What are Ice Baths?
Ice baths have been used in medicine and sports conditioning for decades to help reduce inflammation and soreness in the muscles. In fact, the use of ice baths was one of the first forms of modern ice therapy. Today, many people use an ice bath as a way to heal faster and reduce muscle soreness following a workout. If you’re new to the concept of an ice bath, you may be curious about what exactly an ice bath is and how it can help you.
Physical Benefits of Ice Baths:
We all know that exercise is good for our health. But did you know that one of the easiest ways to get the most health benefits from your workout is by incorporating a post-workout ice bath into your routine? Let’s take a look at just a few of the physical benefits of taking daily ice baths.
Reduce Inflammation, Swelling, and Soreness: An ice bath is a simple way to reduce inflammation and soreness in your muscles, which can help you avoid injuries and improve your athletic performance. This can help you get the most out of your workout in the shortest amount of time.
Improve Circulation: Ice baths also improve circulation, which is one of the main reasons athletes love them. When your muscles are exposed to cold temperatures, your blood vessels expand, which increases blood flow to your muscles. This can reduce muscle stiffness and soreness and help you recover faster. If you’ve ever experienced an ice bath before, you know that your muscles feel much less painful and stiff following an ice bath than they did before you took the ice bath.
Speed Up Metabolism: One of the biggest benefits of a cold bath is that it increases your metabolism and potential weight-loss. When you take a hot shower or bath, your blood flow is redirected away from your muscles. This causes your muscles to cool down and reduce your metabolism. By contrast, an ice bath has been shown to increase your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories and lose weight. The cold temperature sensation experienced during an ice bath causes your body to increase your metabolism in order to keep itself warm. This means that your body will be burning more calories even hours after finishing your workout. This is one of the main reasons that so many people choose to incorporate an ice bath into their routine post-workout.
Mental Benefits of Ice Baths:
In addition to the physical benefits of an ice bath, research has shown that increases in athletic performance can be attributed to the mental benefits of cold therapy. Let’s take a look at the mental benefits of daily ice baths.
Improve Sleep: Research supports ice baths as a way to improve sleep quality. Ice baths are an effective way to decrease cortisol and increase melatonin, two hormones that play a role in promoting good sleep.
Reduce Stress: Ice baths reduce stress and anxiety, and increase vigor and energy and have also been shown to reduce mental fatigue, which is the tiredness or exhaustion that can come from overexertion and mental stress.
Increase Concentration and Focus: Ice baths improve your concentration and focus, which can help you to learn and remember new information. The increased endorphins that are released during an ice bath have been shown to improve cognitive function, which can help you to retain new information.
Improve Mood: The act of being exposed to cold temperatures can reduce stress, improve mood, and even increase concentration. This is likely due to the decreased blood flow to your skin, which causes your body to respond by producing more endorphins. Endorphins are our body’s natural version of painkillers, and they help to reduce our perception of pain and increase our ability to focus. The release of these endorphins also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, making it easier for you to relax and unwind.
Considering an Ice Bath Purchase?
If now you’re less curious about the benefits of ice baths, and more focused on starting your cold therapy journey, you’ve come to the right place! Below we’ll take a look at different types of ice bath options so that you can get the most out of your cold exposure experience.
There are two options for you to consider if you want to take an ice bath. The first option is to take a cold bath the old fashion way; just run to the nearest general store, buy five bags of ice, and toss the ice in your bath at home (or a barrel if you can find one…)
However, you could save yourself loads of time, hassle, and money… and that’s why we have option number two. The Cold Plunge is an incredible, easy-to-use, cold therapy tub that self-regulates its water temperature (there are even options to purchase tubs that include hot and cold settings!) The second option is far more preferable if you are planning on soaking in the benefits of daily ice baths long-term. The Cold Plunge is easy and convenient, and if you follow this link you can get yours for $100 off plus free shipping! Use code COLD100 at check out, and you can thank us later!