The 5 Biggest Benefits of Ice Baths and Cold Plunges

You may have seen it online or on TV — a person lowering themselves into a freezing cold bath after a workout or long day. Ice baths or cold plunges are therapeutic for many and can provide your body with enormous benefits in recovery, pain relief, and even improving mental clarity. 

I’ve personally used ice baths for several years and want to share with you some of the fantastic scientific research behind cold water immersion. Please always check with your physician before entering a cold plunge/ice bath. 

What is an Ice Bath or Cold Plunge?

As the name suggests, an ice bath or cold plunge is a brief submersion into a cold bath or body of water. 

The Cleveland Clinic recommends filling your bath with water no colder than 53 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re new to ice baths, ease yourself into them with a warmer temperature of around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, or simply use cold water from the tap. You can also try taking cold showers to help yourself adjust to colder temperatures, although you’re unlikely to feel “comfortable” in these temperatures no matter how often you do them. 

You can use many products to create an ice bath, from bags of commercial ice to purchasing collapsible cold plunge tubs. I started with buying ice, then buying a commercial ice machine and using my bathtub. I've settled on The Pod Company collapsible tub with a chiller machine, which has become a daily essential in my routine.

A cold plunge can relieve sore muscles and provide many other health benefits for most people in good health. I recommend checking with your doctor first to ensure you’re a good candidate for these icy baths. 

Ice Bath Benefits

Here are some of the biggest benefits of ice baths and some fascinating studies that support these amazing claims. 

Pain and Inflammation Relief

One of the biggest touted benefits of ice baths is that they can decrease inflammation and pain, helping with recovery. This can be helpful for anyone struggling with inflammation, whether from an intense workout or the body’s reaction to an illness, injury, or irritant. This is my favorite benefit!

Cold water may help with inflammation because it causes your blood vessels to constrict, decreasing swelling from the inflammation and slowing blood flow. Depending on the cause of your inflammation, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic share that you may find better results with heat. So, always listen to your body to find what works best for you. 

If you’re new to ice baths, start with three minutes and work up to 10 minutes. Taking it slow ensures you can tolerate it and allows time to monitor how your body feels afterward. I started with a "buddy system" - I had my husband stay with me to ensure my safety.

Interestingly, one study notes that ice baths may psychologically benefit those recovering from soreness or inflammation by reducing how long fatigue lasts after immersion, demonstrating ice baths' usefulness in recovery after a workout, injury, or inflammatory flare-up.

Protective Health Benefits

A comprehensive review of 104 studies on cold-water immersion in humans found that ice baths have many protective health benefits, although more research is needed on broader scales. 

So far, researchers have determined that cold baths can reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity. Some studies even found that cold water immersion protected against obesity, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular disease and may have prophylactic effects — a fancy way of saying that cold water immersion may help prevent or decrease the risk of health problems, improving quality of life and longevity. 

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Thermal Biology reported that repeated exposure to cold may influence our antioxidant systems, leading to a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study followed 26 participants over a minimum of three years, showing the potential long-term effects of ice baths or swimming in cold water. 

Improved Sleep Quality and Energy

The impact of ice baths on sleep is still being studied, but preliminary research and patient anecdotes note better sleep and reduced general fatigue. 

These claims are backed up by research that found that ice baths can help us recover quickly after workouts and decrease the length of fatigue. 

If you struggle with anxiety or insomnia, check out our previous article on the best herbs for tackling these struggles. 

Improved Mental State and Focus

A study published in January 2023 examined mood changes after participants submerged themselves in cold water. Thirty-three adult participants took a 20-minute whole-body bath and were measured before and after for mood changes and brain connectivity.

The results? After their cold-water bath, participants were more alert, attentive, active, inspired, and less distressed and nervous. Overall, the participants experienced a positive emotional shift, especially within parts of the brain that involve emotion, self-regulation, and attention control. 

The Cleveland Clinic even shares that cold plunges may help “snap your brain into focus.” You can use them as a meditation tool. 

Encourages Better Mental Health

A promising study on the effects of cold showers found that it may be a potential treatment for depression. 

Depression is one of the most debilitating and common mood disorders worldwide, so scientists were excited to find that exposure to cold water activates the sympathetic nervous system. This activation increases the level of beta-endorphins and noradrenaline in the blood and the release of noradrenaline in the brain. These releases helped relieve depressive symptoms without noticeable side effects. While more testing is needed, this is a fantastic find! 

Another study followed 64 undergraduate students. Forty-two of these students completed 20-minute immersions in cold seawater, while the other 22 were in the control group. The cold-water group experienced tremendous improvement in self-esteem and vigor while experiencing a decrease in negative feelings like tension, anger, depression, fatigue, and confusion. The control group who didn’t participate in cold water plunges actually had an increase in depression, only heightening the differences between these two groups. 

Researchers concluded that cold water can improve and support a better mood. I personally find that using my cold plunge first thing in the morning gives me a sense of accomplishment immediately starting my day out feeling more confident. 

Final Thoughts

Ice baths have helped me reduce inflammation and experience a more relaxed, focused state of mind, and I hope this article inspires you to give them a try (with your physician's approval)! 

Much Love, 

Herbalist Natalie 

Natalie Hajdu-Voakes is a consulting Herbalist with over 27 years of hands-on experience and the owner of The Herb Stop.