Ice Baths: The Benefits

   *Guest post by Mike Jones.

Cryotherapy chambers are popping up all over the country. It’s likely you’ve seen one in a mall near you, and maybe you’ve thought it seems like something out of a sci-fi movie.

However, research is showing that the body reaps some pretty amazing benefits from being cold, and that’s exactly what they’re advertising. If you want the same benefits of the ice chamber without the claustrophobia, or drain on your wallet, you might consider ice baths.

These are a cost-effective way to achieve the same outcome with supplies you already have around the house. And you can do it without locking yourself inside a frozen, human-sized soda can. Just make sure your doctor approves it first!

You Already Have Everything You Need

You don’t need any fancy equipment to relax in an icy tub. It will work anywhere you have a container and some ice.

If you’re working out of town for the week and need to recover from a workout, grab some ice from the ice machine and dump it in the bathtub.

A portable ice machine will work if you’re going somewhere more remote. Even easier than that, if it’s any month between November and May, and you have access to a pool or lake, throw your swimsuit on and that will most likely be cold enough to do the trick.

Speeds Recovery After a Workout

Paula Radcliffe, an Olympic marathoner, made ice baths famous when she said they were the secret to her success.

When you lift weights or complete a strenuous workout, it creates tiny tears in your muscle tissue.

In recovery, blood vessels rush to the injured area to repair and strengthen the tears. They also work to carry out lactic acid which is a byproduct of the repair process.

When sitting in ice water after a workout, the cold constricts the blood vessels, squeezing out the lactic acid and reducing excess swelling of the muscle tissue.

When you get out of the bath and warm up naturally (with a hot drink, wearing a sweatshirt or a blanket) blood vessels return to the area and bring oxygen to repair the muscles.

Burns as Much Fat as a Workout

Studies have shown that human brown adipose tissue, or BAT, can burn white fat (around your hips, thighs, and tummy) to create warmth.

BAT exists around your chest and upper back, and when those areas are cold, it burns your white fat to warm you up.

You can engage your BAT by exercising and fasting, but chilling the area kicks it into fat burning mode immediately.

Ben Greenfield is a world-renowned fitness expert and claims that being cold has similar fat burning effect without the stress of exercise on your joints. If you don’t feel like working out today, dump some ice in your tub and start your day out with a chilly bath to kick your fat burning into high gear.

Boosts Your Immune System

This study was conducted with the intent of proving that a body exposed to cold temperatures is more susceptible to illness.

Not only were they not able to substantiate that claim, they actually proved the opposite to be true. Exposure to cold can increase your immune system response. It is thought that the cold increases the white blood (infection fighting) cells and stimulates circulation throughout the body.

The old wives’ tale about sitting in a cold bath when you have a fever may just hold more weight than previously thought.

Works as a Chilly Facial

Rubbing ice on your face is thought to reduce puffiness, shrink pore size, and tighten the skin. It can also improve circulation to your face by constricting the blood vessels.

This improves your skin tone and evens out its appearance. Nasty zit right before a big date? Put some ice on it to calm the angry, red appearance, and reduce inflammation. In short, save a ton of money on individual, pricey face products.

Here are some other ways to naturally reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Use Ice as a Localized Massage

If you still can’t make yourself take the plunge, there’s a solution for you as well.

You can use localized cups of ice to massage your muscles after a workout. Go to the store and pick up some paper cups, the kind you used to drink out of at preschool.

Fill these cups about 2/3 full of water, and place them in the freezer. After a hard workout, grab one, peel down the top and rub it on your muscles.

The benefit of this is a more localized application. You may miss out on the benefits of a full body immersion, but you will definitely have a reduction in swelling.

With the recent rise of cryotherapy, and extensive research showing multiple benefits that occur when the body is exposed to cold, this seems to be the new fad in health and fitness.

If the thought of being locked in a freezing chamber freaks you out, ice baths offer an acceptable (and non-claustrophobic) option to cash in on the cold craze sweeping the nation.

Settling into a cold bath is a more cost effective, and portable way of reaping benefits like living longer, boosting your immune system, and burning fat. So, the next time you waddle your way out of a hard gym workout, skip the hot tub and head to the freezer.

Mike Jones is a polyvalent writer with a great interest in healthy remedies. He believes that nature is one of our best allies when it comes to fighting against our problems. Mike has dedicated the majority of his life studying and writing about it.