Post Workout Ice Bath

When the workout is over and it's time to recover, we have a shortlist of things we’d like to do to help us relax: get a full-body massage; take a nice hot shower; maybe sip a protein shake and play some X-Box. An ice bath doesn’t immediately come to mind. But according to many top strength coaches who work with pro athletes, soaking in a tub full of ice is something that can make a big difference in the way your body recovers.

WHY IT WORKS

After a workout, your body needs to "repair" itself to prepare for the next training session. It does so with the help of blood vessels that bring oxygen to your muscle tissue while removing waste products of exercise — the most common being lactic acid. Too much lactic acid build-up can cause your muscles to function poorly and will often lead to fatigue. An ice bath will immediately reduce swelling while flushing lactic acid out of your body. When you sit in an ice bath — or when you rub a cup of ice on the muscles you just trained — the cold causes your blood vessels to tighten.

This helps drain the lactic acid out of your tired muscles. When you get out of the bath, your muscle tissue warms back up, causing a return of oxygenated blood to help your muscles recover.

SOAK IT!

The Bathologist Recover Fizzy Bath Soak uses dead sea salt and Epsom Salt to help aid in the recovery of those tired and aching muscles. When you fill your tub over halfway, add 2-3 bags of ice and drop in a cup of Recover to your bathwater. We recommend sipping on hot water or tea as well to maintain body temperature and take your mind off the cold.

Soak in tub for at least 10 minutes, to an upwards of 20 minutes.