Cold plunge is gaining popularity among athletes and fitness enthusiasts at the speed of light due to its benefits for recovery and decreased inflammation.
You might even notice Kevin Hart in his TV Show Cold as Balls enjoying the benefits of cold plunge.
There are a variety of benefits of a cold plunge before a workout. In this article, we’ll focus on the most common benefits you can experience, whether you’re a gym enthusiast, an athlete, or a professional sportsman.
We’ll also share practical advice on how to cold plunge before a workout to ensure maximum benefits, so keep reading!
Benefits of Cold Plunge Before Workout
Reducing inflammation and relaxing muscles by cold plunging helps prepare the body for more strenuous exercise.
Here are 6 of the best benefits you can experience if you cold plunge before a workout:
- Enhancing muscle recovery
- Boosting circulation and energy levels
- Improving mental focus and resilience
- Reducing the risk of injury
- Supporting fat loss and metabolism
- Hormonal and endorphin boost
The biggest benefit of a cold plunge before a workout is enhanced muscle recovery. Cold water immersion helps minimize inflammation by reducing blood flow to the sore and swollen areas. By getting in a cold plunge, you’re helping your body to “shut down” the inflammatory response temporarily, which helps speed up recovery, even before a workout.
Cold exposure also helps constrict blood vessels, which helps push blood from the extremities towards the core, which helps improve circulation and boost energy levels.
Cold water can prepare your body and mind and allow you to exercise with more energy.
We know it’s not easy to get in a cold plunge tub on certain days, even if you have plenty of experience. But that shock you feel actually forces your body to embrace discomfort, which builds mental toughness and resilience.
A clear and sharp mind goes a long way with goal setting and achieving the goals you’ve set. Also, with improved focus, you get to focus more on the form and techniques during your exercise, which can additionally help you push through tough sessions.
However, one of the main reasons why you might want to cold plunge before a workout is to reduce the risk of injury. Cold water helps tighten blood vessels, which avoids strain, and when you warm up, you are ready to perform without overextending the muscles.
However, one tip we must recommend is to gradually transition from cold exposure to movement, as this helps avoid muscle stiffness.
Many people are interested in the benefit of weight loss and increased metabolism as a result of a cold plunge before a workout. Cold plunge can stimulate the body to generate heat by burning fat, which goes hand in hand with a weight loss goal.
Lastly, when you cold plunge, your body releases endorphins, which are known as the body’s natural painkillers. They contribute to a better sense of well-being, so cold plunge can be considered as a natural drug-free way to optimize hormone levels.
Practical Tips for Cold Plunging Before a Workout
If you want to get the most from a cold plunge before a workout, here’s the step-by-step process that will ensure you maximize the gains:
- Time your cold plunge
- Find an ideal temperature
- Prepare mentally and physically
- Transition to your workout
- Stay hydrated
Limit your cold plunge between 3 to 5 minutes. This will help ensure you avoid overcooling, which is something you would want as overcooling can hinder performance.
And if you’re wondering what’s the pre-workout window when you should cold plunge, we recommend aiming for a cold plunge about 10 to 15 minutes before starting your workout to give yourself time to transition from the cold exposure.
However, if you feel stiff or chill, it’s better to give yourself a few more minutes than rushing with the workout.
The optimal temperature is also important. We recommend trying a temperature between 40 to 50 degrees, see how you feel, and adjust for comfort from there.
We know that it can be super difficult at times to enter a cold plunge. That’s why it’s important to prepare yourself both mentally and physically. Use slow and controlled breaths to manage the initial shock, but also visualize the benefits of staying calm while you’re in the water.
Starting with shorter sessions and progressing from there is ideal.
After a cold plunge, do light aerobic movements as this will help you raise your core temperature and loosen muscles. We recommend focusing on mobility and including stretches to ensure both muscles and joints are warmed up and ready for your workout session.
Cold plunge is a great prep for your body but we don’t recommend skipping a light warm-up. A proper warm-up can help you avoid and prevent injury and achieve optimal performance.
Lastly, staying hydrated is super important, so you should drink water before and after the cold plunge. Not many people understand that even cold exposure can cause dehydration if you don’t properly hydrate.
Also, having a small snack like a protein bar or a banana after a cold plunge can boost your energy and provide better training (especially if you’re training on an empty stomach).
After a cold plunge, dry off quickly to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold. This is super important to ensure you warm up efficiently and can head off to your workout sooner.
Conclusion
The benefits of a cold plunge before a workout work synergistically to prepare your body and mind for a better workout.
Our favorite thing about cold plunge is that it’s simple and effective. The second favorite thing is that you can get a cold plunge tub for home use and experience the benefits in the comfort of your home.
However, whatever your preferred temperature and cold plunge session length is, we recommend starting small, getting a routine, and experiencing the first benefits before trying to maximize them.
If you need a cold plunge tub that you can set up in your home in 10 minutes or less, check out these cold plunge tubs!