Singer Nicole Scherzinger is known for her intense workout videos that she usually shares at the beginning of the week to give her millions of Instagram followers a healthy dose of Monday motivation.
However, on Monday, November 14, “The Masked Singer” judge decided to share a video and a few snaps of her taking an ice bath in a plunging swimsuit to help soothe her sore muscles.
Nicole Scherzinger Shares Some Monday Motivation With… An Ice Bath?!
In a fourteen-second clip posted to her Instagram account on Monday, the 44-year-old singer made sure to capture herself in the ice bath from all angles. She is wearing a tan swimsuit that wraps around her shoulders, leaving an oval-shaped cut-out in the center of her chest.
Her sun-kissed tan stands out in the cool water as she lies in the tub with her chin tilted up towards the sun, hiding her eyes between a pair of angular sunglasses. In the caption, Nicole wrote, “Monday Mood. Ice bath at 37 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes 👊🏾 No pain. No gain.” She also included the hashtags #focused and #mondaymotivation.
Irish TV host Darren Kennedy called her a “Champ” while author Elias Michael commented, “Let’s go.” Plenty more fans showered the post with love, with one fan writing, “Killing that ice bath! 🙌🏼💪🏼.” Another follower joked, “Needed a cold plunge myself after seeing that. 🔥🙌 Such an amazing looking woman” while a third fan called her their “100% dream woman.”
“I am not getting it. What’s the difference between this and taking cold showers? It’s not like the cold water is any different…cold water like cold water… what am I missing here??” another user asked and they weren’t alone. Plenty of followers were confused as to why she was taking an ice bath and the benefits that could be gained from it.
What Are The Benefits Of Taking An Ice Bath?
According to Healthline, the fancy name for an ice bath is cryotherapy, also known as cold water immersion (CWI). The process involves spending 10-15 minutes of water in very cold water, usually 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit after an intense exercise session.
The purpose of the ice bath is to help reduce muscle pain and soreness after an intense exercise session or a competition. According to Dr. A. Brion Gardner, an orthopedic surgeon with The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedic, there are five main benefits to taking an ice bath.
The first benefit is that they can be a “relief” to sore muscles and make them feel better after an intense training session. It is also believed that ice baths can help improve reaction time to create better performance in the future. Ice baths reportedly also aid in sleep, which helps improve recovery time.
Dr. Thanu Jey, clinic director at Yorkville Sports Medicine Clinic, agrees with Gardner’s assertion that ice baths help limit the inflammatory response by decreasing the temperature of the muscles after exercise. In short, the less inflammation there is in the body, the faster the muscles will recover.
Gardner noted that taking an ice bath can also decrease the stress on the body due to hot and humid areas, saying, “An ice bath prior to a long race in conditions where there is an increase in temperature or humidity can lower core body temperature a few degrees which can lead to improved performance.”
The final benefit is that ice baths can reportedly train your vagus nerve. Certified strength and conditioning specialist Aurimas Juodka explained that the “vagus nerve is linked with the parasympathetic nervous system, and training it can help you face stressful situations more adequately.”
However, Gardner notes that there are a few risks that come with ice baths, especially for people who have pre-existing conditions, like cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure. As Gardner explained, “The decrease in core temperature and the immersion in ice constricts blood vessels and slows the flow of blood in the body.” Therefore, if you have decreased blood flow, you are at a greater risk for cardiac arrest or stroke. Hypothermia is another risk for anyone who is submerged in an ice bath for too long.
For anyone interested in trying to take an ice bath and try it for themselves, Gardner recommends taking an ice bath immediately after working out. The temperature should be between 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-15 degrees Celsius. It’s recommended that individuals submerge themselves for no more than 10-15 minutes.
The reason why ice baths are preferred to ice showers is that submerging your entire body in the bath is best to gain the best effect of blood vessel constriction. For those interested in reaping the benefits of an ice bath without filling their bathtub full of ice, full-body cryotherapy chambers offer cold therapy in an office setting. Sessions usually last about ten minutes but can cost up to $100 per session.
Cryotherapy definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, but with Nicole’s intense workout sessions, it’s clear that she finds them beneficial. Fans can check out Nicole’s latest sweat session by clicking here.
