Are you looking for a way to recover from workouts faster, or just want to boost your immune system? There are a lot of options out there, including cold showers, but many people gravitate to either ice baths or cryotherapy. Which one should you use?

We’re going to take a look and weigh the benefits of ice bath versus cryotherapy. That way, you’ll be able to make the decision that best fits you and your lifestyle. Read on to learn more about the health benefits and other criteria to think about.

Ice Baths

This is exactly what it sounds like, involving cold water immersion for a certain amount of time. The cold water is supposed to constrict your blood vessels, especially to the extremities, which can reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. This is known as the cold shock response.

As you spend more time in the ice bath, your body is going to start trying to warm up, so you can get more used to the cold. It’s kind of like when you jump into a pool with cool water — over time, you get more comfortable. You still need to watch your body temperature in the ice bath, since the water is going to stay cold.

If you’re doing an ice bath for the first time, then you should limit your time. It’s like starting an exercise program — if you start too fast, you risk injuring yourself. As you do it more often, your body will get used to it, though that first initial ice plunge might be shocking each time.

You see a lot of athletes from all different sports like football, basketball, hockey, and even pro wrestlers using ice baths for their recovery. It’s an integral part of sports medicine. You’ve probably seen videos of them doing it and become intrigued.

Benefits

Let’s start with the good reasons. You’re not going to have to break the bank to do this. While there are higher-end tanks for this, you can use stock tanks — don’t use garbage cans, since they aren’t made for regular ice baths.

You can also add ice or subtract it to get your desired temperature. This will come to you as you spend more time doing more research and figuring out what works best for you.

While people often extol the physical benefits, including your overall blood flow, you can improve your mental health by taking ice baths. You’ll find that your thinking is a lot clearer and your mood will be a lot better.

Cons

Of course, the main drawback is that it’s COLD. It’s shocking, and it can be difficult to get comfortable. The time in the ice bath can seem to crawl at a snail’s pace.

You need to be on high alert throughout the ice bath, since there is the very real risk of hypothermia. Your body temperature can drop precipitously during ice baths. Set a timer or even have someone else around to check on you.

While it is cheaper to set up ice baths, you also have to consider how much ice you’re going to need to get to be able to do this regularly. That means you’re going to have to make regular treks to a store to get ice and invest in a freezer, since a typical one in a refrigerator unit can only hold so many ice cubes.

Also, while it might be tempting to use what Mother Nature can offer for free, you don’t want to try an icy plunge in a frozen lake. There are way too many variables that can wind up hurting you … or worse. You can find a lot better ways for cold water immersion than that.

Cryotherapy

When you do ice baths, you’re immersing your entire body at once. Cryotherapy is more localized. The people who work at the center are going to use specialized equipment to target those areas.

The level of cold drops tremendously, with the temperatures reaching -166 to -220 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, that would be a very bad time to be outside. It’s also much colder than an ice pack, though those can also help with muscle recovery — witness baseball pitchers with ice packs on their shoulders while they are talking to the media.

Pros

When you have cryotherapy done, the person will put the cold instruments on certain parts of your body for anywhere from two to 10 minutes. The person administering it will be highly trained and have a plan to help you get the results that you want.

Even with the temperatures being as low as they are, there isn’t much of a risk of ice burn. The professionals doing the job will make certain that your skin is safe throughout the entire session.

Cons

There are two main drawbacks when it comes to this: price and convenience. You’re going to pay more for cryotherapy, and you have to hope that there’s one in your area. Otherwise, you’re going to be spending money on gas that could have gone toward ice baths.

Also, if you happen to have cold allergies (yes, they exist) or certain conditions, like Raynaud’s disease, then you may not be a candidate for cryotherapy. The people who work at the center will certainly go over your medical history with you before they start.

Final Considerations

Taking a cold plunge can be tremendous for you in all areas of your life. The health benefits can be almost immeasurable. Your blood pressure can improve,

People also like to combine heat therapy with ice baths. They find that it can decrease inflammation and reduce pain, a

Overall, if you want to improve your cardiovascular health, your immune system, and your body’s tissues, you should strongly consider adding cold therapy, whether it’s ice baths or cryotherapy. It can also help with your stress hormones. You can do this as a standalone routine, or it can be part of your physical therapy, should you need it.

Before you start anything, though, you should make sure that you get a doctor’s clearance to go ahead with it — it’s important to check that you don’t have any underlying conditions that could put you at risk.

If you want to do more research on the benefits of ice baths, you can always talk to your primary care doctor or a physical therapist. They can explain things in greater detail than even the longest blog entry.

Ultimately, when you want to do something inexpensive and healthy, you should take an ice bath.