How Long Should You Stay in an Ice Bath?

You may have heard of cold-water plunges from social media, from the sports medicine world, or the documentary about Wim Hof,¹ who enthusiastically promoted ice bathing as a form of therapeutic recovery. And with all the hype surrounding it, you may want to give it a go for yourself.

However, testing out a new recovery method can come with questions, one of which may be, “How long should you stay in an ice bath?”

While everyone’s needs (and tolerance) are different, ice baths shouldn’t last longer than 15 minutes at a time.² Fifteen minutes (or less) is enough to experience the benefits of cold-water immersion, but not so long that your body starts shutting down or experiencing ill effects, like hypothermia.

Let’s go over the ins and outs of ice baths, and how you can work your way up to a 15-minute cold plunge.

Benefits of an Ice Bath

Cold water immersion has been a therapeutic practice for thousands of years, dating as far back as 3500BC.³ While research into ice bath benefits is ongoing, preliminary findings show that cold water immersion, or cold hydrotherapy, does offer some benefits, such as:

• Reducing muscle soreness – Cold water temperature constricts blood vessels, which can help reduce swelling and pain from sore muscles.⁴
• Enhancing recovery – There’s also some evidence that an ice bath session for 15 minutes or less can help stimulate oxygenation to muscles, which can help improve exercise performance.⁵
• Lowering heart rate and blood pressure – Some studies show that when humans are immersed in cold water for an extended period of time, the body reacts by slowing down the heart rate and lowering the blood pressure to help conserve energy.⁶ This phenomenon leads some to believe that ice baths may help with stress or anxiety symptoms,⁵ though the evidence remains largely anecdotal.

General Guidelines

If you’re curious about how to take an ice bath at home, there are a few steps you can take to easily take!

What You’ll Need

Ice baths doen’t require much. All you need is a tub of some kind, some cold water, ice, and a thermometer.

You can even purchase a portable ice bath specifically designed for recovery.

Setting the Temperature

You’ll experience the most benefits if your ice bath temperature is between 47 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit,⁸ though you can start warmer and add more ice or cold water as you build your tolerance. Simply use a thermometer to check the temperature of the ice water.

If you don’t have an ice maker in your fridge or its capacity is too small, consider buying bags of ice ahead of time to have on hand.

Recommended Duration

You may be curious: how long should you stay in an ice bath? Once you’ve built up the tolerance to sit in icy water, your cold water immersion can safely last anywhere from a minute to a maximum of 15 minutes per sitting.²

Adjusting for Personal Tolerance

Let’s say you’re a new runner. You wouldn’t go and run a marathon on your first day, right? Taking ice baths is similar: You don’t need to take the coldest, longest bath on your first attempt. In fact, it can be very dangerous to do so.

Instead, take the time and care to slowly build up your tolerance, whether that’s starting with a slightly warmer bath, a shorter duration in the water, or a combination of both.

With practice and consistency, you’ll be able to take longer, colder dunks.

Potential Risks and Precautions

Cold water immersion is not without risk. Our bodies have natural responses when submerged in icy water that can put us in danger. For example⁷:

• Hypothermia
• Skin damage
• Shock response
• Cardiac arrest
• Drowning

Tips for a Safe Ice Bath

Luckily, there are a few ice bath tips so you can safely enjoy cold water immersion:

• Speak with your doctor – It’s always a good idea to run new exercises by your doctor, especially if you have certain neurological conditions, heart or blood pressure issues, or are on particular medications.
• Wear something – It may seem funny to get into a cold bath with your clothes on, but this can help keep you a little warmer while you dip.²
• Start slowly – Avoid hopping right into the ice-cold water, as this can cause your body to go into shock. Instead, lower yourself in slowly and carefully.²
• Monitor your body’s response – Listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel your heart rate going too fast, like you might pass out, or if you start to shiver, then it’s time to get out.
• Don’t plunge alone – It’s hard to know exactly how your body will react to the shock of an ice bath. Having someone with you to observe (and cheer you on!) can be a great safety option.⁴
• Keep your dry clothes nearby – Keep hypothermia at bay by drying off and warming yourself up as quickly and efficiently as possible. As soon as you’re out of the ice bath, strip off your wet clothes, towel off, and put on a fresh, dry outfit.²

Adding an Ice Bath to Your Recovery

Ice baths can be a great addition to your recovery and self-care regimen after an intense workout or physical activity. Not only can they help alleviate muscle soreness and inflammation, but they can also help you bounce back faster post-workout and may even help boost your mood! You can also combine other practices for an even more transformative effect on the body and mind. Find out what works for you by trying out the differences between an ice bath vs cold shower, an ice bath vs sauna, and a cold plunge vs ice bath today.

Choose the Lifepro Allevachill™ Portable Ice Bath for Optimal Recovery

Take your recovery to the next level with the Lifepro Allevachill™ Portable Ice Bath. This ultra-durable, ultra-portable tub is designed to hold up to 92 gallons of water and fit bodies of all shapes and sizes. Learn more about the Allevachill™ system now.

 

Sources:

1. Wim Hof Method. “Regular Ice Baths.” https://www.wimhofmethod.com/regular-ice-baths
2. MasterClass. “Ice Bath at Home: How to Take an Ice Bath.” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ice-bath-at-home-explained
3. NCBI. “Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury and post-exercise recovery.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9012715/
4. Healthline. “What to Know About Cold Water Therapy.” https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-water-therapy#safety
5. Forbes. “Cold Water Therapy: How It Works, Types, and Benefits.” https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/cold-water-therapy/
6. Psychology Today. “The Surprisingly Therapeutic Effects of Cold Water Immersion.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/frame-mind/202203/the-surprisingly-therapeutic-effects-cold-water-immersion
7. Very Well Health. “Cold Water Therapy. What to Know.” https://www.verywellhealth.com/cold-water-therapy-8607879
8. Fit Fab Fun. “How to Do an Ice Bath.” https://fabfitfun.com/magazine/how-to-do-an-ice-bath/

Author

Joel Gottehrer

Joel Gottehrer is the Co-Founder of Lifepro Fitness and has dedicated his life to helping people transform theirs. With over 12 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and owner of two personal training studios, Joel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping transform lives. After suffering from physical injuries, Joel and his business partner, Abraham Brach, came together with a common goal to alleviate the pain caused by their injuries.

They continued to find themselves disappointed with the results stemming from various products promising to relieve their pain, and with that – Lifepro Fitness was born. Joel's mission is to have a positive impact on millions of lives with the Lifepro brand. Whether it's finding new and innovative ways to help people recover from injuries or developing products to improve overall wellness, Joel is always looking for ways to push the boundaries. Thanks to his commitment to help people live their lives free of pain, Lifepro has been able to do this for thousands of people since its founding in 2017.