How cold should an ice bath be?
When it comes to the best ways to relax and refresh your body at home after a long day of work, there are few things better suited to rapidly waking up your senses than a dip in your very own dedicated ice bath.
Able to snap your mind into focus and clear your head of the day’s brain fog, a brisk ice bath session can be just what you need to get into your evening groove or improve your recovery rate from an intense workout session.
But if you’re new to cold plunges and ice bath cryotherapy in general, then you might be unsure exactly how to find the right ice bath temperature to get the most out of each plunge session – after all, setting your bath at the right temperature is important to ensure you maximise its benefits while keeping safe.
Fortunately, the team at Chill Tubs has you covered!
Read on to learn more about how to set your ice bath temperature and tips for adjusting your to colder water temperatures over time.
What temperature should an ice bath be?
Most experts on cold plunges agree that your ice bath temperature should sit somewhere in the region of 10°C – 15°C (50°F to 59°F). This is considered cold enough to be safe for use while still getting the most out of your ice bath’s benefits.
Of course, this is not to say that 10°C – 15°C will necessarily be the best temperature for your ice bath, and you may find that you prefer your ice bath’s water to be slightly warmer when first starting out or even colder once you get used to the experience.
What is the lowest temperature for an ice bath?
Although most ice bath experts suggest keeping your ice bath at 10°C – 15°C, it is certainly possible to lower this temperature further should you wish to do so. For example, our Chill Tubs can go as low as 3°C!
However, we would not recommend using your ice bath at this low a temperature unless you have extensive experience in cold plunges and cryotherapy.
This is because any temperatures at and below 3°C will substantially boost the risks associated with using ice baths, such as increasing the likelihood of your body experiencing hypothermia and potentially even frostbite should you sit in your bath for prolonged periods.
How cold should an ice bath be for inexperienced ice bath users?
If you’ve never used an ice bath before, but you want to start taking cold plunges more regularly, then most experienced users suggest starting out with your ice bath at a higher temperature.
Doing this will let your body adjust to the initial shock of cold water, getting you used to the experience and allowing you to steadily lower the temperature over time until you can comfortably soak at temperatures as low as 10°C.
Naturally, how often you use your ice bath will determine how quickly this change occurs, but don’t feel pressured to ice bath more often than you’re comfortable doing so in order to reach those colder temperatures sooner.
On top of this, it’s also important to maintain a consistent temperature throughout any bathing session. Try to avoid abrupt changes in temperature, as this can do more harm than good to your body. Instead, opting for gradual changes through steadily lowering temperature ranges is recommended.
How cold should my ice bath be for optimal recovery times?
According to cryotherapy experts, if you’re using your ice bath to soothe sore and tired muscles, or to boost your body’s recovery time, then keeping the temperature at 8°C (46°F) will be more than cold enough for you to experience the benefits.
What can impact the temperature of my ice bath?
While setting your ice bath’s temperature can be as simple as adjusting the heating system on your pro Chill tub or using a thermometer to test the temperature in your ice pod, it’s important to note that the environment and climate can also affect the temperature of your ice bath.
For example, you might struggle to get your ice tub to the ideal temperature on a warm summer’s day due to the outdoor temperature, whereas anyone using an ice tub in a colder climate may actually want to increase your tub’s temperature to offset the cold.
Tips for how to adjust to lower ice bath temperatures
When it comes to getting used to the cold temperatures of an ice bath, there are a few things you can be doing alongside regular cold plunges at steadily lowering temperatures to improve your body’s resistance to cold temperatures.
For example, you might want to take cold showers on the days you’re not cold plunging as a means of maintaining your body’s cold immunity. Alternatively, you can draw out the exposure time on higher temperatures in your cold tub before lowering it for future sessions – which will have the added benefit of increasing how long you can soak for.
Pick up your first ice bath from the Chill Tub range
It goes without saying that finding the best temperature for your ice bath is important to ensure that you enjoy your time in the cold and safely maximise the benefits that cryotherapy like this can offer.
So, if you’re ready to start taking regular cold plunges, then you can head over to Chill Tubs today to see our full range of cold plunge options. From our standard ice baths to our original Chill Tub model, we have at-home spa systems for every level of experience! Get in touch today to find out more about buying an ice bath from our team, and don’t forget to head over to our blog hub for more useful articles like this one.
