If you’re into wellness, you’ve most likely heard about the benefits of cold water immersion, a.k.a. ice baths. Exposing your body to cold temps is touted as an easy way to improve your health as it offers a wide range of physical and mental benefits and can promote faster recovery times.
Ice baths range in price with some top-of-the-line models costing upwards of US$5,000. But you can also build your own for a fraction of that price, like this one for less than $100. Then you’ve got to factor in the cost of ice, which depending on where you live, might make a tub slightly more cost prohibitive.
- Or you could spend literal cents and take a cold shower—a recent study highlighted that only 11 minutes a week of cold exposure is all you need.
There is a considerable debate over which method is best—The Rock takes showers, while Jack Dorsey swears by the submerge.
- But Wim Hoff, the Iceman himself, says the practice is about finding “the right relationship” with cold exposure.
So is it worth it? If you want to try cold immersion therapy, start with cold showers before investing in a more extensive setup. It will give you time to figure out if you’re getting the effect you want, and it’s the safest way to transition to ice baths when the time comes.