Are you booking in for your first ice bath and feeling nervous? Not sure what to expect or how to prepare? We’ve been there and we’re here to help! An ice bath is a technique that has become popular particularly with athletes and fitness fanatics where the body is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for several minutes allowing for faster recovery times. While you might have some reservations about the temperature of the bath, there are many benefits to taking the icy plunge.
Ice baths have been shown to improve focus and attention, reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, enhance athletic performance in hot weather, improve sleep quality and much more. The ideal temperature range for most ice baths is between 8 and 15 degrees. The baths at Gentle Recovery sit at around 10-11 degrees majority of the time. Although if you’re up for the extra challenge, visit us on a Wednesday morning when the baths are chilled down to a frosty 5 degrees. So how long should you stay in the bath? For beginners we recommend aiming for five minutes initially with our sessions running for 20 minutes maximum. If you’re feeling extra nervous, we are more than happy to stay with you and provide guidance through your recovery session.
Here are a few handy tips to help you prepare for your first ice bath and how to make the most of your session.
Cold Showers
The easiest way to start preparing for an ice bath is to have a cold shower. For absolute beginners, you might like to alternate between warm and cold water to build up your tolerance until you can have a completely cold shower. Start off small allowing the cold water to wash over you in 30 second intervals. Make a plan to repeat this every day for 3-4 days before you start to increase to 1-minute intervals eventually working up to 3-5 minutes of a continuous cold shower.
Controlled Breathing
Stepping into an ice bath may take your breath away for a moment however taking control and completing breathing exercises can help make the experience a little more bearable. People will naturally take short, shallow, fast breaths however what you want to do is the complete opposite. It’s recommended that you simply breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Complete 20-30 repetitions of this before stepping in and continue this breathing pattern while sitting in the tub.
Distractions
Before you hop in, ensure you prepare some distractions for yourself to make the session go by quickly. You might like to have your favourite podcast or playlist ready to go or a good book loaded on your e-reader. Distractions like these will help you focus on something other than the cold. Find something that works for you, for some it might be simply concentrating on your breathing or finding the space to meditate while embracing the cold.
Set a Time Limit
Prior to getting in the tub, set yourself a time goal. It helps to have a countdown or timer set to keep you on track. You might also instead like to count yourself and distract yourself that way. For beginners, we recommend at least 5 reps of 1-minute intervals. If you’re a seasoned pro, you might like to complete 3 reps of 5-minute intervals, or 15 mins continuously being in the bath. You also might like to splash or submerge your face every now and then.
Warm Clothes
Once you’ve reached your time limit, exit the bath slowly and immediately remove your wet clothes. It’s time to start bringing your body temperature back to its regular state. While it is tempting to hop in a warm shower, it can be more beneficial to take up gradual warming techniques such as changing into warm clothes after your bath, rugging up with a warm towel or even having a sip of a warm drink ensuring you are fully warm and back to normal 30-60 minutes after you have finished your session.
It’s important to note that while your first ice bath may be a challenge, you will soon appreciate it for all its wonderful benefits even the immediate ones such as feeling more awake. While ice baths are popular with many athletes and fitness lovers, it’s not for everyone and that’s totally fine! We have a variety of gentle recovery activities that can suit your needs and help you get back up and running.
If you’re not sure that ice baths are for you, our friendly team members are always available to answer any questions you may have, and they can also provide guidance throughout your ice bath session. Speak with us today to book in or to have a chat about how cold-water therapy can help you recover!