Am I the only one not submerging myself in ice water every day?

[Mandalakia]

I follow a lot of health, fitness and wellbeing accounts on Instagram and everyone seems to be caught up in this trend. Basically, you fill a bath with ice water, plunge yourself in for 5 minutes, then jump out looking energised and renewed. Some people are even lowering themselves into frozen lakes. You also need to film yourself doing this and tag Wim Hof every single time.

I actually started browsing for a foldable ice bath on Amazon before coming to my senses and remembering it takes me half hour to get in a heated pool let alone a bucket of ice.

Sea swimming in England!
I’m in Sydney and the kids know I will only go in the water if it’s 32 degrees or more.
You lot are much more roughty toughty than me.

They’ll even say to me “mum, you’re British, how did you cope with the sea when you were in England?” and I reply “by going nowhere near it”.

at replies

I find turning heating off works.

I used to love the plunge pool they had at the health suite and still dunk myself under a cold shower to cool off now when I'm there. It really does boost your mood and make you feel good.

I put my rubbish out in -8 temperature with 4 inches of snow on the ground yesterday, does that count?

I'll point out that I've obviously not been to the health suite since last March and my cold shower is to get myself as freezing as possible between the steam room and jacuzzi so when I get in it feels boiling and I relax in the lovely bubbly water.

I go sea swimming a couple of times a week, in a 5mm wetsuit. I have friends that go in every day in a swimsuit and have been doing so for years, not just during lockdown. It's very relaxing!

I am hugely sceptical about this. I have read plenty of articles about why it is allegedly good for you but absolutely no way.

To me it just looks like a watery version of self-flagellation.

I like wild swimming mostly for the view and it just feels relaxing and peaceful, the cold is a necessary evil to do that. Sitting in some cold water in my garden doesn't appeal at all, it's all the negatives of wild swimming with none of the positives!

I read a book about wim hof. There's all this evidence that ice baths and being cold are good for your metabolism. After trading it I turned down the heating for about half an hour, then decided it was too cold and whacked it back up again.

There's all this evidence that ice baths and being cold are good for your metabolism

There you go. I knew it had to be linked to weight loss rather than some unspecified “it’s good for you” cause. People will do all sorts of barmy things for that reason. Like drinking bloody Slim Fast.

It's nothing new at all, but you're right OP, strangely enough I've also noticed various d-list instagrammers up to this, clearly it's trending for whatever reason. People trying to look for ways to demonstrate how healthy/fit they are (because we all know that makes you a more valuable person eh) but can't do the usual stuff due to lockdown perhaps.

'Fortunately' our boiler is broken and not being fixed until monday so the delights of an ice cold wash in below freezing temperatures have been mine for free for a couple of days now. Not feeling particularly invigorated tbh.

@user1732578431456

I think when you get to the point of browsing Amazon for foldable ice baths it is time to come off social media.

Exactly that.

What about cold water shock, at least one teenager a year dies locally jumping into one of the quarries or pit lakes around here every year. Sort of encourages this type of dangerous behaviour?

I would absolutely go sea swimming if I lived anywhere near and I’d love to go to a fancy spa and use the plunge pool but I would not in a million years sit in a freezing bath in my garden.

The thought of it makes me feel physically ill. Just no.

I went to Moscow once and the difference between outside and inside temps made me really unwell. Apparently I was grey and struggling to speak. So I’m not entirely sure there is a guaranteed health benefit to this.

Going in the sea is an amazing experience, playing in the waves and being a crazy child. And it's beautiful, especially if there's a bit of sunlight on the water. Sitting in a cold bath in the back garden is lunacy imo!

Our local sea swimmers Whatsapp group has grown from 10 members to 80 over lockdown, but I only see the same few people actually going in the sea.

@Iamthewombat

There's all this evidence that ice baths and being cold are good for your metabolism

There you go. I knew it had to be linked to weight loss rather than some unspecified “it’s good for you” cause. People will do all sorts of barmy things for that reason. Like drinking bloody Slim Fast.

Most of the people I’ve seen doing it are doing it for mental health. There is a Facebook page called something like black dog diaries of a guy who is using cold dips in lakes nest him to help his mental health. I think he had previously attempted to take his life previously but have found breathing methods ( similar I suppose to many meditation your activities that people have done for a long time in various cultures) and cold water has helped him manage his mental health.

I’ve not seen weight mentioned as a reason for doing cold water stuff in many places and many sea swimmers etc have a cuppa and came straight after😀

Given the option, I'd be cold water swimming everyday, but the venues are shut and our river is inclined to flood in the winter. So as I need to keep my cold water aclimatisation, I have a plunge tub in the garden that stays cold.
But I'll be swimming tomorrow, -3C air temperature, maybe 4' water, and as I'm used to the temperature it will be lovely

@winewolfhowls

What about cold water shock, at least one teenager a year dies locally jumping into one of the quarries or pit lakes around here every year. Sort of encourages this type of dangerous behaviour?

The people In my cold water therapy groups are mainly 30+ at least and again the people I know who sea swim are women well into their adult years. Lots of focus on taking it slowly, checking tides, going swimming in groups etc.

I don’t think it’s the same demographic who are likely to be jumping into a quarry. That’s just my experience though. Of course many type of activities can be dangerous if done recklessly.

I can well understand why many people wouldn’t want to do it. Everyone likes different things. I thunk it’s probably provided a lot of people with a change and new activity to focus on doing lockdown to help them cope with the boredom.

I'd love to go sea swimming but dragging 2 grumpy, frozen kids to the beach and have them watch me flounder about in freezing water sounds like child abuse.

After reading some article in a newspaper last new year about a cold water blast making you feel good, I have been finishing my showers with an icy blast of cold for one or two minutes. It certainly wakes me up.

I have a shower 4 times a week, not every day.

I have been finishing my morning shower with cold water for 6 months. It's helped my migraines, back pain and menopausal symptoms a lot. I'd love to go sea swimming but we're miles away from our nearest beach.
I can't imagine ever sitting in an ice bath thought.

I've just been for a walk around local nature reserve/flooded old quarry in about 14 layers plus duvet coat, and seen people swimming. It's -4 here today, god only knows how cold the iced up lakes were. They looked happy though!

I gradually turn the shower from hot to cold when I have finished washing and stand under it for a couple of minutes.

Only do this because I read it closes your pores though.