8 Powerful Cold Plunge Benefits & 5 Expert Tips to Maximize Them

Cold plunging can be a tough sell. The idea of jumping into freezing water can send shivers down anyone's spine, and it's understandable why. The prospect of voluntarily exposing yourself to such low temperatures is enough to make anyone hesitate. But what if I told you that this seemingly torturous practice could help you achieve your mental and physical health goals? Research shows that cold plunge benefits can help improve mood, boost energy, and reduce inflammation, to name just a few. This article will explore the incredible benefits of cold plunging for both mental and physical health and provide tips for maximizing those benefits for your specific goals with DIY cold plunge.

GoPolar’s cold plunge app can help refine your cold plunge routine to achieve optimal results. The app provides valuable features to improve your cold plunge experience so you can focus on your health goals. 

What Is a Cold Plunge?

A cold plunge involves immersing most of your body in cold water, usually between 50-60°F, for anywhere from one minute to 10 minutes. You can do this in various ways, from adding cold water and ice cubes to your bathtub or an outdoor trough or bucket to a dip in an icy lake.

Cold Plunge Benefits Are All the Rage

Cold plunging has become increasingly popular in recent years. Google searches for cold plunge increased 14-fold from early 2022 to 2023, thanks partly to prominent plungers like Lizzo and Harry Styles spreading the trend on social media. 

The trend remains strong, with 19 percent of participants surveyed in The Peloton Report: Spring Wellness Trends reporting that they would most likely participate in or have tried cold plunging.

Cold Plunge Benefits Are Nothing New 

Using cold water to reap health benefits is not new. Way before Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof, the iceman, started setting cold exposure records and popularizing the practice, the ancient Greeks used cold water for:

• Therapeutic purposes
• Relaxation
• Socialization

Hippocrates claimed it could reduce a lack of physical or mental energy. Even Thomas Jefferson used a cold foot bath every morning to maintain good health.

Are Cold Plunges Really Good for You?

For centuries, cold temperatures have been used by humans for:

• Therapeutic
• Health 
• Sporting recovery purposes

This application of cold for therapeutic purposes is regularly referred to as cryotherapy. Cryotherapies, including ice, cold water, and cold air, have been popularised by their ability to:

• Remove heat
• Reduce core and tissue temperatures
• Alter blood flow in humans

Therapeutic Benefits

The resulting downstream effects on human physiologies provide benefits that include:

• A reduced perception of pain or analgesia
• An improved sensation of well-being

Ultimately, such benefits have been translated into therapies that may assist in improving post-exercise recovery. Further investigations are assessing cryotherapies' role in attenuating the ensuing post-exercise inflammatory response.

Scientific Backing for Cold Plunges

Cryotherapy is an umbrella term for therapeutic processes involving cold temperatures. Its principal purpose is to withdraw heat, assisted by reductions in core and tissue temperatures and alterations in blood flow. 

Physiologically, the efficacy of cryotherapy is important primarily due to the analgesic benefits associated with slowing sensory nerve conduction velocity.

The Evolving History of Cold Therapy

Over time, how cold temperatures have been applied to the human body has remained unchanged, with ice, cold air, and cold water maintaining popularity. The evolution of practice focused on the cold dose applied through strict control of the temperature and duration of the cooling stimulus. 

Many aspects of historical physiology can be traced back to ancient Greece. Indeed, the use of cryotherapy for health, treatment, and recovery dates back centuries. Hippocrates' work suggested that water therapy could ‘allay lassitude’ in reducing the depletion of energy or strength. His mention of ice and snow in relation to edema led some to credit him as the grandfather of cryotherapy. 

Historical Origins

While considerable progress has been made in understanding the mechanical changes associated with adopting cryotherapies, research focuses on the future rather than the past. Reviewing a topic from a historical perspective, studying a subject considering its earliest phase and subsequent evolution, may help sharpen one’s vision of the present, generate new research questions, and look at old questions in new ways. 

Therefore, this brief historical perspective aims to highlight the origins of the many arms of this popular recovery and treatment technique while further assessing the changing face of cryotherapy and discussing what lies ahead in the future for cold-application techniques.

The History of Cold Water Immersion

The beneficial effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) on human physiology date back as 3500 BC, with the Edwin Smith Papyrus making numerous references to cold being used for therapeutic purposes. Ancient Greeks utilized cold-water for therapies as well as:

• Relaxation 
• Socialization

Ancient Origins

Hippocrates, in the fourth century BC, documented the use of cold for:

• Medicinal purposes
• Analgesic benefits

In his work On Airs, Waters, and Places, Hippocrates states that “the water can cure everything,” further emphasizing its value. Cold-water immersion was traditionally used as a treatment for fever, with the Roman physician Claudius Galen advocating its use for tertian fever.

19th Century Advances

The same notion appears hundreds of years later in the work of the physiologist James Currie, who used cold water to treat his fevers. Currie furthered his interest in the impact of cold water on human physiology by investigating its influence on:

• Body temperature,
• Pulse
• Respiration

He documented the first records of human temperatures in health, disease, and experimental conditions, carrying out such experiments in his own water cure establishment to prove the value of hydrotherapy.

Clinical Understanding of Cold Water Immersion

In the early twentieth century, the physician Edgar A. Hines Jr. (1906–1978) advanced our understanding of the physiological responses to cold-water immersion by building upon Bayard T. Horton’s earlier work describing cold allergy. Hines contributed to the scientific and clinical community by developing the cold-pressor test to study blood pressure variability. 

20th Century Research

His 1932 seminal paper showed that immersing the hands in cold water (4–5 °C for 30 s) led to a different magnitude and time course of blood pressure response in subjects with hypertension. Hines’ follow-up investigations examined vasomotor reactions to selective sympathectomy, which is fundamental in interpreting autonomic control of the cold pressure response. 

We now understand that simultaneous stimulation of the nervous system's sympathetic (cold shock) and parasympathetic arms can lead to autonomic conflict and cardiac arrhythmias.

Cold Water Immersion and Recovery

In the 1960s, as in D H Clarke's work, cold-water immersion was investigated for its benefits to post-exercise recovery. In the following decades, attention quickly focused on survival during cold-water exposure.

Modern Research

Prof. Mike Tipton (MBE) is conducting much work in examining:

• Cold shock responses
• Impact of different clothing ensembles
• Adaptations to multiple water immersions

At the latter end of the 1990s, the work focused on determining cold-water immersion’s effects on performance recovery. Many researchers have followed Paddon-Jones and Quigley by adopting exercise-induced muscle-damaging (eccentric) protocols to track functional, inflammatory, and psychophysical responses over several days after cooling. 

Meta-Analyses

At the turn of the new millennium, a plethora of similar studies followed, employing:

• Different exercise modalities
• Subject cohorts
• Cooling doses (i.e., duration, water temperature, water depth)

The sheer volume of published studies has led to meta-analyses becoming prevalent in the empirical literature, thus helping form a consensus around the application of cold-water immersion.

CWI Protocols

Current recommendations for the use of CWI derived from these meta-analyses suggest a protocol of 10–15 min at 10–15 °C to promote effective recovery, while a dose of 1.1 (i.e., 11 min at 10 °C) is required to significantly reduce muscle tissue temperature.

Elsewhere, it has been established that immediate immersion is preferable versus delayed immersion, whilst the depth of immersion is unlikely to play a significant role.

Mechanisms of Action

Nevertheless, despite the significant interest, the underpinning physiological mechanisms at the level of the muscle remained largely overlooked. Over the last decade, work shifted toward understanding the central roles that post-immersion changes in muscle temperature (reduction up to − 6.4 °C) and limb and cutaneous blood flow (20–30% reduction vascular conductance) influence the recovery process. 

Later studies used technological advances to progress earlier work in this area, assessing cooling-induced changes in muscle blood flow per se. Recent advances in cellular and molecular physiology have also enabled the study of regulatory mechanisms in human skeletal muscle, developing our insight into essential pathways involved in endurance and strength adaptation after cold-water exposure.

The History of Ice Application

Ice is the most traditional mode of cryotherapy. Napoleon’s surgeon to the Grand Army, Baron Dominique Larrey, was one of the earliest proponents of recommending ice and snow to assist in painless amputations and operations on soldiers. 

Cryosurgery Origins

In the late 1840s, this concept was extended by the physician James Arnott, who started using a local application of a salt solution containing crushed ice to freeze cancerous tumors, thus unwittingly developing cryosurgery. 

Ice was first recommended for the treatment of musculoskeletal injury in the 1960s.

Ice in Injury Recovery

The ability to decrease tissue temperature is fundamental to ice’s therapeutic benefit. In 1955, Bierman studied how ice pack application (120 min) could markedly reduce (~ 6 °C) skin surface temperature. Similar studies followed, employing various methods (spray, refrigerant gel, ice pack, ice massage) and cooling durations to report skin temperature reductions between 6 and 30 °C subsequently. 

Bleakley and Hopkins highlighted that crushed ice can reduce skin temperature to below 10 °C after anywhere between 5 and 20 min application. Around the same period as Bierman’s work, Bing and colleagues were among the first to document the intramuscular temperature change (at 3 cm depth) to ice pack application. Waylonis provided a more comprehensive assessment by recording incremental (0.5 cm) muscle temperature changes to ice massage.

Tissue Preservation

It should be noted that subcutaneous adipose tissue will influence such temperatures, with Bleakley and Hopkins highlighting that the lowest temperatures often coincide with smaller thigh skinfold thickness. It has been suggested that reductions in muscle temperature are related to slowing metabolism, lessening the need for cellular oxygen in the acute period after soft-tissue injury. Much of our current knowledge can be derived from investigations to conserve organ tissue for transplantation and limb replantation. 

An early pioneer was the surgeon R. Y. Calne, who in 1963, demonstrated that kidneys extracted from Mongrel dogs and cooled with chipped ice could extend the period of ischemia. Calne’s histochemical analyses showed decreased cellular necrosis within the organ, which we would now term a decrease in secondary ischemic injury.

The Evolution of Ice Therapy

In the 1970s, investigations commenced to understand better the analgesic effect of ice on the pain threshold. Bugaj demonstrated that ice massage acutely abolished the pain threshold (to surface pinprick) when skin temperature was reduced to 13.6 °C.

RICE Protocol

It is now understood that a large part of the analgesic benefit experienced is due to a reduced nerve conduction velocity in sensory nerves. In 1978, Gabe Mirkin was undoubtedly influenced by past findings to introduce the widely circulated RICE acronym (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) to guide acute sports injury management. 

The original acronym was subsequently adapted to include:

• RICES (rest, ice, compression, elevation, and stabilization) 
• PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation)

Recent Critiques of Ice Therapy

Despite the longstanding popularity of applying ice in sports injury management, the evidence for its use in humans is limited; however, Guillot and colleagues showed a positive impact of ice application on inflammatory cytokines. Nevertheless, recent literature has questioned the use of traditional cold therapy in the early phases of soft-tissue injury or suggests removing ice altogether in managing soft-tissue injuries. 

The acronyms PEACE (protection, elevation, avoidance of anti-inflammatory drugs, compression, and education) and LOVE (load, optimism, vascularization, and exercise) have emerged. While ice application for acute injury management is often witnessed on the pitch side for sporting contact and non-contact injuries, it has more recently been transferred to form part of a periodized recovery approach to facilitate performance.

Future Directions for Cryotherapy

As the popularity of cryotherapy has increased, clinicians, practitioners, and athletes alike have pursued easy-to-use, rapid-to-deploy, and portable cryotherapy alternatives. As an example, the development of cryopneumatic devices became popular after receiving patents in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Initially implemented for recovery following surgical procedures, such as:

• Knee arthroplasty
• Knee arthroscopy
• Hip arthroplasty
• Hip arthroscopy
• Spine surgery

These deliver continuous or intermittent compression while supplying low-temperature exchange fluid to the injured area.

Cryopneumatic Devices

They can be applied for as long a period as desired without substantial change in the temperature of the material contacting the affected area. The results from these studies highlight the acute analgesic effect and consistent reduction in patient-reported pain. These apparatus presented the advantage of portability and thus were exceptionally well received by athletes for recovery from exercise. 

Only one study has investigated the effect of a cryopneumatic device on physiological and biomechanical outcomes following exercise. It showed no benefit in accelerating acute recovery from strength loss. Evidence for the use of cryopneumatic devices for exercise recovery remains anecdotal.

Advances in Cryotherapy

More recently, phase change material has been introduced as a modern cryotherapy modality for recovery following exercise. A PCM is any substance that goes through a phase transition between states of matter with no detectible temperature change.

PCM Advantages

On the contrary, a substance like water or a gel pack only experiences a temperature change that a thermometer can feel and measure. A modality with PCM properties is advantageous because it can absorb large amounts of heat at an almost constant temperature until all the materials are melted, resulting in lower intramuscular temperatures than those that maintain the same phase. 

Compared to conventional cryotherapy interventions, PCM offers an advantage in that it can be safely administered for prolonged durations, resulting in a larger magnitude of change in tissue temperature.

The Future of Cryotherapy

While the application method is open to change, the mechanisms of action remain the same. Whether the cooling stimulus applied is water, ice, air, or PCM, future research should ensure appropriate protocols are utilized. In this sense, a suitable protocol should be able to elicit the necessary physiological alterations proposed to benefit:

• Health
• Injury
• Recovery

Thermal Gradient on Cold Therapy Effectiveness

This is undoubtedly likely to change depending on the cryotherapy method used. Indeed, an important point to note is the impact of the thermal gradient created between the skin and the surrounding environment. The thermal conductivity, or heat-transfer coefficient, is much greater for ice than for water or air, suggesting a greater ability to remove heat from the body using ice.

Modality Comparison

Despite these values, water and air may be more efficient through greater surface area contact. The thermal properties and rate of heat exchange, temperature and duration of cooling, and size of area exposed to cooling should all be carefully considered. With data directly comparing the efficacy of cryotherapy modalities on physiological parameters, practitioners must be aware that some methods may be more efficient in removing heat than others.

Individualised Cryotherapy

One important thing is the correct and efficient knowledge transfer between scientific and applied communities. When applying scientific data to practice, the proper context must be utilized. Recent expert views suggest cryotherapies that aim to benefit or improve health, injury, or recovery should be implemented in an individualized and periodized manner that takes into account the following:

• Athlete
• Training and competition schedule
• Session aims
• Proximity of future exercise
• Environmental conditions

Future Directions

While readers are directed to recent useful reviews highlighting the positive effects of cryotherapies on health, injury, and recovery, they should also be aware of important caveats that might arise in specific situations; for example, the paradox whereby post-exercise cooling might enhance endurance-based adaptations in skeletal muscle but dampen hypertrophic aims.

We have previously discussed this point, emphasizing the need for individualizing and periodizing recovery strategies.

Acknowledging the Benefits of Cryotherapy

What does remain clear is the firm centuries-old belief in cryotherapy techniques and their analgesic properties. Recent data focussing on the perception of one post-exercise cooling strategy (CWI) highlight the positive perception surrounding its application, with end-user belief being a vital variable considered before use.

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What Are the Basics of Cold-Water Immersion?

Cold plunges or cold-water immersion involve submerging yourself in cold water for a few minutes. This can mean sitting in a bathtub filled with cold water and ice cubes or jumping into a cold lake or the ocean. 

You can also go to a cold plunge center or create or buy your tank, which, if it has all the options, can cost up to $20,000. Be sure not to plunge into icy waters with a current like a river to avoid being swept downstream or trapped under ice.

What is the Ideal Temperature and Duration for Cold Water Immersion?

Cold plunges are typically done in 50 degrees Fahrenheit or colder water. Keep in mind that the water in a frozen lake will be much colder. That’s why measuring the temperature before jumping in is a good idea. The plunge can be done as one continuous or multiple sessions with breaks between the sessions. 

Cold-water plungers start with 30 seconds to a minute and work up to five to 10 minutes at a time. Researchers are still determining the optimum process and timing for cold-water immersion sessions.

What Are the Benefits of Cold Water Immersion? 

You can do cold plunging every day. However, if you're doing it after training, daily plunges could compromise the potential for long-term performance improvements.

8 Must-Know Cold Plunge Benefits

1. Short-Term Muscle Recovery

Cold plunges can help athletes recover quickly between workouts. Exercise physiologist Alyssa Olenick explains that they may reduce muscle soreness by curbing the body's inflammatory response to exercise. 

This can be especially helpful for athletes competing in back-to-back races or same-day training sessions who must blunt soreness and muscle fatigue to optimize performance for their next exercise session.

2. Reduced Inflammation

Cold plunges have been heavily associated with reduced inflammation. Since heightened inflammation is associated with a number of chronic conditions, this could stave off disease.

3. Enhanced Immunity

Cold water immersion may enhance immune function by signaling the body to prepare for injury and infection, according to a 2017 review on cold water immersion.

Swimmers have reported fewer and milder infections, and studies have found changes in the number and activity of immune cells following cold water immersion.

4. Improved Mitochondrial Function

According to animal research, cold exposure appears to boost the number and activity of mitochondria in your cells. This is an example of hormesis, a process by which small amounts of stress generate a positive biological response. When done correctly, hormetic stressors such as cold exposure send signals to your mitochondria that they need to step up energy production to meet what might be an ongoing demand. 

The mitochondria comply, and you get more energy and a greater capacity to handle stress, which translates to greater resilience. Optimally functioning mitochondria may have beneficial downstream effects on everything from mental health to longevity to immune function.

5. Boosted Mental Health

A 2018 case study detailed the effects of regular cold water swimming on a 24-year-old woman with major depressive disorder and anxiety. After four months, she was able to manage her symptoms without medication. Of course, this was just one person, but some experts theorize that these benefits may be due to a release of feel-good neurochemicals such as:

• Beta-endorphins
• Dopamine 
• Serotonin after cold exposure

Cross-Adaptation Theory

Another theory is cross-adaptation, which means that the biological adaptations you undergo when regularly exposed to one stressor (like a reduced inflammatory response after cold exposure) could improve your body's response to another stressor and curb downstream symptoms, including psychological symptoms. 

Research also suggests that while cold exposure initially ramps up your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) stress response, acclimating to cold over time shifts you toward a more relaxed, parasympathetic state.

6. Metabolism and Blood Sugar

Five-minute sessions of cold water immersion below 59°F have been associated with an increased metabolic rate—but it's unclear if this contributes to significant health benefits or improvements in body composition or weight. 

Research on animals suggests that cold exposure stimulates brown adipose tissue (brown fat) to absorb glucose from the bloodstream faster, suggesting it may help maintain balanced blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.

7. Circulation

Cooling and then rewarming after a plunge can act like a pump to boost blood circulation—essential for clearing out waste and providing tissues with the oxygen and nutrition they need to function optimally. When you're immersed in cold water, blood vessels in your extremities constrict and draw blood toward your core; but when you get out, your:

• Body warms
• Vessels expand or dilate
• Blood is pushed back through the body

Some research suggests cold water immersion doesn't just enhance circulation immediately post plunge but that when done regularly, it may lead to microvascular adaptations that further enhance circulation over time.

8. Increased Alertness and Energy Levels

One study concluded that cold water immersion of the whole body briefly improved mood. According to the study, "Our findings showed that participants felt more active, alert, attentive, proud and inspired, and less distressed and nervous after having a cold-water bath.”

How to Do a Cold Plunge Properly?

Prepare Your Body and Mind for Cold Plunge Success

Cold plunging isn’t just a physical challenge; it’s also a mental one. As you prepare for your first plunge, you’ll want to ready your body and mind for the experience. One way to do this is by taking icy showers. The next time you hop in the shower, turn the temperature down as low as it will go. 

Pay attention to how your body responds, practice breathing, and notice what happens in your mind. This exercise can help you build tolerance to the cold and prepare for what to expect when you get in the ice bath.

Ice Bath Temperatures and How Long to Stay in

So, you’re ready to take the next step in your ice bath journey. You might be wondering, How long should you stay in an ice bath?, or How cold is an ice bath? There’s more to ice baths than just filling your tub up with ice and water. For those using an at-home ice bath (as opposed to a cold plunge in a gym, spa, resort, or other wellness center), set yourself up for an enjoyable and successful experience with these preparations:

What Supplies Do You Need for an Ice Bath?

• The TUB for a DIY ice bath in your bathtub: you’ll need a tub or container, a thermometer, and 1-3 bags of ice. You'll also need a hose if you're using a stand-alone tub without a faucet.
• Ice bath clothing: What you wear into your ice bath is up to you. We recommend that people new to ice baths wear a T-shirt and shorts, but some wear a sweatshirt, booties, and gloves. Most experienced ice bathers wear at least a bathing suit. 
• A timer: Keep this within reach. 
• A towel: Having a towel immediately at hand makes your post-plunge experience much more enjoyable. 
• Post-plunge clothing: Like the towel, having a long-sleeve shirt, pants, and socks nearby will smooth your transition out of your ice bath. 
• A chair, step stool, and non-slip mat: Having these items near your tub may be helpful, depending on your setup. The chair and step stool can help you get in and out of your tub (and serve as a nice place to put my timer), and the non-slip mat can help you feel more secure as you get out of the cold water.

How to Do Cold Plunge

There are many ways to plunge, including hopping in the nearest body of cold water. But if you’re wondering how to cold plunge at home, you have a few options: Fill your bathtub with cold water and ice, DIY a cold plunge with a stock tank, or purchase one of the best cold plunge tubs for your home and set up your cold plunge in a pinch. Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to ice plunge like a pro:

What’s Happening During a Cold Plunge?

A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health1 describes what happens to your body during a cold plunge. What do ice baths do? Ice baths use your body’s physiological responses to cold exposure to promote health benefits. 

This section examines some of the processes in your body when exposed to cold water, but you can also find more information in our article on how ice tubs work.

Elevate Your Cold Therapy Experience with GoPolar

Our cold plunge app is the go-to resource and tracking app for people who like to take cold plunges and saunas. With GoPolar's cold plunge app, you can track your cold plunges, cold showers, and sauna sessions with your Apple watch. 

After your plunge or sauna session, you can:

• Review your heart rate during a session
• See trends in the app with Apple Health data
• Track your scores in our leaderboard/community

With our app, you can also find the best spots to cold plunge in your area! Download our cold plunge app for free today to level up your cold plunge and sauna sessions with our tracking features and the GoPolar community leaderboard.

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Drawbacks and Potential Risks of Cold Plunges

Cold plunging can expose your body to dangerous temperatures that can lead to hypothermia and frostbite. If you’re diving into a natural body of water, the risk increases since you can’t control the temperature. According to the CDC, hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Symptoms of hypothermia include:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Slurred speech
• Memory loss

Frostbite can occur in extremely cold temperatures, damaging tissues and potentially leading to amputation in severe cases.

Body Shock: The Impact of Cold Water Immersion

Cold plunging creates a rapid response in your body that can be dangerous. “The main drawbacks of cold plunging are increased blood pressure and heart rate,” says Dr. Trent Orfanos from Case Integrative Health. “It can cause spasms of the arteries and reduce blood flow to vital organs, such as your heart and brain, causing heart attacks or strokes. Cold plunging can produce irregular heartbeats and potentially cause lethal cardiac rhythm disturbances.” 

The American Heart Association notes that when you jump into cold water, your body produces a cold shock response. This is where breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure all spike as you hit the freezing water. Drowning becomes a concern if someone involuntarily gasps underwater.

Don’t Rush: Difficulty in Acclimating to Cold Temperatures

A cold plunge is a shock to the system and shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. “It’s a significant challenge to the body, and you need to make sure that you’re fit and healthy enough to do it,” Dr. Tipton explains. The cold water can constrict your arteries and limit blood flow, which puts more stress on your heart and lungs. 

Slabaugh warns that people with lung, heart, or vascular problems should consult their doctor before taking a cold plunge.

What to Do & Not to Do After Cold Plunges

Exit the Ice Bath Slowly

Once your timer goes off, slowly get out of the ice bath. Again, the key word here is gradual; you may be shivering or feel short of breath, and it’s best to avoid quick movements in these circumstances. Grab your towel, pat yourself completely dry, then change into your post-ice bath clothes. 

Warm Up Naturally

Hold back the urge to jump right into a hot shower after cold plunging. Doing so could cause more harm than good. It’s essential to warm up naturally after an ice bath—i.e., not jumping in a hot shower. Instead, we recommend using light movement. 

Some easy movements include warm-up stretches, walking, light yoga, or jumping jacks. "Raising your temperature back up too quickly can shock your circulatory system and lead to syncope, which is fainting, due to sudden loss of blood pressure, so it is not advised," Weight adds.

Consider Eating a Snack

While ice bathing can help boost energy levels long-term, it can be tiring initially. If you’re feeling worn out after your ice bath, don’t hesitate to grab a healthy snack!

Stay Hydrated

Cold plunges can be intense and physically demanding, so staying hydrated before and after your session is essential. Drink plenty of water to replenish your body with fluids and electrolytes. 

Putting a little salt and lemon in your water should do the trick, but the best way to refuel your body is to use an actual electrolyte mixture.

What Not to Do After an Ice Bath

As well as learning what to do after a cold plunge, it’s just as important to learn what not to do after an ice bath. Avoid jumping into a hot shower immediately after your ice bath, as the sudden change in temperature can stress your body. 

Also, refrain from consuming alcohol or caffeine right after the plunge, as they may interfere with your body's natural recovery process. Don't rush into strenuous physical activities that could strain your muscles and cause injury.

Top 5 Cold Plunge Tips and Tricks for Best Results

1. Breathe Deeply to Start Your Cold Plunge Experience

Breathing deeply is the most powerful part of a cold plunge, especially when you first enter the water and remain submerged throughout. As you lower your body into ice-cold water, your body will instinctively want to gasp for air. This initial shock response can trigger a fight-or-flight reaction, making your cold plunge more stressful.

Instead of succumbing to your body’s panic response, focus on taking long, deep breaths to calm your nervous system and help you adjust to the cold. Aim for slow, complete exhales to help lower your heart rate. Try breathing in and out only through your nose for added health benefits.

2. The Best Time to Take a Cold Plunge

Because cold plunges release adrenaline and other energy-boosting neurotransmitters, practicing your plunge away from bedtime is good for avoiding sleep disturbances. Doing your cold dip earlier in the morning will help give you clean, prolonged energy throughout the day.

3. How to Warm Up After a Cold Plunge

Let your body reheat naturally. Don’t bundle up and sit next to the fire immediately after a cold plunge; let your body warm itself back up. Yes, this is tough- but you’ll miss out on the beneficial metabolic effects by taking the easy way out.

4. You Can Always Work Your Way Colder

Add a few cups of ice and work from there if you want to go colder. If it’s too cold, add some warm water. Test the water with your hand and use your intuition and judgment. 

We’re not looking to get hypothermia—start with water between 55 and 65 degrees. Once you become used to that temperature, work your way colder. 

5. Make It Fun

Put on some music and set a timer. Try to sit in the tub for one minute and work your way longer. Once you’ve reached your time limit, dry off with a towel and allow your body to heat itself back up naturally. And if you’re feeling ambitious, try another round or two!

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How Often Should You Cold Plunge?

Exhilarating whoops, hollers, and gasps can be heard from people polar plunging into icy lakes or even stepping into the cold plunge tub. Most people’s instinct is to exit ice-cold water immediately after getting in. But if you resist the urge to get out, there are benefits to cold plunging a bit longer. How long do you have to cold plunge to achieve those benefits? Let’s take a look.

Cold Plunge Temperature and Time for Different Goals

We’ve already talked about how long it takes to stay in the sauna, which has many health benefits. It turns out that cold water immersion has advantages, too. 

Knowing the minimum effective dose is essential – if you can master that, you’ll reap the benefits. You can continue beyond that, but the metabolic benefits plateau. Resiliency builds over time since staying in cold water takes commitment and mental strength.

Water Temperature

Water temperature influences how long you should stay in—the colder the water, the shorter the time needed. Sauna House sets the cold plunge pool to 11.7 ℃/ 53 ℉, which is chilly but tolerable and can produce benefits. It’s generally safer to stay at this temperature than freezing water.

Cold Plunge for Improved Metabolism

In an interview on the Huberman Lab Podcast, researcher Dr. Susanna Soberg tells us that precisely 11 minutes of cold exposure in divided sessions per week is enough to get the metabolic benefits of brown fat activation. This could amount to 1-5 minutes of cold therapy 2-4 times a week. In her study, winter water temperature ranged from 1-9 ℃ (34 - 48 ℉), but participants also swim year-round in slightly warmer water.

Soberg Principle

We’ve written about the Soberg Principle – to end with cold, which forces your body to reheat independently. This should induce shivering, crucial for boosting your metabolism and helping your body generate heat. 

Cold exposure also helps white fat turn to brown fat (this article explains). This body adipose (fat) transformation can protect against diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Cold Plunge for Better Mood and Focus

A few studies have shown that cold water immersion significantly increases positive mood and reduces distress. One study showed that immersion in 13.6 ℃ (57 ℉) water for up to 20 minutes achieves these benefits. 

Another study had participants undergo just one 5-minute cool water immersion at 20 ℃ (68 ℉), which is not that cold [4]. This shows that the minimum effective dose for good mood benefits doesn’t have to be long or cold.

Chemical Effects

Cold triggers the chemicals dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, norepinephrine, and beta-endorphins which influence:

• Mood
• Focus
• Attention

A study on people in cool 14 ℃ (57 ℉) water for an hour up to their neck showed increased dopamine release by up to 250% and norepinephrine release by up to 530%. Don’t have an hour? Colder, shorter immersions still pack a punch—just 2 minutes at 10 ℃ (50 ℉) or 20 seconds at 0-2 ℃ (32-35.6 ℉) doubles norepinephrine levels.

Cold Plunge for Muscle Soreness

Cold water immersion reduces:

• Muscle damage
• Swelling
• Inflammation
• Spasms
• Pain

A standard protocol among studies is 11-15 ℃ (52-59 ℉) divided into sets for 11-15 minutes, although there’s a success with as little as 5 minutes. Dr. Andrew Huberman’s newsletters suggest that shorter intervals lasting less than 5 minutes can help with physical recovery after high-intensity exercise or endurance training. 

Timing is important because while it can help decrease muscle soreness, it can also negate muscle-building and endurance benefits if done immediately after exercise.

Level Up Your Cold Plunge and Sauna Sessions Today With GoPolar's Free Cold Plunge App

GoPolar is an app that tracks and enhances your cold plunge and sauna sessions. With GoPolar, you can:

• Track your cold plunge
• Shower
• Sauna sessions

After your plunge or sauna session, you can review your heart rate during a session, see trends in the app with Apple Health data, and track your scores in our leaderboard/community. 

With our app, you can also find the best spots to cold plunge in your area! Download our cold plunge app for free today to level up your cold plunge and sauna sessions.

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