‘Fell in love’: Canmore, Alta., resident immerses herself in winter by jumping into frigid water

For a Canmore woman, cold water exposure is part of her routine. But taking the plunge might not be for everyone.

Angela Knox, who lives in Canmore, loves jumping in cold water - especially in January.

“I started ice plunging about 10 years ago. (I) absolutely fell in love with it,” said Knox.

For her, it’s a way to connect to nature, which she claims boost her mood while also teaching her to deal with small amounts of stress.

“It’s daily tonic for me,” said Knox. “It creates like a brighter faster morning experience.”

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

As temperatures dipped well below -10 C on Tuesday at Lake Louise, she looked for a spot to jump in there, but the lake was frozen solid.

Instead she found a hole in river nearby and jumped in. Staying in just under five minutes, remaining calm the whole time.

“Once I started cold plunging, it just took over because it’s something you can do for yourself, something you can do every day,” said Knox.

She immerses herself in the cold water every day.

Sometimes it’s as simple as cold shower, but she also heads out river surfing year-round in Alberta.

“I’ll go river surfing and then cold plunge after, and instead of being cold, I’m lifted and boosted for the entire day.”

She has even made created a 30-day challenge in the form of deck cards called The Cold Revolution: A Guide to Radical Well-Being.

The cards go over breath work to helping people enter the cold water with challenges such as cold shower, ice bath, cold plunge or dipping under a waterfall.

“I share my favourite tips and an incremental program that lasts through 30 days to introduce people to the cold so that they’ll fall in love with the cold,” said Knox.

According to Tanya ter Keurs, a nurse practitioner and the chief clinical officer at NiaHealth, a digital health company, says there are benefits to cold water exposure.

“The evidence is strongest for after a hard workout, muscle recovery,” she said.

ter Keurs says evidence around long-term wellness effects from cold water exposure are still yet to be proven.

For those considering cold water exposure, ter Keurs wants to remind people with an underlying heart condition, pregnant or have a cold-sensitive condition such as Raynaud’s, it is not recommended.