How long should I wait before taking a shower after a cold plunge? It's recommended to wait at least 20 to 30 minutes or until you feel naturally warmed up and comfortable at room temperature.
Don't take a warm bath or shower soon after your cold session. Contrast therapy has its benefits, but it's better to allow your body to raise its temperature naturally and gradually. Some great ways to warm up after an ice bath are: Stretch out in the sun.
After a cold plunge, dry off and warm up by getting dressed in dry clothes. You can sip a warm beverage and move to a heated area. But don't head straight for a sauna or hot tub, because the extreme heat could cause too much stress on your body.
Additionally, you can also do some light yoga, and motions like the Horse Stance exercise, which is demonstrated by Wim Hof as a way to naturally keep warm around ice bath time. If you're still not warming up naturally within 30 minutes, then add more clothing layers, and consider taking that warm shower.
The recommended duration and temperature of each therapy will depend on the individual and their goals, but it is typically recommended to participate in cold plunge therapy two to three times a week for one to five minutes , and sauna therapy for 15 to 30 minutes.
Timing is everything. Start with a hot soak for 10 to 15 minutes to loosen up your muscles. Then, plunge into the cold for 1 to 3 minutes to boost circulation and energy. Repeat this process two to three times, finishing with a warm soak to wind down.
While cold plunging has numerous benefits, staying submerged for too long can introduce potential risks. Prolonged exposure to colder temperatures may lead to hypothermia, where the body loses heat faster than it can produce, resulting in symptoms like shivering, confusion, and fatigue.
This phenomenon, whereby you continue to feel colder even though you're already out of the water — and typically start shivering uncontrollably — is known as the afterdrop. What's happening is the outer, cold layers of your body are leeching heat away from the core, until the two reach equilibrium.
Heat should be used after icing when the swelling has gone down. Applying heat to an injury increases blood flow to the area and helps facilitate the healing process. But, if you apply heat too soon after an injury, it can cause additional swelling by increasing blood flow too much.
Afterdrop is the continued cooling of your body's core temperature after exiting cold water. This can cause symptoms such as shivering, hypothermia, and feeling unwell. It occurs because your body shuts down circulation to the skin during cold water immersion as a survival mechanism to preserve heat in the core.
Taking a cold plunge in an Ice Barrel can activate the brown adipose and muscles in your body. Once activated, irisin and FGF will be released (irisin and FGF are cold-induced endocrine activators of brown fat function in humans). These two hormones burn up the white fat tissues resulting in weight loss.
Avoid any temptation to have a hot shower immediately after your cold water swim. This can cause blood pressure to drop as blood vessels open up too fast. Instead, dry off and get dressed in warm clothes. Have a hot drink and keep your body moving to return to your average body temperature.
STAGE TWO COOLING DOWN
And even here, there are some rules to follow. According to the classic Finnish method, there is a short bath in ice-cold water, which can be replaced by a shower in cold or lukewarm water, waiting at least two minutes after leaving the sauna.
Powell, a vascular surgeon, says cold plunging is safe if you're reasonably fit and have no history of arrhythmias, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor circulation or heart problems. He also advises that anyone with Raynaud's phenomenon, which causes decreased blood flow to the fingers, avoid cold plunging.
So, you alternate between both! After the initial cold treatment following the injury (around 10 to 20 minutes), you can switch to the heat treatment.
Maybe think twice about ice
"Icing is more about comfort than treating inflammation," Frenkiewich says. Some research shows that icing an injured area can hinder healing. A long period of applying cold to the skin—intended to numb the area and reduce inflammation—can curtail blood flow and potentially harm soft tissue.
RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. These steps can help reduce inflammation, swelling, pain and bleeding in your soft tissues. RICE is good for immediate relief, but healthcare providers have different recommendations after the acute phase.
Avoid immediate hot showers after a cold plunge to prevent negating the benefits of the cold exposure. If you opt for a shower, gradually increase the temperature. Practice safety and mindfulness throughout your cold plunge and warming routine. Be aware of your body's signals and adjust accordingly.
The use of hot tubs and ice baths in contrast therapy is particularly beneficial for those who want to improve their performance, reduce muscle soreness after exercise or speed up injury recovery time. The benefits of using contrast therapy extend far beyond its ability to provide relief from aches and pains.
His ice bath routine involves filling up a bathtub with cold water and adding a few bags of ice to bring the temperature down to around 50°F (10°C). Rogan then submerges himself in the ice bath for 10-20 minutes. Joe also uses his cold plunge pro by Sun Home at his home for daily ice baths.
While some studies suggest a temporary drop in testosterone immediately following cold exposure, regular cold plunge sessions have been linked to stable or increased testosterone levels over time.
Once the after drop has passed, you aren't totally out of the woods, though. It can take four to five hours for your body to fully reheat back to normal. If you find that you're still cold hours after swimming, dress warm, drink warm liquids and take a hot shower or bath.