Ice Bath: Taking a Plunge

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to take an ice bath? Turns out many people did and more and more are actually trying it for themselves. Numerous benefits of ice baths are being touted throughout medical circles. Ice bath is used for a recovery after a long run or a tough workout. Soaking in an ice cold tub may reduce inflammation, relieve soreness, and speed up your recovery.


There are some basic principles on how to take the ice bath properly:

1. Fill your bathtub with cold water, and slowly get in. Let your body adjust to the temperature. (Note: If anyone else is home, you may want to warn them that they may hear some screaming coming from the bathroom. Let them know that you're fine -- just cold!)

If you really don't like the cold, it's fine to go in the tub wearing running tights or sweatpants and a sweatshirt or towel (wrapped around your upper body). You'll still get the same benefits.

2. Dump one 5-pound bag of ice (or a few trays of ice) into the tub. If you can tolerate that, dump another 5-pound bag of ice in the tub. (Again, the warning to family members or roommates is helpful for this part.)

3. Stay in the tub for 10 minutes. If you feel numbness, get out sooner.

Scientifically speaking ice bath is a type of cryotherapy or ("cold therapy"). Cold therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. Once the skin is no longer in contact with the cold source, the underlying tissues warm up, causing a return of faster blood flow, which helps return the byproducts of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. Ice baths suppress inflammation and help to flush metabolic debris out of your muscles.

A recent study has found the presence of brown fat in adults. Good new for those trying to lose weight! Previously it was thought to be present only in newborns and was considered their way of controlling their body heat. If an infant was cold, she started burning brown fat (adult shiver instead). With that, say the scientists, comes the burning of the regular (yellow) fat and hence the weight loss. It is still to yearly to call the shots, but with all the other health benefits that the ice bath can give you, losing a few pounds seems like an excellent bonus.