There are many health benefits to taking an ice bath, but caution should be taken at all times. When beginning to take ice baths, you should never begin with freezing temperatures, you should always work your way to achieving the temperature you want slowly. We would recommend starting with a few seconds the working your way up to minutes, we wouldn’t recommend exceeding ten minutes in an ice bath.
By taking daily ice baths you will increase your tolerance to colder temperatures and also achieve a number of other benefits such as:
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Reduced Stress and Anxiety Levels and Boosted Mood – When you are feeling under pressure or stressed out, the Vagus Nerve enables your body to release stress hormones. Cold water therapy provides a calming effect in order for the Vagus Nerve to reduce levels of stress and anxiety, helping you to feel calmer and more relaxed.
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Boosted Immune System – Cold water therapy has been found to increase the number of white blood cells in the body, which help to fight off illnesses, therefore, increasing your immune system.
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Boosted Sleep – Some researchers believe that Melatonin aids the sleep process. This is a hormone that occurs naturally, and some researchers have stated that taking a dip in an ice bath can cause a larger spike in this chemical than bathing in warm water, causing you to fall asleep faster.
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Aids Recovery after a Workout – If you have just completed your workout, an ice bath is a perfect way to speed up the recovery process, as the cold water will constrict blood vessels, which in turn slows the flow of blood which enables pain and swelling in the muscles to be reduced.
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Aid Towards Boosted Metabolism and Weight Loss – Strangely enough it is thought that bathing in an ice bath can help burn calories. Cold water therapy activates brown fat, which is a tissue that enables the body to be kept warm, it also helps to keep insulin and blood sugar levels under control. Although a balanced diet and exercise are the best way to lose weight, ice baths are thought by researchers to help with weight loss.
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Better Skin – When you immerse yourself in cold water, the pores on your body shrink in size which means no airborne dirt can enter them and cause spots and blemishes. When the body’s pores are reduced it helps to stop excessive oils from being produced also.
So all in all, just as hot tubs have a wealth of health benefits, so do ice baths. call us to find out more about ice baths and how they could help with your health and wellness.
