Sitting upright helps your cardiovascular system maintain efficient circulation, which is especially important in cold water. When you're upright, your heart and lungs are positioned above the waterline, allowing blood to circulate more effectively to your core organs.
If you are new to ice baths and want to get used to the water temperatures first, then keep your chest, neck and head above the water. This keeps your heart out of the water and doesn't allow your body temperature to drop as quickly. Once you're accustomed to using ice baths you can begin to submerge your body further.
Move around
Try moving your arms and legs during your ice bath and you'll immediately feel the increase in intensity! Start with small movements and gradually increase. The bigger the movements, the more challenging it will feel.
Start with a short dip of 30 seconds to 1 minute. This will allow your body to adjust to the cold temperature. Gradually increase your time in the cold plunge by 30 seconds to 1 minute each time you use it. This will help your body adapt to the cold temperature.
Faster Adaptation: Getting the initial shock over with by dunking your head at the start can help your body and mind adjust more rapidly to the cold, reducing the initial discomfort and making it easier to stay in the water longer.
For first-time users, it is generally recommended to start with shorter sessions, around 1-2 minutes, and gradually increase the duration as your body gets accustomed to the cold. Each time you visit, you can increase the duration by 30 seconds to a minute until you reach your desired session length.
Don't - Stay in Too Long
Ice baths are a controlled stressor that challenges your body and mind, but staying in for too long can lead to some very uncontrolled results. Hypothermia and other injuries are possible when bathers push the envelope, so remember to keep it brief.
The sweet spot is between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit to get the desired physiological response. It's a good idea to start with a warmer temperature — between 55 and 60 degrees — for your first cold plunge.
If you're feeling lightheaded or dizzy, experiencing intense shivering or feeling any pain, you should get out of the cold water. These are not normal responses to cold water therapy. Pay attention to how you feel during and after your ice bath.
Cold plunges or ice baths initiate a range of physiological responses that can aid in detoxification: Boosting Lymphatic Circulation: Cold exposure causes the lymph vessels to contract, which in turn helps move lymphatic fluid throughout the body.
SOCKS - neoprene socks are the best way to ensure a relaxing ice bath... because if your feet get very cold and you cannot feel them it takes away the focus and mindfulness of the bath.
In fact, studies have shown that using an ice bath every day for 30 days can promote a variety of health benefits. However, this is not something that's for everyone, and the stress such an activity puts on the body can build up over time.
There is no set amount of ice baths that you can have a week and you can have as few or as little as you like, but most experts will recommend between two to three ice baths a week as well as cold showers, in order to see both physical and mental health benefits.
Balancing this process is crucial to obtaining the full benefits of the ice bath. With that in mind, it is generally recommended to wait at least 2 hours before taking a warm shower or bath. This allows the body to fully experience the benefits of the cold therapy, such as reduced inflammation and muscle soreness.
Taking an ice bath lowers your body temperature and triggers more blood flow to your core. After an ice bath, your body temperature rises, and blood flow returns to your tissues. Ice baths may help improve alertness, reduce pain, and decrease inflammation.
As long as you're in good health and don't have any underlying conditions (more on that in a moment), cold plunges may bring some relief to your sore muscles, improve circulation and even help with sleep. “There's no doubt that some people get great relief from using ice baths,” Dr. King shares.
Ice bath weight-loss FAQS
First-time and inexperienced bathers should not be doing more than a few minutes, while those who have been taking ice baths for years could go up to 15 minutes.
Wear clothing during your Ice Bath experience: Make sure, again, that you don a pair of shorts and a t-shirt if possible to protect your largest major organ: your skin! Set your clock: Remember- 15 minutes is the maximum amount of recommended time… And if you're a newcomer like myself, I'd start off with 5 minutes.
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.
To get the most out of cold plunging, submerge your entire body, even your head briefly if you can. The total body dip exposes your whole body, thyroid and back of the neck, which elicits a more dramatic hormonal response.
Similarly, as those little shocks to the brain can trigger a release of endorphins, it also clears away the fog from a night of sleep or a day in the office. Your brain will feel more alert and clear by the end of a cold shower. Endorphins don't only help make you more alert.