Step Aside, Cold Showers: Are Cold Baths Really Beneficial to Your Health?

Description

Whether you know about the benefits or not, you’ve almost certainly heard of a cold shower – but have you ever come across a cold bath? It may sound like some sort of Children-in-Need fundraiser, but in fact, there are those who believe that cold baths can be truly beneficial to your health. Don’t believe it? We’re not so sure, either – so in today’s blog post, let’s dig into the detail of the cold bath.

What is a cold bath, exactly?

It may seem like an obvious answer, but the definition of a “cold” bath may actually differ from person to person. In fact, it ranges from tepid or lukewarm water all the way to the immersive ice baths that you may have seen professional sportspeople using after a match. Which variant of cold bath is right for you will entirely depend on what you want from the experience. For a quick pick-me-up, a bath at regular room temperature should be ideal; but if you’re recovering after a marathon, we’re afraid to say that an ice bath may be the only real choice.

The alleged health benefits of a cold bath

Just like cold showers, there are many reasons that you might choose to try out a cold bath. If you’ve read up on cold therapy or immersion therapy, you may already know some of this; but if you’re brand new to the cold bath, here are the key benefits:

• The cold temperature of the water will stimulate your blood vessels, bringing oxygen into the tissue of your muscles and releasing nasties like lactic acid. This is the stuff that causes stitch, so it’s not something you need in your system.
  
• When you exercise hard, you can create tiny tears (or rips) in your muscles which can lead to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). A cold-water bath can help to prevent these tears from worsening and hence reduce muscular soreness.
  
• Exposure to cold water will stimulate your entire circulation system and really get your blood pumping, which can help if you suffer from poor circulation.

Should you try taking a cold bath?

The first thing you should know when considering a cold bath is that the health benefits are not scientifically proven. The whole area of cold therapy is still a contentious one in the scientific community, so if you don’t feel like soaking yourself in a bath full of cold water, nobody will blame you. That said, there are sportspeople across the world, including professionals, who swear by cold baths as the perfect post-workout experience. As with all things in life, you simply might not know until you try it. But, please, if you have any conditions that affect the heart or blood pressure, please run the idea by your GP before you dive into your first cold bath.

Whether you’re brave enough to dip your toe into a cold bath, or you’re just looking for a good old-fashioned warm one, you’ll find a huge range of whirlpool baths in our online shop. Have a question? Call the team today.