Mainly athletes take ice baths for recovery after practice or games, but non-athletes take ice baths, too. Although the temperature of ice baths tends to be between 40 and 50 degrees, beginners are encouraged to take them in warmer temperatures until their use becomes frequent. Maintaining the temperature is important because extreme cold can risk hypothermia, brain fog, frostbite, and nerve damage.  The recommended time to spend in an ice bath ranges from 5 to 20 minutes depending on your tolerance, schedule, and health. Also, beginners should start with a few minutes and gradually increase the time once they feel more comfortable. According to health.com, ice baths work by causing more blood flow to go to the core and when you get out, the blood flow returns to your tissues, reducing swelling and inflammation in muscles. Ice baths are beneficial because of muscle recovery, improved circulation and skin health, boosted immune system and metabolism, better mental health, and decreased inflammation and stress. To specify the benefit of better mental health, being submerged with cold water increases endorphin and norepinephrine levels which significantly improves mental processes.

In my personal experience, I took my first ice bath during track season last year and I was extremely cold in the first few minutes but I adapted to the temperature. If you are nervous about ice baths, my advice would be to think about something else other than the fact you are cold and to think about the benefits your body is receiving to give you motivation to stay in the ice bath for longer. Overall, ice baths are important for recovery and health because of the many benefits it gives people.