Types of cold exposure.
Six cold-exposure modalities explained. Ice baths, cold showers, cryotherapy, open-water swimming, structured method practice, localised cold. Temperatures, durations, evidence quality — and which one fits which goal.
01
Strong evidence0–12°C1–3 minIce bath (cold plunge / cold tub)
The gold-standard modality. Full-body immersion in temperature-controlled cold water for short structured sessions.
What most of the published cold-immersion literature uses. Full-body immersion, head out, in filtered temperature-controlled water typically between 4–12°C. Sessions are short by design — 1–3 minutes for most protocols, longer (up to 11–15 min) only for specific endurance-recovery applications.
The advantage over other modalities: predictable temperature, hygienic shared facility, social accountability, and access to facilitator support for the first sessions. The disadvantage: requires a dedicated facility or significant home setup.
Pros
- • Strongest evidence base
- • Predictable temperature
- • Filtered, hygienic
- • Facilitator support available
- • Most-studied dose — you know what you're getting
Cons
- • Requires dedicated facility or expensive home setup
- • Most intense cold-shock response
- • Higher initial intimidation factor
At R1SE
Yes — the core R1SE cold modality. Available at both Kelham Urban Spa and Brook Place. Filtered 0–12°C.
02
Strong evidence10–18°C (tap-dependent)30s–3 minCold shower
The most accessible cold exposure — and surprisingly well-evidenced thanks to the Buijze 2016 RCT showing 29% reduction in sick-leave days.
Cold showers don't reach the temperatures of ice baths (10–18°C depending on local tap water), but they're the easiest cold exposure to integrate into daily life. The Buijze 2016 RCT used 30, 60, or 90 second cold finishes after warm showers and showed meaningful immune benefits with that modest dose.
Best for: daily consistency, immune support, habit formation, members who can't access an ice bath daily. Not enough cold for BAT activation specifically (the metabolic adaptation needs sub-10°C).
Pros
- • Free, accessible everywhere
- • Easy to integrate into daily routine
- • Buijze-evidenced immune effect
- • Low intimidation
- • Build habit without committing to a facility
Cons
- • Temperature usually not cold enough for BAT activation
- • Less intense dopamine signal
- • Tap temperature varies seasonally
At R1SE
Not directly — but we recommend daily cold showers as a complement to weekly studio ice baths.
03
Moderate evidence−110 to −140°C2–3 minWhole-body cryotherapy (WBC)
Standing inside a vapour chamber of liquid nitrogen for 2–3 minutes. Different physiology than water immersion — the cold is more dramatic but the depth of cooling is shallower.
WBC chambers cool the skin extremely fast but tissue cooling is shallow because air is a poor conductor compared to water. Core temperature barely changes. The catecholamine response is intense but acute — comparable to ice bath in terms of dopamine elevation, though the broader systemic adaptations may differ.
Popular in elite sport (premier league football clubs, Olympic teams) and for inflammation-focused protocols. The evidence base is younger and less robust than ice-bath research — mostly small studies, with results not always replicating across sites.
Pros
- • Very short sessions (2–3 min)
- • Dramatic acute catecholamine response
- • Dry — no wet hair / changing facilities needed
- • Lower drowning risk than water modalities
Cons
- • Shallower tissue cooling than water
- • Smaller evidence base than ice baths
- • Expensive per session
- • Risk of frostbite if not properly supervised
- • Less accessible — specialist facility required
At R1SE
Not currently — R1SE uses water-based cold for the stronger tissue-cooling profile.
04
Strong evidenceHighly variable, 2–18°C seasonal5–30+ minOpen-water swimming
The original cold-water practice. Observational evidence on long-term swimmers is among the strongest data we have on cold-and-mental-health.
Open-water swimming has been practised continuously for thousands of years and is having a major modern revival. The observational evidence base from cold-water swimming cohorts (Espeland 2022) is rich — consistent improvements in wellbeing, depression scores, social connection, and physical fitness.
Different physiology from ice baths: longer duration, lower-but-prolonged cold dose, full-body movement, outdoor environment, social practice. Many long-term swimmers move between methods seasonally — open water in summer, ice baths or cold showers in winter when the water's coldest.
Pros
- • Free, outdoor
- • Combines cold exposure with cardiovascular exercise
- • Strong community / social practice
- • Rich observational evidence base
- • Connects you to natural rhythm of seasons
Cons
- • Drowning risk — never swim alone
- • Variable conditions (currents, weather, visibility)
- • Cold-shock response in deep cold can be acutely dangerous
- • Requires safe access to swimmable water
- • Hypothermia risk on longer swims
At R1SE
Not directly — but Sheffield has good outdoor swimming options for members who want to add this. The R1SE Summer Nine challenge includes a wild-swim element.
05
Moderate evidence5–10°C typical3 min cold + 20 min breathworkWim Hof / structured method practice
Cold immersion paired with structured hyperventilatory breathwork. The Kox 2014 RCT is the foundational evidence.
Not really a different physical modality — usually an ice bath or cold pool — but the structured combination with WHM breathwork creates a different practice. The Kox 2014 PNAS paper showed trained subjects modulated their inflammatory response to bacterial endotoxin, which is a distinct outcome from cold-immersion alone.
Safety: WHM breathwork on land, before water entry. Never in or near water. Multiple deaths from shallow-water blackout when people have done WHM breathing while submerged.
Pros
- • Inflammatory modulation evidence (Kox 2014)
- • Structured framework for committed practice
- • Strong community / branded support resources
Cons
- • Drowning hazard if breathwork done in water (unforgiving)
- • Cult-of-personality concerns around the founder
- • Some claims overstated beyond what the trial showed
At R1SE
WHM-style breathwork is used in Guided Fire & Ice and Wellness Experience sessions (on land, before plunge). We don't market it as “the” method.
06
Strong evidence0–10°C surface10–20 minLocalised cold (ice packs, cold caps, etc.)
Targeted cold for specific tissue rather than whole-body immersion. Different mechanism — local anti-inflammatory rather than systemic catecholamine surge.
Ice packs on acute injuries (RICE protocol), cold caps for chemotherapy-induced hair loss, localised cryotherapy for specific joints — these are well-established medical and recovery applications. Different from whole-body cold therapy because there's no systemic catecholamine response, no BAT activation, no broad metabolic effect.
These have specific clinical applications and shouldn't be confused with whole-body cold therapy in either direction. Localised cold treats acute tissue issues; whole-body cold therapy targets systemic and psychological outcomes.
Pros
- • Strong clinical evidence for specific applications (acute injury, chemotherapy hair preservation)
- • Accessible — ice packs at home
- • Targeted — treat the area that needs cooling
Cons
- • No systemic dopamine / immunity / metabolic effect
- • Confusable with whole-body cold therapy — different mechanisms
- • RICE protocol for acute injury increasingly questioned in sports medicine
At R1SE
Not the focus of our cold offering — we're a whole-body cold therapy provider. For acute injury care, see a physiotherapist or GP.
Common questions
Pick a modality. Get in cold water.
Whichever cold practice you align with, R1SE's ice baths give you a hygienic, supervised, temperature-controlled starting point.
Continue Reading
More from the R1SE Ice Bath Library
Ice Bath Knowledge Hub
Every cold-therapy page on the R1SE knowledge library.
ReadThe Science of Cold
Catecholamines, brown fat, immunity, mood — every claim cited.
ReadThe Benefits of Cold
Metabolism, mood, immunity, recovery, focus, resilience.
ReadMethods: Wim Hof, Contrast, Søberg
Which approach suits which goal.
ReadConditions Cold Helps
Depression, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, recovery.
ReadHow to Cold-Plunge
Temperature, duration, frequency — the 11-min-per-week rule.
Read