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Ice baths are having a moment—especially on social media. From professional athletes to celebrities to regular folks who love a health hack, people are swearing by the rejuvenating power of a dip in ice-cold water.
As it turns out, polar plungers may be onto something.
Cold water immersion (also known as cold hydrotherapy)1 has been revered for its many therapeutic benefits since Ancient Greece.2 And thanks to continued research and advancements in areas like sports medicine, we have a better understanding of just how ice baths can support your overall health.
But you don’t have to be a professional athlete to take an ice bath or spend thousands of dollars on a cold-immersion system. In fact, you can take an ice bath at home!
Let’s review some of the benefits of an ice bath and some tips and tricks for taking one at home.
Benefits of Ice Baths
Though research into the benefits of cold immersion therapy is ongoing, preliminary studies show that ice baths can support overall health in various ways.
Physical Benefits
Research shows that taking ice baths can offer some interesting physical health benefits:
- Reduces pain – You may be most familiar with ice baths as a form of recovery for athletes, and there’s a good reason for it. The cold water constricts blood vessels, which can relieve soreness after a hard workout.3
- Lowers inflammation – You’re sore post-workout because of inflammation in your muscles. Constricting your muscles can help keep inflammation down.3
- Aids in recovery – Cold water temperature can decrease the metabolic activity in your muscles, making for a quicker recovery and improved performance.4
Mental Benefits
Though research is still ongoing, there’s reason to believe that ice baths also provide some mental health benefits.
Some evidence suggests that cold water plunges can help regulate the nervous system, specifically by stimulating the vegas nerve.5 The vegus nerve is the main pathway for the autonomic nervous system. It controls things like your heart rate and breathing. Researchers believe that ice baths could be used as a therapeutic technique to teach people to “breathe through” difficult emotions.5
Anecdotal evidence also suggests that ice bathing may help with emotional distress by activating our body’s “diving response,”6 a survival mechanism common in marine mammals. This response helps reduce the body’s need for oxygen by lowering heart rate and slowing metabolic responses, creating a calming effect.
Step-by-Step Guide to Taking an Ice Bath
Ready to try an ice bath for yourself? You don’t have to spend much money or live by a body of water to take a cold plunge. Creating an ice bath at home is pretty straightforward. Here are a few tips to get started.
Staying Safe
Cold water plunges carry some risks, including:
- Hypothermia or frostbite, if you stay submerged for too long
- Skin damage or “burns” from the ice
- Shock response from the cold
- Drowning
Additionally, it’s best to consult with your doctor before trying an ice bath, especially if you’re taking certain medications or have a condition like3:
- Neurologic condition
- Heart disease or other heart issues7
- Blood pressure issues7
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can stay safe while taking an ice bath at home:
- Wear clothes when you plunge – A shirt and shorts can help minimize any skin damage from the ice in your bath. You may even consider water shoes for extra protection.8
- Acclimate yourself to the cold – You don’t have to go full throttle on your first plunge. Give yourself some time to adjust to the cold, whether by limiting your immersions to a minute or two and working your way up, or using a slightly warmer bath and then lowering to the desired temperature over time.
- Practice, practice, practice – Building up your tolerance to ice baths is like any other form of training. It takes consistency and incremental adjustments. For example, your first ice bath may only last 30 seconds at 65 degrees, but your third bath may last a full minute at 63 degrees.
- Never plunge alone – It’s hard to know exactly how your body may react to ice baths or cold plunging. Enlisting an observer to keep an eye on you during your immersion is a good way to stay safe (and get the moral support you need).1
Setting Up Your Bath
Ice baths at home don’t require a lot of fancy equipment. While you can purchase a portable ice tub designed specifically for cold hydrotherapy, you can also take an ice bath in the bathtub or DIY a tub out of a food-safe barrel, a kiddie pool, or even a large plastic tote.
If you’re using something other than a bathtub to soak in, you may want to set up your ice bath outside so as to keep mess to a minimum.
Besides your tub—makeshift or otherwise—you’ll also need access to cold water and ice cubes. If you don’t have an ice maker, consider purchasing bags of ice from a convenience store ahead of time so you have plenty of ice on hand to adjust your bath’s temperature.
Filling the Bath
While many people like plunging their whole body into an ice bath, sometimes you only need to ice a particular part. You can do ice baths for just your feet, for example, or a specific joint like a knee or an ankle, and fill the tub to just that level.
Remember that if you’re using a taller tub like LifePro’s Allevachill™ Recovery Ice Tub, you’ll want the water level to come to your shoulders so your head is above water.
Adjusting the Temperature
A bath is considered “cold water immersion” when the temperature hits 47 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit.4 Keep a thermometer handy to adjust your bath with more ice or warm water as needed.
Entering the Bath Safely
Though you may feel the natural urge to hop into the ice bath and right back out, the shock of the cold water on your system can be quite jarring. It’s better to ease your way into the ice bath, slowly lowering yourself in a little at a time.8
Optimal Duration
Unlike a hot-water bath, ice baths are not meant for soaking, so you might be wondering “How long should you stay in an ice bath?” To keep your core temperature from dropping too low, keep your immersions to a maximum of 15 minutes. But remember—you don’t have to go for 15 minutes during your first-ever ice bath. Take your time adjusting to the cold and work your way up to a longer dip.
Post-Ice Bath Recovery
While beneficial in many ways, ice baths can be hard on the body. Post-ice bath care can help keep your body safe and functional so it can get the most out of your ice bath.
Take Your Time Getting Out
While it may be tempting to leap out of your ice bath after your timer is up, resist the urge. Cold water can make the body sluggish (or numb), and you don’t want to lose your balance and slip. Ask your observer for assistance if you feel like you can’t lift yourself out safely.
Warming Up
One of the biggest dangers with ice baths is hypothermia, a condition where the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.9 This is why it’s essential to warm up your body as soon as you get out of the ice bath by removing whatever you wore in the tub, toweling yourself off, and putting on fresh, dry clothing. Consider layering up right after an ice bath, even if it’s warm outside, to give your core temperature time to readjust.
Though it may seem like the quickest way to warm up is with a hot shower or a dip in the hot tub, the sudden change in temperature could cause you to pass out.1 A slow and steady approach will keep your body from going into shock.
Hydration and Nutrition
One way to warm yourself up after an ice bath is to hydrate and have a snack. You can accomplish two goals at once by drinking something warm (not hot), like bone broth, tea, or warm water with a bit of lemon. A small, sweet snack, like a square or two of dark chocolate (or hot cocoa!), can also help elevate your body temperature.sup>1
Once your body temperature levels out, you can proceed with your regularly scheduled training meal plan.
Ready to Take the Plunge?
Ice baths can offer some exciting benefits for our bodies, regardless of how hard we exercise. They can help with muscle recovery, improve athletic performance, ease inflammation, and may even provide emotional benefits by lowering blood pressure and heart rate. You can also combine other practices for an even more transformative effect on the body and mind. Find out what works for you by learning the differences between an ice bath vs cold shower, an ice bath vs sauna, and a cold plunge vs ice bath.
Enhancing Your Recovery with Lifepro Allevachill™ Portable Ice Bath
Are you curious to try an ice bath for yourself? LifePro’s Allevachill™ Portable Ice Bath is an affordable option to add to your recovery arsenal. This all-weather, inflatable ice tub is made to go wherever you go, with a durable PVC interior, five layers of thermal-insulated EPE, and a ripstop polyester exterior. Your on-the-go cold therapy station can also hold up to 92 gallons and fit adult bodies of all sizes.
Explore LifePro’s portable ice bath and more of the best recovery equipment for athletes and post-workouts now.
Sources:
- Healthline. “What to Know About Cold Water Therapy.” https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-water-therapy#safety
- NC “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/
- Cleveland Clinic. “Brr! What to Know About Cold Plunges.” https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-know-about-cold-plunges
- Fit Fab Fun. “How to Do an Ice Bath.” https://fabfitfun.com/magazine/how-to-do-an-ice-bath/
- Forbes. “Cold Water Therapy: How It Works, Types, and Benefits.” https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/cold-water-therapy/
- 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
- Everyday Health. “Cold Water Therapy: A Beginner’s Guide to Baths and More.” https://www.everydayhealth.com/wellness/cold-water-therapy/guide/
- MasterClass. “Ice Bath at Home: How to Take an Ice Bath.” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/ice-bath-at-home-explained
- Very Well Health. “Cold Water Therapy. What to Know.” https://www.verywellhealth.com/cold-water-therapy-8607879
Author
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.
