Ice Bath Benefits

We have all seen athletes jump into a tub of ice water after an intense practice or game. The reasons for this practice are abundant. Some of those are described below.

Physical recovery:

Ice baths can change the way fluids, like blood and lymph, flow through your body. Your vessels constrict because of the cold and open back up when your body warms up after the ice bath. This process helps to clear out metabolic waste from your body and also get oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. There is plenty of research and evidence that shows how ice baths lower inflammation after physical exercise.

Weight loss:

Cold temperatures activates brown fat tissue throughout your body. Brown fat helps your body to generate heat as it burns off white fat. Therefore, taking regular ice baths helps prevent the accumulation of excess body weight.

Increased parasympathetic activity:

Exposing your body to cold conditions on a regular basis can make you more resilient to stress. As your body adjusts to the cold, the vagus nerve is stimulated, which is connected to many important organs by means of the parasympathetic nervous system. The resulting increase in parasympathetic activity has positive effects on all kinds of conditions such as anxiety, depression, and gut problems.

other benefits are

• Relieves sore muscles

• Lowers core body temperature

• Supports immunity

Give it a try in your tub at home & if you end up loving it there are many tubs or even freezers that can be used for daily practice.