Six amazing health benefits of ice baths

Experts say that there are numerous ways that cold water can relieve stress. According to research, it elevates mood, soothes the neurological system, reduces aches in the muscles, and may even strengthen immunity.

A growing number of athletes, celebrities, and influencers—such as Joe Wicks, Harry Styles, and David Beckham—have made ice baths a regular part of their routine. In the last five years, interest in cold water therapy has increased by 633%, and portable ice baths—like Lumi—have become more and more affordable. Either fill with water and ice or purchase one of their pricier chilling units.

If you’re eager to attempt an ice bath, you can do it even without specialized equipment. Just use a thermometer to measure the water’s temperature and add ice cubes until it’s just right. Remember that even without ice, tap water in the UK is typically between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. Therefore, you may still reap the same advantages by using an ice bath at home if you don’t like swimming in cold water or don’t live close to a suitable body of water or outdoor pool.

What’s the perfect temperature?

Dr. Mark Harper, the author of Chill: The Cold Water Swim Cure, advises that starting when the water temperature is below 20C is a good idea since it will have a significant impact. “Below that temperature, there is some benefit, especially as you begin to adapt, but around 10C is the minimum temperature for maximum benefit.”

How does it affect your body?

For many years, people have utilized ice baths to lessen post-exercise discomfort and inflammation. Your body temperature rapidly drops and blood vessels constrict when submerged in cold water, minimizing swelling and increasing blood flow to the organs where it becomes rich in nutrients and oxygen. Blood flows back into the tissues when the body warms up and blood vessels widen, removing lactic acid accumulation in the muscles and promoting healing.

Dr Harper says, “Athletes use ice baths to help them recover in time for the next match because going into cold water immediately stops the inflammatory reaction.”

Ice baths aren’t just for sportsmen, though. According to Dr. Harper, “reducing inflammation is crucial because it’s linked to a wide range of diseases and ailments, including 21st-century lifestyle disorders like high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.”

Benefits of ice baths

1. Advanced muscle recovery

Tiny tears form in the muscle fibers during intense exercise. The discomfort and inflammation that follow an exercise are caused by the body increasing blood supply to the area in an attempt to mend these microtears. This is how you gain muscle growth over time, but if you’ve overdone it or worked harder than normal, an ice bath can help. In fact, research suggests that ice baths may be more helpful than total rest.

But if you’re serious about gaining muscle, you might want to wait to take an ice bath straight after working out as this will impede your body’s natural healing process. According to Dr. Harper, “reducing inflammation when you’re training is bad for you because you need those microtears to stimulate the body to build back stronger.” It is therefore advisable to hold off on having a dip for at least a few hours.

2. Improved mood

According to studies, cold water therapy can elevate mood by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which is crucial for our “fight or flight” response, and feel-good endorphins. There is some evidence that it can reduce anxiety, and it may also aid in lowering the stress hormone cortisol.

Preliminary studies also point to a connection between inflammation and depression. Dr. Harper says, “You have the effect of the cold in addition to the mood-boosting effects of adrenaline, and reducing inflammation in the body makes you feel good.”

3. Boosted immune system

Many of us were taught as children that if we allowed ourselves to get cold, we would “catch our death,” but there is some evidence that going cold might help strengthen our immunity and activate the blood cells that fight infection.

Regular immersion in cold water has been shown to stimulate the immune system; another study indicated that persons who converted to cold showers for ninety days experienced a 29 percent reduction in sick days compared to those who took hot showers.

Dr. Harper notes that while being cold is bad for you, being exposed to the cold is good for you. This is a crucial distinction.

4. Better sleep

While taking an ice bath may seem like a certain way to get out of bed, research indicates that taking a cold water plunge really enhances the quality of sleep, and other studies suggest that it promotes peaceful sleep.

It’s possible that having an ice bath a few hours before bed will boost the synthesis of melatonin, the hormone that helps you go asleep and remain asleep, even if you might not want to do it just before bed.

5. Helps your central nervous system

In addition to supporting the central nervous system, exposure to cold water may help people suffering from migraines, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and other neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease.

It’s thought that this occurs because cold water functions as an anesthetic, slowing down the rate at which nerves transmit pain signals to the brain, though specialists aren’t entirely sure how this works. Studies show that submerging oneself in cold water helps reduce pain sensitivity; in fact, one study found that the immersion completely eliminated pain.

6. Strengthens your vagus nerve

The primary nerve of the parasympathetic central nervous system, the vagus nerve aids in body calming and regulates the “fight-or-flight” reaction. According to experts, taking an ice bath can “train” your vagus nerve since the cold water triggers a stress reaction that, when used consistently, improves your ability to handle stress.

According to Dr. Harper, “we find that this translates into real life—we know that immersion in cold water attenuates that stress response.” “People say, ‘I’ve done this today, I can face anything,’ after taking an ice bath.”

Are ice baths right for you?

“Ice baths are generally safe as long as you use them sensibly and cautiously,” Dr. Harper states.

Most importantly, this means you should check the water’s temperature and spend no more than ten minutes in it. To get the benefits, you don’t even need to take an ice bath every day or stay in for a long time.

It’s shocking the first time you enter the chilly water. That sensation lasts for maybe two or three minutes, max. You should remain in for as long as necessary to get past the initial period of shock, but you don’t need to stay in for very long because the first few minutes will have the most of the effects (80%). “You don’t even have to do it that often; even one ice bath a week will have a positive effect,” adds Dr. Harper.