People take an ice bath for a variety of reasons. Sporting enthusiasts take them to aid with their recovery, while others take the plunge to help with mental resilience, however experts reveal that people aren’t using them to their full potential.
With the rising popularity of ice baths, there has been a 50% surge in the number of people searching ‘how to take an ice bath’ in the last three months alone. Afterall, there is more than to ice baths, and ice bath care, than simply jumping in and bracing the cold.
Luckily the experts at Chill Tubs have revealed their five best tips on getting the maximum potential out of an ice bath, as well as how to maintain it correctly, including pre-ice bath rituals, water maintenance, the benefits of fabric softened sheets and seasonal usage changes.
1. Wear shoes before your ice bath
Most people use their ice baths outside, and what they likely forget about is the dirt and debris that they carry into the ice bath from walking barefoot outside. Even if your bath is located near your door, and you think the journey is brief, you will still carry numerous stones into the tub on your feet.
To avoid this, make sure to wear shoes or flipflops, and only remove them once when you are about to enter the bath.
2. Change the water – but not too often
Just like with hot tubs and paddling pools, ice baths need their water changing from time to time. While many sporting experts may encourage you to change your water on a weekly basis, this isn’t needed. As long as you stir the water most days, the water doesn’t need to be changed until it starts to become discoloured.
Following this rule, you should only need to change the water in your bath once every four weeks.
3. Shower before you enter
While this might sound counterproductive, as many people like to take a warm shower after their plunge, showering before you enter removes any grease, oil or bacteria on your body. This helps to keep your tub cleaner for longer and saves having to frequently change the water.
4. Invest in fabric softening sheets
Despite taking precautions like showering beforehand and wearing shoes when walking to the tub, it is inevitable that some debris will make its way into the water. Whether it falls from above or slips in with you undetected, this will build up overtime in your tub.
To avoid any kind of buildup, place a fabric softener sheet directly over the drain opening. The sheet is porous and will allow water to low through while trapping hair and debris that might overwise create a clog. The sheet can be disposed of in between water changes.
5. Adjust your ice bath usage depending on the seasons
Most people aim to build up their resistance in an ice bath to around 15 minutes after using the product for a while. However, experts recommend starting in the bath for around 2-5 minutes and increasing your duration over time.
As autumn is approaching, you need to be more mindful about the length of your plunges. While it might be tempting to try and improve on your personal best, remember that in the winter, 10 minutes is plenty of time to spend in the bath. Any longer and it might have a negative impact on the body, since the cold air outside the tub will hit you once you leave.
