If you are considering taking an ice bath, you might be wondering what the benefits are. You do not want to expose your body to that extreme cold for nothing, do you? Luckily there are a lot of health benefits linked to exposure to cold , that will convince you to take that ice bath. Anyone can do this, including you!
Boost your central nervous system
When you take an ice bath regularly and you practice the breathing exercises of the Wim Hof Method , you increase your health and overall wellbeing. Eventually, you are able to take over control of your autonomic nervous system, and live healthier, happier, and more relaxed. Besides that, your sleep quality will improve and you will experience less fatigue.
Reduce inflammation in your body
Exposing your body to cold water regularly, decreases the amount of inflammation in your system. Exposure to cold has a positive effect on your blood flow. Almost immediately, your blood vessels begin to contract when you expose yourself to cold water. And afterwards, your vessels gradually dilate. This process helps to regulate your blood flow, as well as circulation within the lymphatic system, throughout your body.
Decreased muscle soreness
Taking an ice bath helps your body to recover faster . Especially for athletes, cold water immersion is a relief to sore and burning muscles. Besides that, exposing your body to the cold helps you to relieve stress, and makes you sleep better, which in turn helps your body gain more strength and recover faster.
Vagus nerve stimulation
Research shows that acute exposure to cold stimulates the vagus nerve . By stimulating the vagus nerve, you tell your body that it is time to relax and de-stress. The stress response from the cold lowers your body temperature to normal, and activates the release of norepinephrine, a feel-good hormone.
