Taking a cold bath after an intense workout has benefits for your health. That is why ice baths are becoming increasingly popular with athletes. It reduces muscle pain, inflammation in the muscles and muscle damage. In addition, you feel less tired after a cold bath.

An ice bath does not only have positive effects on the body for athletes. If you want to start the day well, start with a nice cold bath. This is how you start your day positively and energetically. But how come? And is taking a cold bath healthy?

Is taking a cold water bath healthy?

An ice bath is not only healthy for athletes. According to some cold experts, everyone should be exposed to extreme cold more often. Do you sometimes say to people who are too coldly dressed: "Watch out, you will catch a cold and get sick!". Cold does not make you sick. A virus makes you sick. Cold can actually help strengthen your immune system, making you less likely to get sick.

There are just enough reasons why taking a cold bath is actually healthy:

1. It gives an energy boost and is refreshing
2. You experience more happiness through cold
3. It promotes your blood circulation
4. It counteracts dry skin
5. Your body can warm up better
6. It speeds up muscle recovery and relieves pain
7. It reduces stress and you sleep better
8. It improves your resistance
9. It activates the brown fat in your body

What does the cold of an ice bath do to your body?

But what exactly does the cold do to your body? There is actually a reset of your body taking place. Your body is shocked by the cold, which releases adrenaline and increases your heart rate. Then your body relaxes.

Especially in the morning, this gives an energy boost for the day. You are clearer and you experience more physical and mental motivation. A cold bath also works very well with stress, because your body releases tension from your body through the reset.

How cold should an ice bath be?

This depends very much on the situation and how your body temperature is. After an intense workout, your body temperature is likely to be high. When you take a bath of 10 degrees, this is much too cold. If you want to stimulate your blood circulation, the bath should be at least 15 degrees. Then gradually reduce the temperature.

But always keep your own body temperature in mind. How long should you sit in an ice bath? Never too long. If you have worked out intensively for 30 minutes, you can enjoy 10 minutes in a cold bath.

Read all about taking an ice bath here.

The right cooling down after an intensive workout

Have you just finished an intensive workout? Then it's time for a good cool down. You can do this partly during your training. Walking out brings your body temperature down again. When you then sit in a bath that is not too cold for 10 - 20 minutes, the waste products in your blood are removed. The risk of muscle pain and muscle inflammation decreases.

An ice bath not only has positive effects on the body after a workout, but also before the workout. Are you going for a run on a hot summer day? Then bring your body temperature down in a cold bath before your workout to prevent overheating.

Ice bath therapy

Taking a cold bath is even therapy for some. This is called cold water therapy (Ishnan). It strengthens the nervous system. You want to let your body fight the cold on its own. Taking a cold bath makes your blood flow and capillaries open. As a result, the body no longer feels cold under the water, but warms up on its own.

This is a meditation practice that helps improve your nervous system. It will help you to concentrate better.

An ice bath for at home

Would you like to start improving your immune system or your nervous system? Or would you like to cool your body and muscles in a cold bath after an intensive workout? Then definitely consider an Avantopool for your home. These are mobile and compact cold water baths. You don't have to refill the water continuously. They have a unique continuous filtering of the water.