Top Three Ice Bath Therapy Benefits to Maximize Your Health
Meet Keith.
Keith was struggling at work. He was struggling at home. He was struggling with belonging.
Why?
The quick answer- stress and anxiety.
Keith was having a hard time trying to find the balance in life. He was worn out, out of shape, and he was desperately missing a sense of community.
Until…
A coworker introduced Keith to a YouTube video by Wim Hof.
It changed his life! It could change yours too!
In this guide, we will talk about the top 3 benefits of ice baths and answer, “What does an ice bath do?”
Ice Bath Health Benefits
Wim Hof (AKA The Iceman) believes that there are 3 main pillars that lead to the amazing health benefits that our friend Keith was seeking.
They are:
Cold Therapy
Breathing
Commitment
Let’s dive into the healing waters of Cold Therapy together and uncover the healing power of ice baths.
Hof shares that there are 3 main benefits of ice baths:
Physical Recovery
Weight Loss
Increased Parasympathetic Activity
Benefit 1: Physical Recovery
Have you ever wondered why professional athletes are so quick to jump into a tub of ice water after running a marathon, or playing an intense football game?
Are they just crazy?
Do they know something that the rest of us don’t know?
Is it just for intense athletes?
No, no, and no.
They know the benefits of ice baths for athletes.
Along with adequate sleep, eating properly, and staying hydrated, ice baths are proven to be beneficial to physical recovery.
UFC Heavyweight contender, Alistair Overeem, was able to use breathing exercises and regular ice cold showers to improve his stamina in the ring.
How Do Ice Baths Help With Physical Recovery?
Taking a regular ice bath, as well as one for recovery even from a routine exercise session has many benefits.
Spending just 10-15 minutes in an ice bath offers great benefits:
Eases sore and achy muscles
Helps to flush metabolic waste from your body
Quickly helps your muscles get the nutrients they need
Lowers inflammation- a scientific breakthrough
Check out this video of people taking the plunge for the very 1st time.
Benefit 2: Weight Loss
Excess weight can increase blood pressure and can put you at risk for many health problems.
It can negatively impact mental health and has a large impact on the length and quality of life.
Can ice baths help with weight loss?
According to Hof:
“Taking regular ice baths helps prevent the accumulation of excess body weight.”
How? Brown fat.
Why Do Ice Baths Benefit Weight Loss?
Brown fat (sometimes called BAT) helps your body to generate heat as it burns off white fat.
This medical article highlights the link between brown fat and weight loss:
“New data strongly suggest that BAT, though often overlooked in human metabolism likely plays a significant role in the regulation of body weight.”
The cold temperatures of an ice bath stimulate the activation of brown fat tissue.
Benefit 3: Increased Parasympathetic Activity
When the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, the positive side effects are many:
Natural high
Less fatigue
Boot in mood
Positive attitude
Less anxiety
Less depression
Healing to the guy
Just to name a few.
How Do Ice Baths Help to Increase Parasympathetic Activity?
When your body is exposed to ice-cold bath temps on a regular basis, your body becomes resilient to stress.
As your body adjusts to the cold, the Vegus nerve is stimulated.
This nerve is connected to many important organs.
This increase in parasympathetic activity gives a natural high and has a great effect on conditions like anxiety and depression.
Benefit 4: Can Reduce Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and other Mental Health Obstacles
YES!
Ice baths can greatly reduce your stress, anxiety, and depression.
They can also help with mental fog, mental strain, and other mental health obstacles.
Watch how Marine Corps officer, Brad, has used daily ice baths to help him manage his depression, anxiety, and addiction.
How Do Ice Baths Help Reduce Mental Health Obstacles?
There are many natural ways to improve mental health.
So…
Why are ice baths good for your mental health?
Ice baths, or even an ice-cold shower, can have beneficial effects on mental health and your mood.
They:
Are energizing
Produce a sense of optimism and well-being
Promote better brain function
Enhance mental focus
Increase production of endorphins
This scientific study to weigh the benefits of an ice-cold shower concluded:
“Therapeutic effects appear to be instantaneous and lasting from hours to days.”
How Ice Baths Work
Ice baths work by restricting blood vessels to flush waste products.
This results in:
Reduced swelling
Reduced tissue breakdown
This jump starts the healing process.
What Does an Ice Bath Do to Your Body?
As you ease into that icy bath, the cold will stimulate your sympathetic nerve fibers.
These nerve fibers then react by signaling blood vessels to constrict and send blood back to your core. This is to protect your vital organs.
This rush of blood away from your extremities reduces blood flow to the parts of your body in the ice water.
The result is a slower metabolic process in these areas, including inflammatory response.
How Does Wim Hof Take Ice Baths?
Concentrating on deep breathing helps to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
So, the question is
How does the Master of Ice, the Iceman, Wim Hof take his ice baths?
Hof earned his nickname by breaking numerous records related to extreme cold exposure.
He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts.
He swam underneath ice for 66 meters.
He ran a half marathon above the Arctic Circle in his bare feet.
He ran a full marathon in the Namib Desert without drinking.
He endured more than 112 minutes standing in a container while covered with ice cubes.
Ice + Wim = Happiness
See how he uses his own methods of breathing exercises and meditation to conquer the freezing waters.
Watch this incredible interview as Wim Hof takes his interviewer on an adventure into the icy waters.
Ice Bath Therapy at Home
You can find an ice bath tub in most professional athletic facilities.
Many physical therapy centers are also offering ice baths as a way to speed up recovery.
But, you can also do it yourself at home.
There are many DIY ideas out there.
A common one is to purchase a Rubbermaid stock tank for livestock.
You can also invest in a commercial ice machine. Most people don’t, but you’ll need about 200-300lbs of ice for your bath.
While you can certainly take an ice cold shower or fill your bathroom tub with ice, if you’re serious about taking ice baths for your health, you might want to invest in a permanent solution.
You can also check out upcoming workshops from our site!
DIY Ice Baths with Ben Greenfield
Ben Greenfield is a certified fitness trainer with a masters in exercise physiology and biomechanics.
Ben’s mission is simple.
“To help others live truly limitless lives with fully optimized minds, bodies, and spirits.”
He is a huge proponent of ice baths. He shares on his website some great DIY ideas to create your own ice bath tub.
