How Cold Is Too Cold For Cold Plunge?

Balancing Benefits and Risks

It is on you to find the balance between the risks and benefits of cold plunging. We have had serious results from adding the practice to our everyday lives. Plunging in many ways has made us better athletes on the mats.

Cold plunging is a mental and physical way to push yourself in the recovery process from intense workouts. Whether you are a runner, biker, boxer, football player, or basketball player, a simple ice bath routine can drastically impact you in a positive way.

Cold Plunge For Beginners

If you are new to the practice of cold plunging we have you entirely covered. Grapplers Graveyard is the #1 source for all things related to cold plunging, cold therapy, and athletic recovery. Find all the information we have on cold plunge here.

How to Prepare for Your First Ice Bath

The best way to prepare for your first plunge is by understanding that you will be pushed both mentally and physically by the practice. Do not think that this will be easy, if it is, you are not doing it right.

First things first, you need an ice bath or cold plunge that has a high flow rate so you can maximize the outcome of the submersion. If you plunge in a tub with little to no flow rate, you will build up a thermal layer that keeps your body warm which in turn nullifies the practice.

Here is how you can prepare:

1. Prepare mentally

2. Set a timer and put on some soothing music

3. When you get into the water, submerge your body as fast as you can all the way up to your neck

4. Step two will cause you to be shocked and put your body into fight or flight mode, at this stage you may start breathing very fast. Slow your breath down and focus on getting that controlled

5. Wait for the timer to go off and allow your body to slowly warm-up

6. *Bonus* When you submerge your body, dunk your head to get used to the water faster this is a pro-tip

Build Your Cold Tolerance

Nothing works if you do not stick with it over a period of time and cold plunges are no different. You need to build up the consistency that is needed to get the most out of the practice, The best way to do this is to have your own dedicated tub right at home.

Over time, you may start to build a tolerance to the cold water temperatures that you find yourself submerged in, this is normal and should be expected, it means you grew from your original starting point. Remember, the cold plunge is an exercise that is meant to push you mentally just as much as it does physically. Without pushing way past your limits, you should find the area of discomfort and start there.

Balancing Comfort and Challenge

There is a beautiful balance that can be found with the cold water immersion from a cold plunge. This range is going to be different for everyone and it is on you to figure this part out for yourself. Start with the ideal temperature range that has been spoken about in this blog post.

Explore the Unrivaled Cold Plunge Tubs at BlueCube

Bluecube cold plunge devices are by far the high-quality cold plunge on the market, there is a reason why their starting price is over $10,000. The high-grade chiller mixed with the exceptional flow rate of the water make this a no-brainer purchase for those who enjoy luxury, want the most out of the practice of cold plunging, or plan on starting a business.

Now just because the device is more expensive does not mean it is not directly accessible for people since you do have the option to finance the device. Lucky for our readers, when they use the code ‘GrapplersGraveyard’ they get $250 off their next purchase! Check out our review (Bluecube Review) on all the cold plunges that Bluecube has to offer to find out which one it right for you!

MYTH: Ice Bathing Gives You a Cold or Hypothermia

No, it does not give you a cold or hypothermia but you can get both of these if you do not understand the risks associated with cold plunging. Now let me back this up and say that cold plunging is completely safe for most people. Anyone who is pregnant, really old, or has underlying health conditions should probably steer clear of cold plunging till you fix what you got going on, unless you’re old, cause you can’t fix that.

Want to know how to stay safe while cold plunging? Don’t stay in a cold plunge till the point that you are shivering cold (aka don’t be in there for 30 minutes) and starting to black out. Not worth it, you’re just hurting yourself at that point.

MYTH: Only Athletes Should Do Ice Baths

Now, about a decade ago this may have been true but ice baths and cold plunges are now becoming more widely available to everyday people. While buying a cold plunge may be out of most people’s budgets there are local businesses that offer cold plunging, ice baths, or cold therapy practices like cryotherapy as a service.

Cold plunging is something that can be picked up by everyone in today’s world. As we look around, more and more people are doing all they can to live a healthy lifestyle, and recovery is a huge part of that. Find the best cold plunges that can suit you from the comfort of your home or help you start that business that you always wanted!