Cold showers are the perfect gateway into ice baths while still letting you enjoy benefits such as mood boosts and immunity from common illnesses. However, ice baths tend to be more effective for muscle recovery and soreness as the cold water can surround more of the body than cold showers can.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about these two methods of cold water immersion!
Ice bath vs cold shower: what’s the difference?
Ice baths
Ice baths are a form of cold water immersion, similar to a plunge pool. You’ll submerge your entire body into water as cold as 10 degrees, with only your head poking out. Most ice baths won’t last longer than ten minutes, although most people last less time than this. You can experience the benefits of cold water immersion after just a few minutes, so don’t worry if you have to tap out early.
Benefits of ice baths
Reduces inflammation and muscle soreness
When you first plunge into an ice bath, your blood vessels constrict and bring all of your blood to your core, where it’s loaded with extra oxygen and nutrients. Once you get out of the ice bath, the blood vessels will expand again and deliver all of these nutrients to your muscles, which can help boost recovery post-exercise. There’s some research to suggest that it can even help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness, which is always an unwelcome surprise after exercising!
Boosts blood circulation and improves recovery time
Cold water strains the body, essentially putting it into survival mode. This makes it work harder to maintain its core temperature, which in turn stimulates the body to increase blood flow circulation. Improving your circulation lets the blood vessels deliver freshly oxygenated to muscles that need to recover, helping to speed up the recovery process after exercise. This should help you get back to fighting fit in a much quicker time.
Helps relieve pain by slowing nerve signals
Cold water immersion, such as ice baths, can relieve pain by slowing down nerve conduction, otherwise known as the speed the pain signals travel through the nervous system. One study found that the nerve fibres became less efficient at transmitting signals when exposed to cold temperatures, which slowed down the rate at which the electrical impulses moved through the nerves. This both temporarily numbed the area and reduced the sensation of pain, making ice baths a natural form of pain relief.
Cold showers
A cold shower is simply lowering the temperature of your shower to below 15 degrees, which is around the same temperature as water from the cold tap, and letting it run down your entire body. Cold showers can last as long as you’re able to withstand them, and many people use this as a gateway to ice baths so they can acclimatise their bodies to the reduced temperature without going straight for the big guns.
Benefits of cold showers
Improves mood and can reduce stress
Cold showers have been shown to improve mood and reduce stress when combined with breathing techniques and exercise. Research has shown that, when combined with exercises such as push-ups, stretching, and more, cold showers can help to build discipline for regular application of breathing techniques and cold exposure. Breathing slowly and deeply can clear your head and lower stress levels, letting you get on with the rest of your day with more level feelings.
Boosts immunity from common illnesses
Utilising hot-to-cold water immersion might have the power to protect you from common illnesses, such as colds and flu. Even enjoying a warm shower and then turning the water temperature right down for a few minutes can shock the body enough to stimulate the blood cells that fight off infection and get them working. A study in the Netherlands found that its participants who switched to cold showers for 30, 60, or 90 seconds consistently for 90 days called out sick from work 29% less than those who didn’t.
Reduces inflammation
Exposing the body to cold temperatures makes the blood vessels tighten up and constrict, redirecting the blood to the body’s core and vital organs. This naturally adds oxygen and nutrients to the blood, making it much richer than if you weren’t to have a cold shower. As your body heats up again, the blood vessels expand to distribute the richer blood to your body’s tissues, flushing out inflammation and making your body feel much better.
One study into the effects of cold mist showers on patients with inflammatory arthritis found that cold showers can be a safe and effective home treatment for inflammatory pain.
Ice baths vs cold showers: which is best for you?
Whether ice baths or cold showers are best for you all depends on what you’re aiming to get out of them. For example, cold showers are better for general wellness as they’re more convenient and cost-effective. You can experience them from the comfort of your own home, while still enjoying plenty of benefits such as mood boosts, improved skin and hair health, and more. They’re also a good stepping stone into ice baths to get your body used to the sensation before jumping in at the deep end.
However, on the other hand, ice baths are better if you’re looking for effective muscle recovery. Your entire body is submerged, instead of the water simply rolling off you and focusing mostly on your shoulders and back. So, your entire body can enjoy benefits such as reducing inflammation and seeing up healing.
Frequently asked questions
Are cold showers and ice baths safe?
Some people might wonder whether exposing the body to such extreme temperatures is safe or not, but for the most part, they are safe. However, cold water does put your body under stress, which can be dangerous if you have underlying health conditions like arrhythmias and hypothermia.
There are increased risks of cold water immersion if you have pre-existing health conditions, so we highly recommend talking to a healthcare provider beforehand if you’re concerned.
How long should you immerse yourself in cold water?
The length of your cold water immersion session all depends on how you’re feeling. You should never push yourself too far that it causes pain or intense discomfort, so make sure you listen to your body – there’s no shame in tapping out.
If you’re a complete beginner, we might recommend keeping cold showers and ice baths as short as one minute at a time. This might feel quite short – but when you’re in it, trust us, it’ll feel much longer! You can then begin working your way up to a few minutes at a time. Experts recommend not staying in an ice bath for longer than 15 minutes, so use this as your goal post.
How can you incorporate cold showers and ice baths into your routine?
Incorporating cold water immersion into your routine is simple enough – all you really need to do is find the perfect time to fit it into your schedule. Most athletes like taking cold showers and ice baths after exercise as this is when their bodies need the recovery benefits the most, but others sometimes prefer them in the morning to set their days off on the right foot. There’s no research to suggest whether cold water immersion is best in the morning or evenings, so it’s up to you when you think your body will respond best to it.
Final thoughts
Ice baths and cold showers are very similar and therefore come with similar results, but cold showers are generally considered better for beginners. Ice baths are best for muscle soreness and recovery, but they can also elicit cold water shock if you’re not careful. Remember to always talk to your healthcare professional if you have pre-existing conditions that might make cold water immersion dangerous. Ice baths and cold showers come with plenty of benefits like improved muscle recovery and skin health, but remember – these aren’t worth it if it’s a risk to your health.
