What are cold baths and ice baths?
Cold baths and ice baths are actually the same thing but have different names. Cold bathing refers to bathing in very cold water, such as in the sea in the fall, and ice bathing refers to bathing in ice-cold water, such as in a lake in the winter.
Why cold baths?
...and what happens to the body when it is exposed to cold water?
If you are new to cold baths, it may seem strange to you to voluntarily jump into near-zero cold water, but there are actually many scientifically proven health benefits that come with it. These are just a few of them ...
Better and stronger immune system
Exposing your body to cold water can increase the production of white blood cells in the body. These blood cells in turn act as the body's defense cells.
You also accustom your body to different temperatures and environments, such as extreme cold, forcing it to adapt and become stronger.
Improved sleep
Cold baths lower the body temperature, similar to the natural drop in temperature before falling asleep.
Consciously lowering your body temperature before going to bed can also help you develop a circadian rhythm that suits you and sleep better. This, in turn, improves other aspects, such as increasing your energy the next day and quality of life in general.
Coping better with cold temperatures
The human body is always trying to adapt to its environment in order to have the best chance of survival.
This means that the more often you take a cold bath, the more clearly you communicate to your body that extreme cold is a recurring factor in life and that the body therefore needs to stay warm somehow. This is done by the formation of so-called brown fat.
Brown fat or brown fat cells are a type of fat that is activated when the body needs to warm up, and the brown fat then uses normal fat or white fat to warm up the body.
Therefore, taking cold baths can also help you lose weight if necessary.
Faster recovery after cold baths
An ice bath can help you recover well after exercise because, among other things, the cold causes the blood vessels in the body to narrow, making it harder for pro-inflammatory substances to pass through the body.
Cold baths and cold have the positive effect of increasing and improving mental strength and raising the pain threshold.
Tips for safe cold baths
And what are the risks?
Jumping into a lake or bathtub with near-zero water can be risky if not done properly. Here's a list of what you should do in cold baths:
-
Always be sober when swimming in cold water. Swimming under the influence of alcohol, even at lukewarm temperatures, poses risks to your life and health that are never worth it.
-
Take it step by step. According to research, to get the effect of cold water, it doesn't have to be near zero every time. The main thing is that it feels cold to the bather. You can gradually lower the temperature over time, as long as you know you can handle the water you are immersed in.
-
If you have any health problems, it is very important to consult a doctor before starting cold baths. Cold baths can be a shock to the body and can, for example, lead to a heart attack even in relatively young and healthy people if you are not careful.
-
If you are not used to cold water, it may be a good idea to take a cold shower first. It is easier to walk away from the shower water than to get out of an ice bath if the water proves to be too cold. If you have never swum in very cold water before, it is very difficult to know what is happening in your body.
-
Go into the cold water with someone or at least take someone with you if you want to swim in a frozen lake and have no experience. If you don't know how you will react (and it is a shock for your body and you to go into a frozen lake), it is important to take someone with you in case something serious happens.
-
Don't stay in too long. You probably won't be able to stay in for long anyway (very few people do), but don't stay in longer than feels safe. If you're not careful in such cold water, you could get hurt.
How should you take a cold bath?
Jumping into an ice bath has many different positive and beneficial effects on the body, both long term and short term. However, it is important to know what to do to achieve these positive effects.
Go in slowly
It is best to enter cold water slowly at first and we do not recommend jumping into the water (whether it is a lake or the sea). Cold water can have an incredibly shocking effect on the body and if you can't handle it, you are likely to have a negative experience.
It can also be more painful to take it easy, but it is important not to lose control of what is happening in your body.
Take control of your breathing
When you enter ice-cold water, you can easily lose control of your breathing. This is fine at first, but it's hard to avoid for the first few dives. As with anything else, the more you do it and practice it, the better you will get.
Do not hyperventilate in water
You must control your breathing, but you must not hyperventilate in the water, because if you hyperventilate you can lose consciousness, which can lead to drowning accidents, and especially in such cold water, even if you don't drown, it can lead to other terrible things like frostbite and the like.
We point this out because many people who take cold baths use the Wim Hof method and you may start to hyperventilate in the water to increase the effect. This can be life-threatening, so practice this breathing before you go into the water and you should be fine.
What temperature should a bathroom be?
You can aim for a water temperature between 1 and 15 degrees in which you swim. As a rule of thumb, you can stay in the water for about as many minutes as it is cold, so at 1 degree you swim for 1 minute, at 2 degrees for 2 minutes and so on.
Remember also that you can vary and experiment. Ice baths are a very personal matter, it depends on how well you get on with them and what suits you best.
Portable cold baths
Why portable cold baths?
As mentioned above, there can be many benefits to making cold baths a part of your everyday life. However, as many people live out of reach of lakes or may not even have a bathtub at home, it can be very difficult to integrate ice baths into your life and make them a desired habit, and you won't be able to jump into the cold as easily as you would like.
Cold bath at home
A portable cold bath at home (and one that doesn't take up much space) increases your chances of having a cold bath every day without any problems, whether you take a bath first thing in the morning, after exercising or before going to bed. The choice is, of course, yours.
A portable ice bath at home has the effect of giving you more control over your own health and body and making you feel better for longer during the day.
What portable cold baths are available?
At Swedish Cold we have a wide range of different cold baths in all price categories. Everything from simple tubs that you can easily assemble and transport yourself (ideal for beginners) to more advanced self-propelled ice tubs.
Maximum recovery
The simplest and cheapest ice bath from Swedish Cold is Max Recovery. It's quick to set up: just insert plastic rods around the perimeter and inflate the ring at the top. Then you just fill the tub and jump in.
The thing to remember about Max Recovery is that it is not a stand-alone device and does not maintain its own temperature. So you can either keep it in ice or take the cold bath outside when the outside temperatures are low.
Cold pool
This Swedish Cold bath is a simple but powerful bath that maintains its own temperature. It comfortably seats one person and holds 410 liters of water.
It is not as portable as Max Recovery, but works well for those with a little less space.
Cooling station
Cold Station is a large and effective cold bath for the enthusiast. It holds 480 liters and has its own cooling system, so you can easily reach the desired temperature and performance. Because of its size, you can sit in this ice bath for longer.
Cold plunge
Cold Plunge is like a luxury bathtub and holds 500 liters of water. Its built-in cooling system gives you the opportunity to easily improve both your mental state and your immune system.
Generation 4S
This ice bath is suitable for those who want to invest in their health and have a little more space. It holds up to 600 liters and has its own seat inside.
Of course, it also has its own cooling system and comes with a cover that gives it more space and allows it to be stored outdoors.
Generation 5
The 5. Generation is the best cold bath that Swedish Cold recommends, with a capacity of 568 liters, among other things, and is also well suited for fitness centers and wellness facilities.