As previously recommended, you can hop in a post-workout ice bath right after your training session. But if you prefer to do other recovery rituals like stretching or foam rolling first, that's OK—you can take an ice bath within two hours of the end of your workout and still reap the rewards.
Ice baths cause vasoconstriction, so your veins have less blood flow. Foam rolling after your body is “cold” and tight may have non ideal effects if you use foam rollers to stretch out your body. On the other hand, if you use foam rollers to warm up, it might be a relaxing way to end an ice bath session.
If the pain is chronic, here's the best postrun sequence: Foam roll, static stretch, ice. But for acute pain, skip rolling and stretching, and ice immediately. "The quicker you ice, the faster you slow down inflammation, the faster you begin to heal," Buraglio says.
Stretch: Spend some time stretching before getting into the ice bath. This will help loosen up your muscles and improve circulation. Take a Warm Shower: Take a warm shower before getting into the ice bath. This will help increase blood flow and improve circulation.
After an ice bath, it's crucial to allow your muscles to warm up gradually before stretching. Cold muscles are less pliable and more prone to injury. Once your muscles have warmed up, gentle stretching can help restore your range of motion and counteract any stiffness caused by the cold.
Post-ice bath, proper aftercare is essential to maximize benefits and prevent adverse effects: Warm Up Gradually: Slowly warm up your body by wrapping yourself in a towel and drinking a warm beverage. Avoid hot showers immediately after, as sudden temperature changes can be stressful.
Many people do flexibility exercises and stretches immediately after taking a bath in order to improve joint flexibility. Many people also do this in the bathtub. After bathing, the muscles and ligaments are relaxed, and everyone feels more flexible.
It is typically recommended to submerge yourself in the water so that your neck and head are above the water level. This helps drop the body temperature drop quicker to the desired temperature so that you can reap the full benefits of the ice bath.
Slowly Begin the Warm-up Process: Drying Off and Covering Up
To prevent this, take your time to dry off thoroughly and wear warm, comfortable clothing immediately after the ice bath. Wrapping yourself in a cozy towel or robe and wearing dry socks can help retain body heat and initiate a gentle warming process.
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.
6) Use a foam roller or even better, a massage gun. Although if you use a foam roller, we recommend doing it before your ice bath, you technically can still “warm up” using them, which can be a relaxing way to end your cold therapy session.
Studies have shown that rolling out your muscles does decrease tissue tension and can improve your range of movement, increasing your speed and flexibility.
If you're unusually sore the day after foam rolling, you may have foam rolled too long or too aggressively. Make sure you aren't foam rolling a particular muscle group longer than two minutes, which may mean setting a timer to help keep you from overdoing it.
Should you take an ice bath every day? While not recommended, it is possible to take a cold plunge every single day and still feel the benefits.
It can help lengthen and relax tight muscles, improving range of motion and preventing muscle imbalances. Foam rolling is another good option to help relieve tension and improve your range of motion after an ice bath.
Before you decide to plunge into your ice bath, you need to engage your rest and digest parasympathetic nervous system. You can do this by taking slow, deep, whole-body breaths in and out through you're nose or pursing your lips like they are holding a straw to create some pressure on your outward breath.
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.
Practice begins at home
It's progressive overload." By that he means you build up your tolerance gradually. Instead of jumping in a freezing cold lake, start by turning the shower cold for 30 seconds, then increase to a minute when you're happy. From there, move onto a cold bath, then stick some ice in it.
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.
Specialists consider it safe to stay submerged in an ice bath for 2-5 minutes. Increase the duration gradually to 15 minutes. Get out as soon as you start shaking or shivering. This will minimize health risks such as hypothermia and frostbite.
It is recommended to wait at least 30-40 minutes after an ice bath before engaging in stretching exercises. This allows the muscles to recover warm up and for blood flow to return to normal. It is also suggested to warm up with a warm shower or hot drink before stretching.
Rinse off the Residue: While a bath can be incredibly soothing and refreshing, it's important to acknowledge that the water you soaked in might contain bath oils, soap residue, or dead skin cells. Taking a quick shower afterward ensures you rinse off any lingering substances, leaving you feeling fresh and clean.
In addition, heat and ice shouldn't be the only components of your warmup and cool-down routine. Be sure to pair heat with light warmup exercises and ice with a post-exercise stretching period.