5 ways to explore cold water therapy
Cold water therapy has been around for millennia as a way to boost personal health. Whether you want an immune system boost, to reduce muscle inflammation or to reap the mental health benefits, cold water therapy works wonders on the body and mind. Getting your journey kick started is relatively simple. Check out 5 ways you can explore cold water therapy:
1. COLD SHOWERS
The benefits of cold showers speak for themselves! Cold showers are known as the gateway to the cold, with many starting out their cold water therapy journey here as it’s the most accessible. They are a great way to begin training the nervous system to comply with the temperature change and practice your breathwork. We’d recommend after your normal shower, turn the shower to cold and stand under the water for 15 seconds to begin with, before stepping out. Over time, build your time and resilience up. The Wim Hof Method App has a great 20 day cold shower challenge that you can follow, it’s a great way to track your progress and hold you accountable too.
2. DIY COLD BATH
Don’t jump straight in at the deep end with a cold bath! Practice your breathwork and build up your tolerance to the cold with showers first. Once you’ve nailed this, you know it’s time to take the next step in your cold water therapy journey! Before your first DIY ice bath, it’s best to try a cold bath before you start adding in ice. Fill up the tub with cold water, practise your breath work and get a timer ready. For first-timers, we’d recommend up to 1 minute or until a shiver response, whichever comes first. Over time, you can add ice to your bath to drop the temperature further and build up your time spent in the tub.
3. WILD SWIMMING
Whether it’s in the sea or in a fresh water lake, cold water swimming is a great way to explore cold water therapy. Not only are you getting outdoors and in nature, you’ll get the benefits of cold water immersiontoo. It’s best to start in the warmer months and continue into autumn and winter. You don’t have to go alone. Wild swimming has grown in popularity in recent years so check for a local group that you can join.
4. ICE BATH
You’ll likely get to a point where cold showers aren’t cold enough for you and DIY ice baths simply aren’t convenient. That’s where an ice bath comes in. Our baths can maintain your chosen temperature, adapting with you throughout your cold immersion journey. Our tubs can get down to a cool 0.2 degrees and they even make their own ice so no need to fill the freezer with bags of ice from the supermarket!
5. CRYOTHERAPY
Cryotherapy, or cryogenic therapy, is any form of treatment using freezing or near-freezing temperatures. Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) involves sitting or standing in a cryochamber for two to five minutes. During this process, the whole body is exposed to liquid nitrogen in subzero temperatures.
Whether you’re looking for a health boost or are exploring for overall wellness, we hope you feel confident exploring cold water therapy. Remember, it’s not a race. Whichever way you choose to get your cold on, it doesn’t matter, just find a way that works for you and enjoy!
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