Ice bath popularity continues to rise, with people outside of professional athlete territory discovering just how powerful its benefits can be. With ice baths offering a wide range of benefits – including reduced inflammation, increased stamina, and noticeable mood benefits – this is an entirely natural form of therapy that can return significantly on every minute spent in the cold. For those who are looking to take the plunge, there are a few key things to be aware of before diving in, including: just how cold should an ice bath be?

Here’s our guide to finding the sweet spot for your ice bath experience.

How cold is too cold?

Even though the name ‘ice bath’ feels like it dictates the temperature, at ReGen Wellness, we carefully optimise ice bath temperatures to deliver maximised natural benefits. When ice

baths are carefully temperature controlled to stay in a pre-designed range, magic happens: the body’s beneficial responses are triggered without temperatures becoming unsafe or too uncomfortable to handle. 

Our cedar ice bath offers plunge options of either 6° or 3°, delivering the natural advantages of muscle recovery and accelerated health benefits. These extreme temperatures are strategically designed to keep plungers safe without compromising on the positive benefits of spending time in the icy water.

Yes, temperatures below this range can still deliver powerful health benefits – but since they’re packaged with an increased risk of hypothermia and numbness, plunging at cooler temperatures isn’t something we recommend for those who are building ice baths into their wellness routines.

Why the ice bath’s temperature matters

If ice baths have been pitched to you as something you simply need to grit your teeth and bear, there’s another way to embrace this natural wellness practice. 

By choosing an optimal temperature for your body and your level of ice bath experience, you’ll be able to reap the benefits without overloading and shocking your system. The goal with ice bath exposure isn’t to send your nervous system into overdrive. Instead, ongoing cold exposure is designed to train that nervous system, building resilience while those benefits grow over regular exposure.

When to take the plunge

If you’re looking to make the most of ice bath benefits (including stress reduction, inflammation reduction, and improvements to your immune system’s functionality), it’s important to build them into your regular wellness routine.

We recommend undertaking the plunge 1-3 times a week, deciding on the right frequency in relation to your fitness levels and overall health goals. For those who are more regularly engaging in intense physical activity, more regular plunges can also be beneficial. 

There are no shortcuts when it comes to optimising our health and wellness routines, but ice bath plunges certainly deliver powerful results within short time-frames. By scheduling in regular ice bath sessions and plunging in a temperature-controlled ice bath, you can give yourself improved longevity, greater pain management, stress relief, and mental and emotional health improvements. Take the plunge solo or cold plunge with a friend with ReGen Wellness’s premium cedar ice bath experience in Melbourne. You’ll be amazed at how your body feels on the other side of your time in the ice!