How to start with a cold plunge pool?
A plunge pool is becoming increasingly popular. Not everyone who wants a pool can afford one, and some people who can afford a pool do not have space available for it. However, people who face such barriers do not need to give up on their dream of having their own plunge pool. A portable ice bath may be just the thing you need.
Plunge pool meaning
A plunge pool, ice bath or cold water bath is a small, usually fairly deep, portable pool designed for plunging into an ice bath, cold water therapy or for lounging. They are ideal for people who want to use it as an ice bath for cold water therapy, for physical recovery or after using the sauna. In addition, the plunge pool can also be used as a bath for lounging in a sitting position or cooling off in the hot summer days. Because of its size, you can’t swim in a plunge pool, but you can make multifunctional use of it.
Plunge Pool locations
Plunge pools are becoming increasingly popular in Europe. They are especially attractive to people interested in an ice bath or cold water bath after an intense sports session for example. Unlike a large pool, a plunge pool can be set up in a small garden and used and maintained on a low budget. A plunge pool can fit perfectly in the following locations:
- Home Use (Bathroom & Garden)
- Gym
- Sportclubs
- Wellnesscenter
The term “plunge pool” characterizes a pool designed with the purpose of relaxation and recovery. Because of this, plunge pools are increasingly used today within the sports culture. Plunge pools are primarily used for two purposes.
The first is rehabilitation and recovery. Many people use plunge pools for low-impact training and recovery. Although they are used less for active purposes, they can be great for light water exercises and rehabilitation through cold water therapy. In addition, plunge pools can also be used after using a sauna.
The second is relaxation. It allows yourself to take a bath in a sitting position. This can be a relaxing feeling for your body. This can either be in a hot bath or a cold bath. As an example, the plunge pool is often used in the garden in the summer for various purposes.
Is a plunge pool a healthy choice?
A frequently asked question is whether an immersion or ice bath is really healthy for you, and it is. By incorporating cold water therapy into your daily routine, you can experience many physical and mental benefits.
Feel physically and mentally refreshed
Taking a plunge or ice bath creates a powerful and clarifying feeling. When you come in contact with the cold water, a shock reaction occurs that causes a kind of reset in your body. This releases endorphins and adrenaline which creates a happy feeling, releases your tension and gives your energy a huge boost. Eventually, this results in improving your mood and also relieves depression. Cold water therapy makes you feel refreshed both physically and mentally.
Boost your immune system
Cold temperatures can give your immune system a strong boost. This is because the cold helps produce white blood cells that ultimately help boost your immunity. A study by the AMC found that taking an ice bath, plunge bath or cold shower daily leads to a 30% drop in illness. The requirements for this are that the water be less than 20 degrees and that you spend at least 30 seconds in a bath or shower.
Cold shower or cold plunge after a busy day
If you’ve had a stressful day, this is the perfect way to let go of everything. The cold shock completely relaxes your body. The sudden cold actually makes you hyperventilate. When you experience a lot of stress, this is a very good way to be able to get your breathing under control.
After a few days of cold showering or dipping into an ice bath, combined with proper breathing techniques, you will be able to control your breathing more quickly, allowing your body to apply this to stressful moments faster, resulting in the decrease of your stress level.
Improvement of blood circulation
Taking an ice bath temporarily constricts the blood vessels. This creates more elasticity in the blood vessels, which eventually allows your blood to be pumped around better. As more blood is pumped around in your body, it provides more oxygen to your muscles.
After your blood vessels constrict and reduce blood flow during an ice bath, the restorative effect begins. Because your blood vessels were constricted, your body’s natural response is to push blood back to the body parts as quickly as possible. This natural response of your body promotes the repair of muscles damaged during a workout.
Various fat
By using cold water therapy in a plunge pool or ice bath you become more resistant to the cold. Your body gets used to heating itself with its own energy. This is because cold activates brown fat, which uses energy to get and keep your body warm. This energy is obtained in the form of calories. The more often you exercise the body through cold water therapy, the more the brown fat is activated in your body, which ultimately allows calories to be burned faster. When the brown fat is not used regularly, the body is less likely to be able to heat itself and you will feel cold more quickly.
The benefits of a plunge pool
Purchasing a plunge pool is not a crazy idea at all. After all, an immersion bath can be used for various purposes. For example, you can place it in the garden, in your own wellness center or in your bathroom. The benefits of having your own plunge pool are:
Little space required
Because of its smaller size, a plunge pool can easily fit into a space where a normal pool or professional ice bath could never fit. Many people place a plunge pool in the garden or on the balcony. In addition, the plunge pool is also used in a bathroom or wellness area. Nowadays there are portable ice tubs that are easy to store or take with you.
Easy to maintain
An additional advantage is that a plunge pool is very easy to maintain. Because of its smaller size, less dirt will find its way into the bathtub. In addition, you can probably remove the dirt with a scoop net when it accumulates in the bathtub. Besides, it is possible to cover the bath quickly and easily by using a tarpaulin.
Plunge pool sauna
Cool off in a plunge pool after a wonderful sauna? Our ice baths are also excellent for use as immersion baths. The usefulness of an immersion bath after using the sauna is that a cold bath can reduce the high body temperature reached in the sauna in a short time. During this temperature drop, blood vessels are stimulated and blood circulation is promoted. Also, proper cooling prevents headaches later in the day.
Plunge pool garden
A plunge pool is often taken after a sauna visit, used for cold water therapy But of course you can also simply enjoy a nice cold bath in the summer. A dip in the garden is ideal for multiple purposes. In fact, Tactiv Recovery’s plunge pool is easy to move when used in the garden or on a balcony.
How can I set up a plunge pool?
The word actually says plunge, this is often a cold water bath. A plunge pool is a bath in which you can cool your body completely. The temperature of an immersion bath is usually around 5°C or lower. Ice can be placed inside the bath to ensure the bath is the right temperature. If you are curious about the full explanation of how to make an ice bath, then read our blog where we explain it to you in detail.
Are you looking for an ice bath?
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