Cold Plunge Tubs Ideas
Published: 21/04/2023 | Updated: 09/09/2023For years, professional athletes of all sorts have been using cold therapy like ice baths or cold showers, and even though they've made no secret of using it, it did feel like a hidden gem of physical therapy when it finally caught up with us.
If you're a little confused about what cold water therapy and cold exposure are or are already convinced, but your budget can't take those expensive cold plunge tubs now, have worries in either case, we got you!
In this article. we detail what cold therapy is, its effects on physical and mental health, and fun, cool ideas for cold plunge tubs.
What is Cold Therapy?
Cryotherapy, or cold therapy, is when low temperatures treat injuries, pain management, or general medicine.
It includes everything from the use of extremely low temperatures in surgery to pressing an ice bag against a swollen eye and all in between, including ice baths and cold water immersion.
Those are most used by athletes after a sports-related injury, making them one of the most used sports medicine.
This is what we're focusing on in this article, cold water immersion. Is a cold plunge really good? And if so, what are the mental and physical benefits of cold exposure therapy like that?
Why Should You Get a Cold Plunge Tub?
We'll start with the mental and physical benefits of plunging in ice-cold water before we get into cold plunge tubs.
Pain Relief
Cold water immersion or even just applying ice-cold water to any particular part of the skin in pain always helps.
It's because the cold water helps the blood vessels constrict, which reduces the blood flow to the area, and so swelling goes down, with its pain.
Quicker Recovery Process
Cold water after an intense training session always helps speed up recovery and soreness. Scientists believe one of the reasons this happens is that an ice bath would slow down metabolism and that cold temperatures and immersion cause a shift in some acids.
Muscle Recovery
All of this happens in particular with muscles. As muscles are usually the most exercised among athletes, they tear, get inflamed, swell, and get sore.
Cold plunging in a cold bath right after helps reverse those physiological processes and speeds up muscle recovery.
Betters Immune System
Scientists have found that ice baths or cold water therapy boost the immune system, as it stimulates the white blood cells and circulatory system among others in the long turn.
Those health benefits of cold plunging are undeniable.
Increases Dopamine Release
Fully submerging your body in a cold bath doesn't just have health benefits but mental health benefits too. The greatest mood regulator, dopamine, is released in truly large quantities once the body is submerged with a standard cold plunge.
How Should You Use a Cold Plunge Tub?
It might seem simple, but there are write and wrong ways to go about having your first and best cold plunge. Those are a few steps to get you started!
Take it Easy and Slow
Don't go too far the first time, you better take it to step by step lowering the water temperature one at a time until you reach your desired ice bath.
You might even want to start with cold showers before moving it to a cold plunge tub.
Breathe Well
Take a good time fully breathing well before plunging in cold plunge tubs. Breathe for 5 minutes, let them be deep, and be mindful about each breath.
Submerge Fully
Unless you're intentionally focusing on a certain part of your body when you cold plunge in an ice bath and you don't want anything else, you should lower yourself in the plunge tub until your lower neck is also submerged in the cold plunge tub.
If you're tall enough, you could sit cross-legged. Whatever way, you'll be able to sit comfortably.
Cold Plunge Tubs
Now that we've gone over the benefits and the reasons why you should include cold plunging in your morning routine, as well as how to exactly do cold plunges, time to get into the ideas for the cold plunge tubs.
You don't have to buy the exact structure for an ice bath, with a little creativity and determination, your best cold plunge could be found in your backyard.
Ice Barrel
The ice barrel is one of the coolest and the best portable cold plunge. Without the ice cubes, it's not so heavy on its own so you can move it to the best of your needs.
The ice barrel is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use.
Inflatable Cold Plunge
An inflatable cold plunge is another great cold tub where you can take as many ice baths as you desire.
The best easily fold and sometimes come with your pump.
Portable Cold Plunge
As you can want to have an ice bath while you sit comfortably in your backyard in your bathing suit, sometimes you'll want to use it inside it.
A portable cold plunge tub could be the best cold plunge to move as you wish and enjoy anywhere!
Cold Plunge Pool
A cold plunge pool is similar to a hot tub in size and, like a hot tub, maintains its water between certain degrees always.
Cold plunge pools are some of the most professionally designed for professional athletes and so.
DIY Stock Tank
If you're feeling a little DIY, then what's better for your ice baths than a stock tank to that you've applied your own protective cover, filtration system, and an easy drainage system yourself?
With a stock tank, you will have your built-in self-contained system of cool water in your own home!
Like any other landscaping decision, implementing a cold plunge tub or cold plunge pool in your backyard can seem like a scary decision because what if it doesn't fit and what if it clusters everything around it and makes it into a mess--we know exactly that thought process!
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