Cold plunge has great benefits for the body, but one of the most important things is knowing how long you should cold plunge for.
While some say an ideal time for a cold plunge is about 3 minutes, it’s hard to know when the internet is full of contradictory information.
In this article, we’ll go into depth about how long you should cold plunge by considering all the required facts and information so you can determine your ideal cold plunge length.
How Long Should You Cold Plunge For?
On average, people cold plunge for about 3 minutes in their tubs. However, 3 minutes might not be the sweet spot for everyone.
As individuals, it’s important to find the right time when you feel you’re experiencing the most benefits from the tub, and yet you’re not staying for longer than you should.
Let’s be honest, getting inside a cold plunge isn’t easy for everyone and it doesn’t get any easier each time.
That’s why it’s important to work your way up to the ideal time your body would benefit the most from in the cold plunge tub.
We recommend starting with 30 seconds to a minute if you’re new to cold plunging. From there, you can work your way up to 5 minutes or even 10 minutes.
While 3 minutes might be a sweet spot for some people, others might feel more benefits closer to the 5-minute mark or longer.
There’s one thing to keep in mind though. According to Mayo Clinic Health System, researchers are still determining the optimum time for cold plunging sessions. This means that there’s still no correlation between the benefits of a cold plunge with the time spent inside the tub.
That’s why we highly recommend testing and finding your ideal sweet spot instead of blindly following the first advice you come across on the internet. What works for someone might not for you.
Can You Overdo a Cold Plunge?
One of the most common questions we get is if your cold plunging daily is safe. While you can cold plunge every day, there are still ways you can overdo a cold plunge.
Jumping into cold water, for example, is one of the ways you can shock your body which can only lead to problems with breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure. Rushing your cold plunge entry can even lead to mental state issues, which is also something worth considering if you’re in a rush.
Another way you can overdo a cold plunge is by staying too long in the tub. While some people are more resistant to cold temperatures and can handle cold plunges more easily than others, it’s not safe to stay in cold plunges for longer than the average recommended times.
On average, 5 to 10 minutes is an ideal time for a cold plunge because that’s when almost everyone’s body enters an ideal zone for fat loss because of the increased metabolic rate.
Is it Bad to Cold Plunge Every Day?
Cold plunging every day is not bad. However, if you’re recovering from an injury and putting your body and yourself up to a test by entering 50-degree water, you shouldn’t do it on consecutive days.
While you’re trying to recover from an injury, it’s also important to give your body a break. Otherwise, overuse of a cold plunge can actually lead to more injury, rather than helping you heal the existing one. Overuse can lead to negative effects such as decreased immune function and increased muscle soreness.
Also, don’t try to make the most of your cold plunge sessions each time. Staying for longer than 10 minutes can lead to hypothermia or even frostbite.
If you’re fully healthy, cold plunging every day is an option, as long as you pay attention you don’t exceed the limit.
Therefore, if you see contradicting information, keep in mind that in some cases, cold plunging on consecutive days might do more harm than good. If you’re feeling fully healthy, feel free to enjoy your cold plunge daily.
We recommend keeping things moderate to be on the safe side, as you’ll still be experiencing plenty of benefits without having to worry about your physical health and the downsides of overusing.
But if you’re unsure and need advice, we highly recommend checking in with your doctor and getting the best advice for yourself.
Do Cold Plunges Burn Fat and How Long Should You Cold Plunge to Burn Calories?
Many studies are showing that exposure to cold can burn up to 60 calories in only 15 minutes, but things work a bit differently with cold plunges.
Considering you shouldn’t cold plunge for longer than 10 minutes, you can still burn some calories but don’t expect to lose hundreds of calories, as some sources mention.
While research is still in progress, it’s still inconclusive if the cold plunges burn fat. However, many people have experienced positive results. Therefore, we believe that losing calories is possible, but it’s just hard to tell to which extent.
Emerging yourself in cold water shouldn’t be the only way to lose calories if that’s your goal, but the good news is that you can lose about 8 to 10 calories per minute spent in the cold plunge tub.
While this might not seem like a lot, it can add up, and depending on the person, it can be significant.
Conclusion
It’s hard to know just how long you should cold plunge, but getting yourself started incrementally is the best way to find your sweet spot.
With the lack of research on specific benefits of cold water submerging and calorie burning with cold plunging, it’s important not to do it solely to experience weight loss results.
Instead, find the golden middle of using the cold plunge to have your body and mind feel better each time you step out of the tub.