| Being inside a chamber in -120C degrees for three minutes felt long and torturous. My body was trying to cope with the abrupt freeze caused by nitrogen-cooled air, and I had to keep telling myself I only had a few seconds left and it would soon be over. After all, when there's no pain, there's no gain, right? This is an example of hormesis in action. Hormesis happens when we put ourselves through short-lived doses of stress to activate a positive response in our bodies. When we expose our cells and organs to mild stress "intermittently, they respond in ways that make them function better, be more resilient," says Mark Mattson, neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University. In contrast, when there is so much stress at high doses, it can become toxic. So only temporary pain can be good for you, he says. What differentiates hormetic stress from other types of stress is that it's controlled and manageable. Some examples of hormetic stressors include exercise like high intensity interval training (HIIT), challenging new workouts, intermittent fasting or exposure to hot and cold therapy, such as saunas and cold plunges. Hormesis works because cells in the body and brain experience stress and become better at managing it in the future. So there was a logic to putting myself in a freezing chamber. During cold exposure the mitochondria in cells activate proteins called "uncoupling proteins," that help the body try to heat up and mitigate any potential damage from the freezing conditions. This in turn effectively stimulates the immune system. The last 40 seconds of my freezing session started to get painful and I was taking deep breaths to get through it. The technician also started to distract me as a way to pass the time. Hormesis is essentially pre-conditioning your body to prepare it for future challenges, according to Rehana Leak, associate professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primes the system to recover better in future challenges. Additional benefits include increased strength, reduced inflammation, slower aging, improved cellular health and enhanced cognitive function. But remember to be careful when engaging in hormesis, says Leak. High or prolonged doses of stress are toxic, not sustainable or healthy – spending too long in a cold plunge may cause hypothermia or put someone at risk of cardiovascular stress. And doing HIIT workouts back to back may cause injury for example. So how does one reap the benefits of hormesis? The key is to find the balance between challenge and recovery. Both Mattson and Leak noted that while it's essential to expose ourselves to mild stressors regularly, i.e. exercising, giving our bodies time and recover is equally important. As we get used to longer nights and shorter days, I'm trying to find ways to lift my mood and reduce feelings of anxiety. This includes exercising. I have yet to try a cold plunge, which requires immersing my body in water beyond three minutes. Perhaps I can remind myself of the adage, "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." — Angela Feliciano | 
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