Ice Baths and Cold Shower: What’s Best After Exercise?

Okay, so both forms of cold water exposure are going to create the same physiological responses within your body, whether that be looking to increase muscle recovery, improve mental clarity, or maybe decrease inflammation within your body.

Both forms have shown pretty positive results across those categories.

What I’m talking about is breathwork.

If you haven’t stepped into a cold shower before, then you probably aren’t aware of the fact that your breath is going to be taken away as you do either of the two, right?

And the big thing here is controlling your breath.

Being able to do that is going to allow your body to adjust to those temperatures and allow you to endure that.

It’s kind of difficult at times, but this leads you to my next point, which is combating anxiety.

This might not be the case for everybody, but it is for me, and I think that’s HUGE.

You know, what you’re doing while you’re exposing yourself to cold water is simulating the fight or flight response within your body and forcing yourself to go through those moments and controlling your breath and everything like that can carry over into real-world situations.

Remember guys, I'm not a doctor,🩺 so definitely don't take this as medical advice. 

If you’re going to add cold water exposure into your routine, into your daily life, whatever it may be, definitely speak to your healthcare professional before you do so.

There have been some studies showing that exposing yourself to cold water actually assists you in that regard.

Most shower faucets are only going to be around 55°, while with an ice bath, you’re looking at anywhere from 40 to 45°.

Unless, of course, you go and purchase a fancy cold plunge that has a chiller on the side of the tub that can get the water down to 36°.

Or maybe you live up north somewhere where it gets really cold during those cold wintry months, that water is likely to freeze outside and then, of course, it’s going to be colder than 40°.

So, that’s the first difference.

Generally speaking, when you are in an ice bath, you’re sitting motionless, right?

You’re completely immersed, maybe up to your neck, maybe you go under it, It kind of just depends on your personal preferences, right? But when you’re in a shower, you’re moving around.

You can use that cold shower as your normal shower, washing your hair, face, etc.

That can maybe keep you a little bit warmer as you’re going through that process.

With a shower, water is only hitting you in a specific spot, your front, your back, side, whatever, unless you, of course, have a waterfall shower where it’s kind of on top of your head. So, it really just depends on what you’re looking for.

🔎 Do you want to be fully immersed in that water? Do you want to kind of test the waters, so to speak, and kind of ease into it? Cold showers are probably going to be the way to go for beginners, or anybody looking to start doing this. Then over time, you know, you can really, you know, go hardcore.

You know, they’re not fun to sit in. It takes a while to get used to it.

I go numb within about 10 seconds, but that’s not the case for everybody, which is something that you’re going to have to get used to over time.

Now, unless of course, you have a fancy cold plunge that controls the water temperature and everything like that for you, you’re going to have to go and get multiple bags of ice.

You’re going to have to fill up whenever you’re using, whether it be a TRW actual product like Ice Barrel or anything like that, or maybe even just your bathtub at home.

You’re going to have to go and take all that time to do it.

Ice gets expensive over time, especially during the hot summer months.

If you’re outside doing it, you might have to get 80 lbs of ice, maybe even more, just because of how quickly that ice is going to melt. 

The biggest pro, something I’ve talked about already, is immunity.

There was a study done that showed individuals who took cold showers for 90 days were 30% less likely to take a sick day as opposed to those who showered at normal temperatures.

And then, of course, it’s going to help you with combating anxiety and other mental health struggles that you may be dealing with.

There’s another study that’s linked in our article that showed trained cyclists who took cold showers immediately after their workouts saw their heart rate decrease at twice the rate as those who did not.

So, that’s interesting right there. And then, another thing here is that there’s no preparation needed at all.

You can just turn the water on, hop in the shower, and you’re good to go. And then, of course, this can work as your daily shower. 

Yeah, the water is not as cold, 55° as opposed to 40°, maybe even colder than that.

So, you have limited water temperature control is another thing with the cons, but yeah, it’s going to be uncomfortable.

You’re still going to have to become accustomed to it, focus on your breathing technique and all of that stuff. 

And then, lastly, unless, of course, once again, you have a waterfall shower, there’s inconsistency regarding the actual exposure of your body to the cold temperatures.

These are things we’re going to have to work around, but you know, it’s easy to do.

Imagine a scene, where you’ve just completed an intense workout, and your muscles ache. Taking an Ice Baths and Cold Shower can be like a reset button for your body.

It helps reduce inflammation, improve circulation, boost energy levels, and even enhance mood.

Plus, the shock of the cold water can wake up your senses and leave you feeling invigorated.

Yes, you can certainly take a cold shower after an ice bath.

Just ensure you listen to your body and gradually adjust to the temperature changes of water to avoid shock.

Imagine if you ate your favourite dessert every day. At first, it might feel great, but eventually, you might start feeling sick of it. Similarly, taking ice-cold showers daily might become too intense for your body. It’s like anything. Your body needs time to recover, so do it on alternate days.

Cold showers aren’t inherently bad for everyone. Sudden exposure to cold water can potentially trigger shock or worsen conditions.

Excessively cold temperatures can lead to hypothermia if not managed properly.

Both have their challenges, and the difficulty may vary. Ice baths mean immersing the body in ice-cold water, which can be quite intense initially but may become more tolerable over time.

Cold showers, however, offer instant cold exposure but may require mental strength, especially during colder months.