Ice Bath

Cold Water Immersion (CWI), also known as an ice bath, incorporates your entire body being submerged in cold water for short, limited amounts of time. This form of recovery has been used and accepted for centuries as a method of physical and psychological conditioning in numerous cultures. Within the last decade, researchers have shown that many people have always known that ice baths have numerous health benefits.

Once you enter cold water, the body reacts almost immediately and instinctively. Your blood vessels constrict, your heart pumps blood faster throughout your body, and all of your body’s chemicals (including neurochemicals and hormones) go through a series of changes. These physiological changes are not only beneficial. They also adapt to different stresses. Therefore, the more frequently you expose yourself to the cold, the more efficient your body will become at adapting to any type of stress in the future.

A guided ice bath differs from having a solo cold shower mainly due to the degree of preparation beforehand. Prior to and during a cold immersion, breathwork, movements, and an intentional focus will create a completely different experience for someone. You aren’t just going to get cold. You will be training your nervous system, stimulating your physiological response, and developing a tangible level of stress tolerance that far exceeds the water.