How Long to Stay in an Ice Bath: Time, Temperature and Safe Limits
How long to stay in an ice bath: start with about a minute
A good first ice bath lasts around a minute, and you build up slowly from there. The most the Outdoor Living manual allows is 20 minutes.1 In studies of recovery after exercise, water at 11 to 15°C for around 10 to 15 minutes gave the best results.2
The first minute is the hardest part
When you step into cold water, your body reacts straight away: an involuntary gasp and breathing that speeds up, by as much as tenfold. Those first effects pass in less than a minute.3 That is why a first dip is about a minute long, and why you ease in and keep your face out of the water until your breathing settles.4
- 1 minutewhere beginners start, building up from there1
- 10 to 15minutes, the length that worked best for recovery in studies2
- 20 minutesthe most the Outdoor Living manual allows1
Picture the line above: tall and fast in the first minute, then long, slow and calm once your breathing has settled.
Your first ice bath, step by step
Get the water to 10 to 15°C
The Outdoor Living manual suggests 10 to 15°C and starting slightly warmer. Tap water is usually 10 to 20°C, and 5°C is the lowest the manual recommends.1
Set a one-minute timer
Put the timer where you can see it. Build up to longer sessions only a little at a time, and never go beyond 20 minutes.1
Ease in, face out of the water
Water at 15°C or below can cause cold water shock, so step in gently. Do not hold your breath underwater.4
Let your breathing settle
The first gasping reaction passes in less than a minute.3 Breathe slowly and stay until the timer goes.
Get out, dry off and warm up
Keep a towel, dry clothes and a hot drink ready before you get in.1 Next time, add a little time if you feel comfortable.
What studies of recovery used
Water temperature
A review of nine randomised trials with 169 people looked at cold water immersion and muscle soreness. Water at 11 to 15°C gave the best relief, while water at 5 to 10°C showed no clear benefit.2
Time in the water
Immersion of around 10 to 15 minutes gave the best results in the same review, and the one study that used 16 to 20 minutes did worse than resting. The effect was small, around 5% less soreness at best.2
Staying safe in cold water
Before and during
- Never go alone, and tell someone where you are.4
- Set a timer, and stay well inside the 20 minute limit.1
- Keep your face out of the water, and do not hold your breath underwater.4
- If you are pregnant or have a heart or blood pressure condition, talk to your GP before you start. Ice baths are not recommended for children.1
Ice baths to start with
A timer, a towel and a tub of cold water are all a first session needs.
A first ice bath
The Outdoor Living IcePOD is an inflatable ice bath, 100 x 65 cm, at £199. It needs no power, comes with a locking lid and a hand pump, and packs away when you are done. For more room, the IceTUB is 150 x 80 cm at £299.
An ice bath that holds the temperature
The Outdoor Living Glacier Ice Bath/Plunge Pool cools the water down to 5°C and heats it up to 40°C, with a digital control panel that shows the water temperature and lets you adjust the set point. It is a one-person tub with non-slip treads, at £3,499. See every type on our ice baths for sale page.
Questions about ice bath time
Open a question to read the answer.
How long should a beginner stay in an ice bath?
About one minute for a first dip, then build up a little at a time. The Outdoor Living IcePOD and IceTUB manual says to start at around a minute, set a timer and never go beyond 20 minutes.
How long should you stay in an ice bath for sore muscles?
In a review of nine trials, water at 11 to 15°C for around 10 to 15 minutes gave the best relief from soreness. If you are new to cold water, start with about a minute and work towards that length gradually.
Is 20 minutes in an ice bath too long?
Twenty minutes is the most the Outdoor Living manual allows, and most people need far less. In the review of recovery studies, the one study that used 16 to 20 minutes did worse than resting.
How long should you stay in an ice bath after a sauna?
Around a minute is a common length for a dip after a sauna, and it is the length most studies of hot and cold water used. Get out sooner if you feel uncomfortable.
What should you do after getting out of an ice bath?
Dry off, put on dry clothes and have a hot drink ready. Keep a towel and warm clothes next to the bath before you get in, so you can warm up straight away.
Sources
- Outdoor Living, IcePOD and IceTUB user manual, 16 May 2025.
- Machado and colleagues, Sports Medicine, Can water temperature and immersion time influence the effect of cold water immersion on muscle soreness? A systematic review and meta-analysis, published online 18 November 2015, 2016;46:503–514.
- RNLI, Cold water shock, accessed October 2026.
- British Sauna Society, Sauna and cold water safety, accessed October 2026.
Paul Margerison
Managing Director & Founder, Outdoor Living
The first minute is the one to get right. Go slowly, keep the timer in view, and let the time build up over weeks.