What Exactly Is An Ice Bath?
An ice bath is essentially the practice of immersing one’s body or part of it in a bath tub containing cold water – ranging from 50 to 59° F ( 10 to 15°C) for some length of time. Cold temperature causes the shut down of blood flow reducing pressure on damaged tissue, muscles or joints, stress caused by or after exercises or sports. Thus, it is one of the simplest things that you can do to assist your body to recover as quickly as possible.
Safety Tips For Beginners
Take These Precautions:
- Do not develop a culture of diving head first into a bucket of ice – it is better to ease into the process or use water that is slightly cold as a start. Fluctuations in temperature are very much risky.
- It is particularly advisable to avoid taking an ice bath if you have any heart problem or circulation disorder.
- Never ice bath alone – ensure you are accompanied by someone because you are likely to experience hyperventilation, a panic or fainting.
- Have towels within your reach and wear dry warm clothes as soon as you come out of your ice bath. If you let yourself became wet and chilled, you may be attacking your body’s natural defenses.
- Avoid going for more than 3 minutes at the initial stages since the stress response will take time to work on your body.
Before your first ice bath
Follow this checklist before taking the icy plunge:
- Try to place your ice bath tub in a well ventilated area and make sure you remove all possible causes of accidents around that area. If it is necessary the child should stand a step stool.
- Add water to the tub and several bags of ice to make the water temperature to range between 50-59°F. Use a thermometer to monitor. When ice is dissolved, put more of it to keep the cold and melting process going.
- To avoid getting stiff while in the ice bath, ensure you have a timer to check how long you have spent in the bath. The seat Write the emergency contacts near the tub.
- Ensure that there is dry towels and a robe or blanket handy when you are done.
- Take a shower for only 5 minutes or so before going into the ice bath. This helps to avoid drastic change in temperature from shocked your body.
- Buddy System – have someone with you to help you or dial an emergency or a first responder in case of an unfortunate incident.
How Long Should You Take your Body Through An Ice Bath?
For first timers, it is recommended that you conduct the first few sessions for three minutes tops. Exit cautiously and cover up as soon as possible in towels. Make sure to cover up again while the body is in the process of regaining heat back. If you don’t have any negative effects in a few minutes, you can try to lengthen the amount of time you stay in the ice bath with each successive session. The majority of authors advise on spending not more than 15-20 minutes in an ice bath, because the human body receives great stress on the nervous system when in contact with such low temperatures. Listen to your body – tingling, aching, fainting are signals that it is time to evacuate. This means duration of ice bath should vary as per individual’s tolerance levels, everybody may not feel the same while in it.
The present work is aimed at increasing the tolerance of ice baths.
It’s normal to dread the painful sting of the cold but these tips can take your mind off the chill:
- Sing your favorite or most motivational song, or watch your favorite or most captivating video.
- Take time to be still and do some breathing techniques in order to calm you down. Trying to work towards limiting their pulse will also be effective in reducing tension.
- To minimize slumping, while seated, use a foam pool noodle positioned on the lumbar curve. The perception that floating erases pain is true for sore muscles because their weight is soothed on body.
- Add some bath salts. It is noble needy that magnesium and Epsom salt have some healing qualities on them. The minerals may also heat water a bit, although the difference is generally, negligible and not noticeable to the naked eye.
- Take it one step at a time. Instead, start getting in by first sitting on the edge and putting your feet in first before fully immersing. A win in the mind game increases confidence that is needed in other battles.
Stay Safe First and Foremost!
This is because the signal that one should get out of the ice baths is as soon as one starts getting violent shivers, numbness on the skin, dizziness, nausea among others. Its a little uncomfortable for the first time but within a few sessions of sessions you should start to grow accustomed to it. Oh yes and as always if there are still questions in your mind, you should consult with your doctor. That is the sort of thing that requires some explanation because other than setting such precautions it is now safe to enjoy all the great recovery and health benefits of ice baths. All in all, one simply has to go steady and confine their practice to this guide’s fundamental procedures until tolerance is developed.
