A Starter’s Guide to Ice Baths
What on earth is going on? You might be wondering why the heck people are posting videos on social media of diving into frozen ponds or submitting themselves to tubs of ice, too often with a smile on their face. You might consider yourself “not a cold person” and wonder why some people are just built different.
I’m sorry to tell you, but they aren’t really any different. Not biologically, at least. The only difference between you and the person swimming laps under ice is the ability to regulate.
The ability to regulate your autonomic nervous system isn’t just useful to be able to share a photo of you in an ice bath to get compliments on your mental toughness. It’s not just a matter of being able to “grit and bear it” through something that is obviously uncomfortable to the comfort-seeking tendency of the modern human body. It’s hardly about the cold water at all, actually. Being able to regulate body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate is also helpful when we get into an argument, rear end someone in traffic or walk into an interview or proposal for a raise. It’s about managing tension and stress.
The person really credited for the popularization of ice baths today is an eccentric Dutchman named Wim Hof. He started cold therapies when he was young and claimed that they were helpful in coping with the death of his wife later in life, but scientists first thought of him as a biological anomaly. It was believed that Hof had some sort of genetic mutation in which he simply didn’t feel the cold, unlike the rest of us mortals. It turns out that’s not true at all. Today we understand that Hof had simply mastered the nervous system in a way never before recognized in the sciences as even possible.
The autonomic nervous system was named that because of a belief in the “automatic” process of such functions outside of our control but largely thanks to Hof, we now know that to be less true and it’s reshaping our understanding of sickness, disease and health. And it’s why you see, just a couple decades later, the rising popularization of cold therapies today.
So, where do you even start? Here’s some basic cold therapy routines that you can start implementing into your life depending on your attitude about cold water:
“Absolutely Not” -
If the thought of cold water absolutely terrifies you and/or you are someone who experiences panic and anxiety attacks, the goal is to start small. The “win” for you would simply be to choose this experience at all and reading this article means you’re already halfway there! Before you dive into freezing temperatures and snow melts, let’s start you with cold showers. After the end of your regular shower, flip the switch to cold. It needs to be cold enough to be uncomfortable and “take your breath away” just slightly, so it’s best not to do a gradual change in temperature. Although you will initially feel the instinct to get out of the water stream or switch back to warmer temperatures, practice overriding that instinct by regulating your breath, first aiming to restore nasal exhales. Once you’re able to fully breathe both in and out through your nose, count to 10 breaths. Implement this practice at least twice per week, increasing the total number of nasal breaths you stay in the cold water for, up to 30. Once you can do that, you’re ready to move on to the next step.
“This is Crazy (But I’ll Try It)” -
If you’re ready to level-up from the cold shower and submerge yourself into the experience, find yourself a body of cold water. This could be a river, lake, or pool in the fall or winter time. If you have a deep enough tub, it could work, too. The ideal temperature for this to be most effective is under 55 degrees Fahrenheit, but if this is your first time and you still consider yourself a beginner we suggest that it is not lower than 45 degrees. The best way to do a submersion is to… well, submerge. It might sound counterintuitive, but you will actually regulate better if you let your head go immediately under water when you enter. Take at least 10 slow, nasal breaths to prepare yourself and then enter without hesitation. When you surface, you may likely experience heavy mouth breathing or an impulse to yell, moan or even laugh - let it happen - then quickly aim your attention at restoring nasal exhales. It may take some time, but once you are able to regulate to entirely nasal breathing (both inhales and exhales), count at least 10 breaths before you exit. Practice this once per week.
“Okay, Sign Me Up” -
If you’re ready to add cold therapies into your routine, it’s time to get yourself a properly submersion tub. If you don’t have a tub in your home that is conducive to this, you can purchase an animal trough for less than $100 at a local hardware store or grange co-op. You can also find cold-immersion barrels online for purchase or utilize a top-loading freezer to have a more permanent set-up (just make sure your unit is unplugged before you enter!). As you venture beyond the routine of the above, practice movement flows (such as yoga, bodyweight squats or weight carries) and longer breathing routines either before or after your ice bath and underwater breath holds when you enter or before exit. Rather than staying in for a count of number of breaths, work to stay in until you feel “resolved” or no longer feel a sense of needing to get out, but rather, that you simply choose to.
Here are some other general factors to remember when practicing cold therapy:
If you shiver, get out. Once your body has begun to involuntarily convulse as a response to the cold, you will be highly unlikely to be able to recover your regulate effectively and increase your risk of getting sick or hypothermic. If you begin to shiver, exit the water. You will increase the length of time you are able to endure overtime.
Generally speaking, at least 1 minute and up to 10 minutes is an effective cold therapy practice. Rather than counting minutes, however, it is best to measure your submersions by a count of regulated breaths.
Use common safety practices. Don’t enter a rushing river, don’t be careless about an underwater breath hold and consider having someone with you, especially if it is your first time.
Consider leaving your finger tips and toes out of the water or wearing a pair of socks. Due to the decreased circulation of these outer extremities, the fingers and toes may become painful in cold submersions. If this feels like it becomes a major distraction or inhibitor of your ability to stay submerged, it’s okay to leave those out of the water or even a pair of socks can be helpful. With more practice, you’ll be able to submerge your digits as well.
Don’t take a warm shower, bath or hot tub for at least 10 minutes after your cold submersion. Your ability to regulate your temperature after you remove yourself from the stimulus is an important part of the learning experience. Avoid distractions such as your phone at this time and focus on breath work, prayer/meditation or movement flows, even as simple as a walk.
We’d love to hear how your first ice bath went! Share with us in the comments below or email your testimony to info@pointonevision.com
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Point One Vision is a 501c3 nonprofit ministry that unites a global community around the pillars of faith, service and the capacity of the human body, mind and spirit as made example by the life of Jesus Christ. Your tax-deductible donations allow us to continue the growth of our vision and make you a part of a community that is #StrongtoServe.
