The Cold Plunge started to trend during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when there was a global lockdown. According to Google Trends, Cold Plunge is 10 times more popular now than it was just 3 years ago in 2022.
What's with all the Hype?
There are many proponents of the cold plunge or ice bath, most notably Wim Hof, the Iceman, and Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and podcaster. I, myself, have been influenced to also take cold showers and ice baths after doing research into the benefits.
My 3-years of the cold plunge experience? It works.
If you surf the web, you’ll find many pieces of jargon and benefits of taking the cold plunge or ice bath.
I’ll summarize and distill all of them into 4 main benefits that you will get, if you decide to take the dive.
Before we get into this, remember to always consult your healthcare provide, doctor or physician before taking the plunge.
4 Main Benefits
1. Reduced Inflammatory Effects
One main benefit of the cold plunge is the reduction of pain from inflammation. The cold plunge forces the blood vessels to constrict, squeezing out any toxins or waste material from them. The removal of such waste reduces the inflammation in your body.
Why would waste accumulate in my body?
Well, your body functions produce waste at the cellular level, especially when you exercise frequently and intensively. That’s one reason why your muscles are so sore the next day after exercising. By removing this waste, we are promoting recovery from sore muscles. Hence, cold plunges are actually helpful in sports and exercise.
However, it turns out that inflammation is not always bad—if your goal is to become bigger and stronger.
It is generally advised not to immediately take a cold shower after exercise. Cold plunges have been found to inhibit muscle growth and strength gains after a workout. It is generally advised to take a cold plunge 6 hours AFTER your workout so that your body can adapt to the inflammatory process that is necessary for muscle growth.
2. Mental Benefits
Taking a cold plunge is like taking a shot of happiness.
When you immerse yourself in cold water, your body releases ‘happy’ chemicals such as endorphins and dopamine that make you feel good. Conversely, it also reduces the ‘sad’ chemicals such as cortisol after the plunge.
A 2021 study shows that cold plunges can reduce negative feelings such as tension, anger, depression, fatigue, and confusion. These effects have been reported to last for the next few hours, shifting your mood and giving you heightened levels of energy.
You will also be able to better deal with stress. Cold is a stressor—a harsh one, in fact. Taking cold plunges often can train your body and mind to deal with other stressors in your life. This effect can last even up to days or longer. The 2021 study also reveals a significant drop in cortisol levels after 4 weeks of cold exposure.
If you are looking to improve your mood and mental health, the cold plunge will help you.
3. Increased Immunity
Improve your chances of staying healthy and keep the doctor away with the cold plunge! As mentioned earlier, exposing your body to cold squeezes your blood vessels. Your lymphatic system, which manages waste, will get a boost and drain out accumulated toxins that might make you sick and sluggish.
In a 2024 study, it was found that participants who were exposed to cold showers had higher levels of antibodies in their system. This meant that their bodies were more resistant to illness caused by viruses and bacteria.
In fact, in 2016, they found that people who consistently exposed themselves to the cold for 90 days called in sick for work 29% less than the average employee.
It turns out that even exposure to lower temperatures can keep your immune system in tip-top condition and your body strong and healthy.
4. Increased Metabolism
Our body has white fat, which is fat stored under our skin or around our organs. It is stored from the excess calories that we consume and is not burned easily.
Our body also has brown fat, which is the better cousin of the two. Brown fat increases the metabolic activity in our body and burns calories for us when we need it. When you start to feel cold, brown fat activates and creates heat by burning calories. Hence, brown fat is particularly useful in burning calories and increasing your metabolism.
Why does this matter?
Cold plunges are effective in increasing the amount of brown fat compared to white fat in your body. As I mentioned earlier, one of the purposes of brown fat is to keep you warm by burning calories. Hence, by exposing yourself to cold, your body naturally converts white fat to brown fat in a process called “browning”.
Studies have shown that people with a higher percentage of brown fat are leaner, with reduced obesity-related diseases, heart disease, and diabetes.
How to do the Cold Plunge?
Well, obviously its to simply dip your body or shower with colder water. But how cold?
To be considered a “cold plunge,” the temperature of your water needs to be around 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can start to reap the above benefits at the 1-minute mark and slowly work your way up to staying exposed to the cold for 5 to 10 minutes for a greater effect.
How Can You Set Up a DIY Cold Plunge (Under $30 Setup)
I live in Singapore, a tropical country. We don’t have frozen lakes, and our normal water temperatures are around 28 degrees Celsius. Yet, I am able to cold plunge every day.
Don’t buy ice from your convenience store or supermarket. It is expensive and inconvenient. There are many high-tech tubs out there that cost thousands of dollars to bring you the same benefits this DIY setup does.
I’ll show you how I prepare my ice bath.
All you need are:
- A foldable small tub (about $28)
- Large ziplock bags (cheap and reusable)
- A freezer
Yep, we are going to freeze water—lots of it.
To prevent spillage in the freezer, which is VERY hard to clean up and will ruin any frozen items in there, we always double-line our water bags.
Here are the steps for a DIY cold plunge:
1. Double-line the ziplock bags by putting one inside another
2. Fill up half to two-thirds of the large ziplock bag with water
3. Release all the air in the inner ziplock bag with the water and seal it
4. Leave as much air in the outer ziplock bag and seal it
- The outer ziplock bag now serves as a container that catches any water leaks from the inner ziplock bag.
5. Leave the water bag inside the freezer for about 16 hours to get your large ice block- You will need to melt the ice inside the tub with water to unseal the bags properly for reuse
7. Fill your tub with water up to a quarter of its capacity
8. Allow the water to cool
- You can speed this up by stirring the water with the ice block
9. Dip yourself in the tub
You can see a tutorial video here.
You might not be able to submerge yourself fully under water due to the low water level. I found what works really well is just submerging your legs by sitting upright first, then sinking down to submerge your upper body. It looks silly, but this DIY setup will save you a lot of money and time. Best of all, it STILL WORKS.
You can even adjust the temperature. How? By adding more room temperature water into your tub. This is why your tub should be small—so that you don’t need a lot of water to raise the level in the tub. This way, you can start with very cold water and adjust it easily by adding warmer water. A big tub requires more water and thus a lot more ice to lower the temperature. We don’t want that.
It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare this setup for your ice bath and subsequent sessions. The only caveat? You need enough space in your freezer.
How Often to Do It?
Anytime from once per week to every day. The sweet spot is around 2–3 times a week without overdoing it, while reaping maximum benefits of the ice bath. I personally do it only once a week for recovery, but I still enjoy all the above benefits.
Best Time to Do It?
The best time to do it is in the morning. You’ll shock your body and nudge its gears to turn, increasing your alertness and focus for the day ahead.
Doing it at night is fine too, but since the cold plunge has a ‘waking effect,’ it might affect your sleep. It is best to do it at least 1–2 hours before bedtime.
Apart from the general rule of thumb of doing it at least 6 hours after your workouts, you can do it anytime.
Please remember to consult your physician or healthcare provider first before cold plunging, especially if you have existing medical conditions.
Are You Afraid of the Cold? Here’s How You Can Get Over It.
The cold plunge is not supposed to be comfortable. If it was, there wouldn’t be much benefit to it.
Here’s how you can slowly ease into it and overcome your mind eventually:
1. Start with room temperature showers
Many people shower with heated water that just feels so relaxing. Most showers allow you to dial the temperature. Turn the knob away from this default state by lowering the temperature slowly to room temperature to acclimate to the cold.
2. Breathe
The normal response is to gasp and start to breathe faster and heavier. This sends your body into panic mode as you fight the cold, making you “suffer” more than you should.
The best way to fight the cold is to control your breath. Slowly inhale and exhale. Deep breaths in and deep breaths out. Just focus on your breathing and try to relax as much as possible. This takes practice. You’ll need to do it a few times before you can fully relax and even control your shivering in the tub.
Box breathing method:
When you breathe, picture a box or a square. Each side of the 4 sides represents your breathing. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds. Repeat the box.
3. Don’t stay in there for too long
The maximum time you should stay in the cold plunge is 10 minutes. Beyond that, the risks outweigh the additional benefits you can get. Staying in the cold plunge too long risks hypothermia and numbness. In fact, studies suggest that to reap the maximum benefits, 3 minutes is all you need to stay in the cold plunge.
Most importantly, listen to your body and get out if you feel that something is wrong.
Final Thoughts: Why Every Athlete Should Try Cold Plunging
Whether you're doing calisthenics, lifting weights, running, or just trying to stay healthy, the cold plunge is one of the most underrated recovery tools out there. It’s cheap (only if you do it like me), efficient, and accessible, even in a hot country like Singapore.
It’s not a magic fix. It takes commitment. But if you’re looking to boost recovery, resilience, mood, metabolism, and immunity, this is one of the best habits you can build.