Keen To Take The Plunge & Try Daily Ice Baths? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

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Published

February 8, 2024

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By now, you’ve probably got a mate or two who absolutely froths an ice bath. They’re also probably the same mate that gets up at 4:30am to run a quick 20kms before breakfast and swears that nothing beats a good sunrise. And look, they’re not wrong.

Cold therapies like ice baths, cold plunges and cryotherapy have become wildly popular over the last few years, with every podcast and TikTok talking about the many physical and mental benefits of a nice cool dip.

Curious to find out what it’s all about? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about ice baths, including where to buy ’em.

What is an ice bath?

Ice baths, cold water immersion or cold hydrotherapy, are forms of cryotherapy where the use of cold water and low temperatures has medicinal and remedial benefits. Ice baths are exactly what they sound like, a bath filled with cold water and ice that you sit in for several minutes (or as long as you can handle) while your body reaps the benefits. The recommended water temperature for an ice bath is around 10-15 degrees Celsius. Oo, damn that’s chilly.

So, what are the benefits of ice baths?

Post-workout recovery

Cold therapy is often used by athletes for muscle recovery. The cooler temperatures are great for tense, tight muscles. The rapid dilation of the blood vessels slows blood flow to relieve any inflammation and soreness. It’s also said to deliver oxygen and nutrients to recovering muscles.

Improve your mental health

Look, I won’t lie to you — as someone who does cold therapy regularly, the first few times you do them it’s so unpleasant. However, once you learn to relax and focus on your breathing, the whole experience can become somewhat meditative. I said somewhat.

As for the physiological benefits of ice baths, the famous Wim Hof Method suggests that cold therapy helps increase parasympathetic activity in the body, which can positively affect mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and gut problems. My anxiety tends to agree!

Regulating the nervous system

According to experts, exposing your body to cold conditions regularly can make you more resilient to stress. (This is why I have cold showers). As your body adjusts to the cold, the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system are stimulated, and the more you can keep your vagus nerve stimulated, the better you’ll respond to things like stress and anxiety.

How long and how often should you use an ice bath?

If you’re feeling real funky fresh, you can do daily cold showers or ice baths. However, weekly dips would suffice. If you’re new to cold therapy, aim to stay in the ice bath for a minute or two before staying in for longer and longer each time. It’s not recommended that you spend more than 10 and 15 minutes in an ice bath to avoid hypothermia or frostbite. If you’re going to participate in cold therapy, listen to your body.

I’d also recommend having a towel and some warm clothes on hand to get changed into post-plunge. You’re going to want them, trust me.

Are there any risks?

You should always consult a health professional before trying an ice bath at home. People who have preexisting conditions like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes have higher risks of complications.

Where can you buy pop-up ice baths in Australia?

While traditional ice baths will set you back a couple of thousand dollars, there are heaps of inflatable/pop-up ice baths that work just as well on the market.