Traveling the world, practicing and performing, it all takes a lot of mental and physical strength. Nowadays more and more celebs focus on rest and recovery, in a bid to keep healthy in body and mind and therefore add cold plunges to their routine.
Harry Styles, for instance, claims that a bath filled with ice water is his post-show recovery routine. This cold treatment is aiding the recovery process of his body and makes live performances easier to handle.
Lady Gaga has said that an ice bath is not only her post-show routine but also her pre-show routine. She specifically says it helps her to manage the symptoms of her fibromyalgia, a serious health condition that she suffers from, which includes chronic pain, fatigue, and poor sleep quality and quantity.
She wrote: ‘When my body goes into a spasm, one thing I found really helps is the infrared sauna. In order to not overheat my system and cause more inflammation I follow this with a VERY cold, ice-cold bath (if you can stand it, it’s worth it)’ And: ‘It helps me to keep doing my passion, job and the things I love even on days when I feel I can’t get out of bed.’
Also Zac Efron has been open about his use of both hot and cold therapies. He has posted videos where he’s been sitting in a hot sauna set to 156 degrees Fahrenheit (69 degrees Celsius) before running out and immediately plunging into an ice cold bath. More than just a way to keep fit, Efron admits he likes to keep consistent with the routines, due to the overall benefits it offers both his health and wellbeing as well.
Chris Hemsworth, best known for his muscular physique and role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, knows all about intense workout regimens. As a result, he claims he often practice cold therapy to help speed up his recovery and reduce fatigue after a tough workout
Taking an ice bath is actually a part of his daily morning routine. Hemsworth claims if he is stiff or sore, he will often “loosen up the muscles” in a sauna, and then do “an ice bath to give me a shot of adrenaline”.
Another huge fan of cold plunging would be Joe Rogan, which he practices on a daily basis for years now. He devoted a lot of podcasts and social media posts, while sitting in an ice bath talking about how the plunge has helped him overcome inflammation and body soreness. He also explained that he is now able to withstand the grueling process better than before:
“When I first started doing the cold plunge it was difficult for me to just get like a minute and a half, I was freezing. And I’m just as cold, but now I understand it…I know what it is. I can overcome it, and I know the benefits.”
Rogan continues the story with naming the various benefits for him:
“The benefits for resilience, the benefits for my mind and for inflammation for my body. My body feels so good. All my soreness, that was generally just an ordinary part of everyday life, a massive amount of that has been dissipated… It’s just this sauna and cold plunge routine that I do, it has made a giant difference.”
Other celebrities who love the ice water are Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber and Gwyneth Paltrow. Even the 64-years old ‘Queen of Pop’ Madonna emerges herself in freezing-cold water, calling it on Instagram the “Best treatment for injuries!!”.
But the use of cold-water immersion has become not only increasingly popular for performers like actors or singers, but also for athletes who are looking to soothe pain from sore muscles after heavy workouts or competitions.
Mike Reinold, a physical therapist and the former head athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox, states that he recommends this method for all athletes:
“Ice baths help people move and feel better, which can help them to recover.”
And the athletes seems to agree:
When tennis player Andy Murray won a long and grueling match during the U.S. Open in New York all he longed for afterwards was an ‘emergency’ ice bath.
Naomi Osaka is a fan of the cold treatment too. “I just want to go into an ice bath” she said after a three-set battle at the tournament.
Also Usain Bolt celebrated his victory in the ice water after conquering the world yet again by claiming a gold medal at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships.
Other great athletes who are taking ice baths just after a game or competition are Lebron James, Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo. It instantly helps them to reduce swelling and tissue breakdown and increase circulation for a more speedy recovery.
Immersing the body in cold water is a very efficient way of cooling down multiple groups of muscles at the same time. Just like an ice pack, it reduces swelling and muscle damage from exercise by constricting blood vessels and decreasing metabolic activity.
All these benefits of cold therapy and famous people practicing it, might increase your curiosity to practice it yourself.
But please take into account that ice baths are not for everyone. Some medical conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes can have negative and potentially dangerous effects since cold water constricts the blood vessels.
So it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor beforehand if you have any concerns about ice baths.
