopause often brings chaos - mood swings, night sweats, anxiety, and identity shifts," Lauren told us. "Cold water immersion offers something rare in that chaos: a sense of control. It's not just about braving the cold; it’s about choosing discomfort on your own terms. That alone can be a powerful psychological win.
What happens in the body during cold water therapy?
Now that we’ve dipped a toe into the why, let’s talk about the how. What’s actually going on in your body when you take the plunge? The science might surprise you - and it’s got everything to do with your nervous system, hormones, and heat regulation.
Lauren explains more:
"When we enter cold water, the shock activates the sympathetic nervous system — your “fight or flight” response. This triggers a release of norepinephrine and dopamine, which can help regulate mood and energy. Simultaneously, blood vessels constrict, core temperature is protected, and upon exiting the water, the body rapidly warms, often resulting in a long-lasting feeling of calm and clarity.
"This physiological cascade can ease key symptoms of menopause:
- Hot flushes: Regular exposure to cold can recalibrate thermoregulation.
- Mood swings: Dopamine release provides a natural lift.
- Anxiety: Controlled exposure to physical stress helps train resilience to emotional stress.
Sleep, energy, identity — can cold help?
Menopause doesn’t just impact your body; it can shake up your whole sense of self. We asked Lauren how cold water therapy can help us sleep better, feel more energised, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves that might feel lost in the hormonal fog.
"Cold water therapy can encourage better sleep by reducing inflammation and
potentially promoting a calmer nervous system state before bed. It can also boost energy through mitochondrial activation, the body’s natural energy engines.
"Most importantly, it gives women a tangible, empowering ritual during a time when they may feel disoriented and disconnected. It becomes less about the cold, and more about reclaiming your body, your breath, and your narrative."
What's the science behind cold water therapy?
It’s not just anecdotal. From inflammation and mood to hormone support and resilience, here’s what the research says about why cold water therapy is gaining serious credibility - and how it’s being explored for menopause-specific benefits.
"Beyond anecdotal buzz, peer-reviewed studies have explored cold water therapy’s effects on inflammation, pain management, depression, and resilience", Lauren says. "It’s even being studied for neuroprotection and hormone regulation. While more research specific to menopause is emerging, the current science supports many of the benefits menopausal women report."
How to ease in to cold water therapy
Tempted to try it, but not ready to do a full-body plunge just yet? Good. This part’s all about building confidence and safety, step by step. You don’t have to be extreme - you just have to start. Lauren's top tips?
"Start simple. Begin with cold showers, 30 seconds at the end, then increase slowly. Then, try short dips in natural water with supervision and warmth ready post-swim.
"Always listen to your body and never go alone. Remember: the goal isn’t endurance; it’s consistency, breathwork, and reclaiming presence."
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Because your period shouldn't pause the things you love - even cold water dips.
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