Taking a DIY ice bath is a method of cryotherapy (also known as cold therapy) that has been used by athletes and their personal trainers for some time to relieve muscle soreness post-workout.
The process of ice bathing typically involves a person submerging themselves in extremely cold water (50-59 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 to 15 minutes at a time directly following extreme muscle use.
Perhaps you have taken up a new sport or workout routine and want to get in as much playtime as possible. You might be wondering if this cold therapy might be the best solution for your own muscle soreness.
Ice Baths Benefits: What Are They?
A DIY Ice Bath Lessens Muscle Soreness Post Workout
This is the most common reason for athletes to enjoy an ice bath or cold showers at home. Cold water immersion after a workout feels good both immediately and long-term.
Bathing in ice-cold water works by quickly cooling muscles that have been heated to extreme temperatures during a workout. Muscles that are hot often burn and ache during the cool-down process. Speeding that process up helps take away some of that post-workout pain.
When the muscles in the body are cooled they can then focus on restoring any muscle strain experienced during a workout. The faster the entire body repairs and rebuilds fresh muscle, the faster an athlete feels ready to workout
Lowering Whole Body Inflammation
When muscles have been overworked or our body experiences injury to joints, muscles, and soft tissues we can experience painful inflammation. On top of pain, inflammation can make it hard for us to move our bodies in the ways we normally would.
Soaking in a bath of icy water causes our blood vessels and other cells to constrict which brings down swelling throughout the body as blood flow slows. With less inflammation comes less soreness and more movement, getting athletes back on their feet quickly.
Improving Sleep
The cold water used in ice baths can help regulate our central nervous system. The system-wide response to this treatment keeps your nervous system up and running throughout the day. When your nervous system is engaged in daytime work, it is more prepared for nighttime rest.
A study of athletes who use this cold therapy showed that 80% of the athletes stated they felt their sleep patterns were improved when they took these baths.
Increasing Metabolism and Fat Burning
Our body’s natural response to extreme cold temperatures is to try and create heat. While we don’t want to put ourselves into full hypothermia, a timed and controlled a DIY ice bath can trigger our body’s heat creating response in a positive way.
Our body feels the cold bath of ice and water and in an attempt to warm up, the body begins to burn carbohydrates and fat and increases the overall metabolism of the body.
A perfect example of this phenomena is in Olympic swimmers who spend large amounts of time in very cold pools and ice bath tub. It is not unusual for an elite swimmer to need 12,000 calories per day just to maintain their body weight. This isn’t only due to swimming exercise but also to the fact that the cold water they spend time in requires their body to run its metabolism on high to stay warm.
We might not be looking to eat 12,000 calories in a day, but a DIY ice bath session could certainly be a tool that aids in our fat burning goals.
Trains Your Body And Brain To Better Handle Stress
Our brains come equipped with a nerve known as the vagus nerve that rests against the bottom of the brain. This nerve is responsible for controlling your breathing and heart rates.
The vagus nerve is stimulated in stressful situations or situations of extreme change in environment or bodily demands. This means that a dip into a DIY ice bath is a great way to stimulate the use of the vagus nerve.
By becoming familiar with the vagus nerve and more able to control its response to stimulus, athletes can help their body and mind more easily deal with the stress of workouts and competition.
Other a DIY Ice Bath Benefits
Outside of the ice baths benefits listed above, chilled baths are an option for health that many people can access. Bathing in icy or cold water is beneficial because:
1. Most people can afford them.
Even people who cannot afford specialized cryotherapy treatment in a medical office can use simple home chilled bath soaks of 10 minutes to receive the ice baths benefits.
Oftentimes, instructions can be provided by a trainer or doctor and then performed at home to lower the cost of traveling to and from medical facilities.
2. Can add an enjoyable element to working out.
At first, an ice bath at home may seem like a tough thing to endure. The shock to the system is definitely felt when you slip into a tub of ice and water. However, your body will soon learn to enjoy the pain relief and muscle recovery brought on by an icy soak.
When you come to anticipate the relief provided by a DIY ice bath, your workout motivation can only rise!
3. Can be used easily by people of varying physical abilities.
Soaking in a cold tub does not require complex or specialized movements to receive benefits. This means that even people with limited mobility, unwanted injuries, or other physical limitations can experience the benefits of this treatment.
Soaking in an chilly bath does not require complex or specialized movements to receive benefits. This means that even people with limited mobility, unwanted injuries, or other physical limitations can experience the benefits of this treatment.
Is a DIY Ice Bath Right For You?
DIY ice baths can be beneficial to a wide variety of people, especially those who experience regular muscle use and fatigue.
An ice bath at home does not come without potential risk. Individuals with breathing difficulties, who are pregnant, or who have a history of blood pressure regulation struggles may want to reconsider ice bath therapy.
Ice bath therapy should also be used only for short, controlled amounts of time. Extended a DIY ice bath exposure can lead to hypothermia and other negative effects.
To receive the full ice baths benefits, talk with your doctor.