Why We're Happier and Healthier when Taking Ice Baths
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- Опубликовано: 6 июн 2024
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Ice baths, Winter swimming, and cold showers are undergoing a renaissance and have become increasingly popular. But what exactly happens in our body when we immerse ourselves in cold water? And how can we use that information to deepen our practice or to start a safe winter swimming or cold shower practice on our own?
Mentioned in this video:
Dr. Graig Heller's talk with Andrew Huberman:
• Dr. Craig Heller: Usin...
Susanna Søberg's paper on winter swimming: www.sciencedirect.com/science...
A little bit about myself: I'm Kitaro, a Movement, Kung Fu, and breathwork practitioner and teacher. I don't like fitness. Instead, I like to combine Movement with philosophical thinking - if that makes sense. I try to publish weekly videos. So, if you like my vibe, please subscribe to this channel.
Timestamps (to save you some time):
00:00 Intro
01:36 Survival Mode & the Autonomic Nervous System
03:24 Release of Cortisol
03:45 Mood & Motivation
04:15 Calming down in an ice bath
05:19 Vasoconstriction and Thermogenesis
07:23 Brown Fat and Benefits of Cold Water
08:40 How Cold does the Water need to be?
09:39 Science-base ice bath protocol
10:15 Cold Showers VS Ice Baths
11:00 How to start taking ice baths
11:46 Dangers of Cold Water
14:57 Wim Hof Method Breathwork and Ice Baths
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Thank you for the video. Let me also share some recently learned info. When you get into cold water without submerging your head, your heart rate increases. When the head is submerged, the heart rate drops. Therefore it is dangerous to dive into the cold water submerging your head because the body gets two contradicting each other commands: increase and drop the heart rate at the same time. That may cause heart arrhythmia or even stoppage. Hence I think that it is more safe to get into the cold water without immediately submerging your head, calm down your breath and heart rate, and only then submerge your head if you want.
Thank you. Yes, what you are mentioning is the mammal diving reflex that is triggered when the head submerges in water. In the book of Dr. Susanna Søberg about Winter Swimming she has the hypothesis that it can add additional benefits because it further engages the parasympathetic nervous system. But like you mentioned, it shouldn't be practiced when one is not already adapted to the cold.
It's dangerous to dive into cold water because of the gasp reflex - when experiencing cold shock if untrained we automatically gasp for air - our normal breath volume for every breath is 0.5 litres, but when we gasp we take in 2.5 litres at once - a full lung of water if you dive in head first leading to drowning
Thank you.
Ha, ha. I like your sense of humor. You still give the info but in a humorous way. Thank you.
Thank you !!!
My reactions to ice bath and cold shower are exactly the ones that you describe from 0:53 on. Thanks for explaining why this happens. You are a great inspiration.
Thank you for brilliant content my friend
Thank you Kitaro.. I find your videos very educational on breathing in general , you explain things very well.
I've been doing it for over a year now! I never would have believed I'd love it so much that I'm bummed on a day when I have to skip it. I thought I'd challenge myself to try it for a week and never looked back!
Another great video.. I'm wondering can you please share info about that small bath you use on the porch? Looks like a nice size.
Thanks for doing these, keeping me motivated:)
Glad you like them!
Thank you. Let’s go back to plunging. ❤
Hello friend, and thank you for this informative and entertaining video! May I please ask where did you get your white ice tub? Much appreciation!
Great video. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
amazing quality video!
Thanks!
Fantastic overview here. Good bits of information for pure beginners and more experienced cold enthusiasts.
Thank you! 🙏
Hi Kitaro. Thank you for your work. I'm looking for a bath, the kind you're using in the video. Can you share where You've bought it?
Thank you I find your method of teaching very warm and helpful.
So nice of you! Thank you Derek
Excellent detailed explanation of the many benefits of cold baths and showers.
Glad you liked it
Thanks for all the valuable information, hopefully it will be widespread... I am trying to keep my students informed and actualized in these topics.....Even when they are pre-teens and teens, they are very interested in this topic. Thanks you and thanks to Whim Hoff for this renaissance of breath work.
Thank you very much!
Am enjoying the content of your videos immensely. I wonder if you could provide some advice over this. I have a diagnosis of sub-clinical underactive thyroid gland that presently requires no treatment. I do have one or two symptoms associated with this condition one of them being cold intolerance. I would like to try this but have a concern that given my intolerance I might be doing more harm than good. Thank you for your time.
Your videos are amazing. So peaceful and informative. Thank you. I love the Wim Hof Method.
Thank you so much!
@@KitaroWaga You're welcome. Keep doing what you're doing. 🙏❄️
Very informative Kitaro you have such a calming voice! I really enjoy your videos and appreciate the information as I continue down this journey. When doing your breath work how many breaths do you typically take related to how long you hold your breath. I have been doing the breathing for a year and do 4 sets with the final set around 40 breaths and can hold for 3 min but no longer and wondering what I can do to increase that time.
Thank you so much! I don't really measure my time anymore. Most of my sessions are also about 4 rounds and my breath holds are usually between 2:30 and 3:30.
Where did you get your outdoor “bath” , it looks simple and effective?
Thanks for the amazing videos and guidance Kitaro! I'm glad to learn about your technique of keeping your hands close to your chest /armpits. I've been taking cold baths regularly for a couple months now - and the other day I had this experience where I took an ice bath in close to 32 degree F water for around 4 minutes. I kept my hands spread out and extended out in front of me - thinking this might be good for improving circulation to my extremities over time. After I got out of the water, my hands had this residual, mild tingling sensation - not quite pins and needles, but something similar - for around 3 days! Needless to say - it alarmed me! For my next couple ice baths I kept my hands out of the water - and now I'm fine. I'm going to try your technique and see if it will help. I'm curious to know if you've ever encountered something like this? I do have hypothyroidism - which can apparently contribute to poor circulation to extremities - so perhaps that has something to do with it. Or maybe I just have poor circulation in general! =D Take care my good man!
Thanks for sharing! Hypothyroidism and also people with Raynaud's syndrome have difficulties with taking ice bathes. And there's one size fits all solution here. One participant of my workshop with Raynaud's syndrome could handle the ice bath really well (2min) with coaching and breathwork. The key is relaxation. So here are some tipps for you:
- if taking an ice bath, leave your hands out of the water.
- you can gradually adapt your hands and feet with immersing them regurarly in cold (not ice) water.
@@KitaroWaga Thanks for the thoughtful reply! I will definitely try this out. I've tried taking a couple cold plunges since then, in water around 38 degrees F - and I used your technique of keeping my hands under my armpits. It works like a charm! No residual effects after - and my hands are much less cold after taking the plunge. I should be fine moving forward with this technique - but will definitely keep an eye on it. Thanks again! I love your voice by the way - it's very calming - you've been blessed with the perfect voice for teaching health and healing practices!
Hello Kitaro. I'm new with the method and have one question regarding cold exposure.
I often get pain in my lower back and shoulders. Can exposure to cold aggravate these symptoms?
At this moment I'm only finishing my shower with cold water 20/30seconds and the pain in my shoulders get back ... Should I stop with the cold shower?
Thanks for the great content.
Great video I really enjoy all your content, so calming and informative. Could you by chance make some videos on exercise's like the horse stance? Just a suggestion. 👍
Bro he has like 3 videos on it
He made one about a week ago
@@jjsweg9012 MORE
@@zachrowe6271 MORE
Yet another great video 😊 how long do you recommend taking the daily cold shower for? When you also do the cold plunge for 11 minutes pr week.
In the Winter I usually do my daily-ish ice bath for about 3 minutes. So it's a little more than 11 minutes. My cold showers are very short. I start with cold water and finish with cold water. But I don't time it. In summer when I don't have a ice bath in my garden, I do longer cold showers or shower entirely cold. Sometimes it's 5 minutes and sometimes it's 10 minutes.
@@KitaroWaga thank you for the answer👍
Terrific. Thanks! I tend to experience uncontrollable shivering when submerging in cold, but not so much cold showers. ( Cold showers here are freezing in winter) I may not quite have the breath regulation understood when submerged. Just crazy shivers....
You have to feel and contol that. I always say, act like you are tough and showing off.🙂
@@jewel2022now Sure. Not something I do really. Feeling it I understand a little, but I am looking on direction for breath control under cold stress. Thanks though.
First thing to keep in mind is that shivering is not bad. If you want to forcefully make it stop it usually gets worse. So you could try to accept it and try to control it. But that's a very vague tip and needs some practice.
But to also give you some practical advise:
1. First, do 3 to 4 round of the Wim Hof breathing.
2. Then try to visualize yourself going into the ice bath, get aware of your feelings and sensations when visualizing yourself.
3. Stand in the ice bath and immerse yourself while doing a long exhale. Placing your hands under your arm pits.
4. It's ok to breathe strongly but try to control it by doing long exhales.
5. Leave the ice bath after maximal two minutes. You can stay shorter if the water is very cold and you're not adapted yet.
6. Dry off and do the horse stance (Wim Hof style) for 5 - 10 minutes with strong and deep breathing.
You can play with water temperature and duration of staying in the water to adapt yourself. It usually gets easier after the 3rd ice bath. Additionally, your body temperature is higher in the afternoon than in the morning. So do the ice bath in the afternoon to make it easier.
I hope that helps.
@@KitaroWaga Absolutely helps, Thank you kindly. 🙏
The quality of your content is superb!!!
Can you tell me what I should do for cold exposure because I live in India and winters here are not very cold in the city I live in so the normal tap water is also lukewarm in winters. Taking Ice baths is not possible for me
Thank you. You have access to some ice? You could add it to a small bath tub. But I don't know how expensive ice is in India. I know that Wim Hof asked his local supermarket if he could spend some time in their industrial freezer back when he wasn't that famous 😅
Hi! Thx for your informative videos! I had my second ice bath this week (30 seconds in my own condo bath, water to the coldest setting with a little bit of ice so really mild beginner exposure) i finished my 30 seconds and i was super ''high'', hype and happy but like 30 minutes later it triggered me a panic attack (maybe just a coincidence or maybe it was a fight or flight response because of the sympathetic system activated too much?) am i the only one? is it ''normal''? I want to continue this practice so bad because i felt so awesome before the panic attack, help please! (sorry for my english i'm french so..)
Because we remind ourselves who good we are when we are worm.
What I don't understand yet: a cold shower or ice bath is stress relieving. But when I get out of the cold water (I am refreshed at that moment), my Cortisol level peaks. During the day additional stress factors come into play (work, family, time stress, etc.) which will add up. Wouldn't you simply slide into a burn-out if somebody is already on the razor's edge?
I’m using ice cold showers to help recovering from a chronic condition and it’s helping but I’m struggling to take the ‘plunge’ with full body immersion as the warnings such as “Don’t do this if already sick” and the thing is that I am already sick with low general body temperature and immune problems. I want to go on with it as it’s great but obviously don’t want to do any damage.
Your videos are great! Thank you! 😊
You could start by using slightly warmer water. Another option that a participant of a workshop of me who had Raynaud's Syndrome found useful was to leave the hand out of the water. Additionally, she took some time to prepare her mind with 15 minutes breathwork (Wim Hof Method breathing).
@@KitaroWaga I think I may have something similar to this Raynaud syndrome as after cold shower my hands are very white but fortunately it isn’t severe. I will start cold water plunge with slightly warmer water and go from there.
I usually do the breathing method after the cold showers because I like jumping out of bed straight into the shower before thinking about it but maybe I could do a round before and afterward?
Thank you for your quick response. I’ve started doing the horse stance after watching one of your videos and I now do this after every cold shower which has helped me a lot!
@@tedwardtre4318Wim Hof addresses “Cold Extremities” in this video at 1:00
ruclips.net/video/cwUg3sFR_oY/видео.html
So should we never expose our heads in the water for cold baths or showers? thx
I was doing the cold plunges but yesterday i felt it was a little too cold for me and today I feel flu like symptoms, no fever. Aching body, tired, is it possible that this is a product of cold baths? Does it trigger some kind of response on the immune system? Thank you
Good day Mr Waga! I have a question. I live the cold tub but I find when I get out and begin to warm a can’t stand to be in my own skin due to how itchy I get, especially the limbs. There is no rashes, or any sign of anything. Just crazy itchy. Do you have any students that have experienced this or any ideas? Thanks so much sir
I have heard of it but never had a student who was affected by this issue. Have you tried to do it with slightly warmer water (still cold)?
Really good information here. If I may just suggest either no music or better music. The current music is like lullaby music.
Thank you for the tip
Thanks for the Video 👍
what can i do if i'm shaking in the ice bath and want to regulate it?
I have already answered a similar comment in detail. But there are parameters that you can control to make the cold adaption easier for you:
- water temperature
- duration of staying in the water
- wear a cap and leave the hands out of the water -> hands and head have a great influence on our core temperature because of the hairless skin and direct transition from arterial to venous bloodflow (missing capilaries).
- time of the day: body is colder in the morning and warmer in the afternoon.
- prepare the body with a WHM breathwork before you enter an ice bath.
- do the horse stance and keep breathing strongly when coming out of the ice bath.
Thanks for this amazing comment 🫡
I will try it 💪
🙏
How can we take cold showers/baths during the Winter? I usually take cold showers during the Summer and taper off during the Fall/Winter. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!