Build up from 30 seconds to two to three minutes – then look forward to slipping into a warm towelling robe! Start by whacking the shower temperature right down at the end of your next shower. Wim Hof recommends cold showers daily, as do many self-development coaches and authors. As harsh as it may have seemed, it turns out they were right. “Next day my legs felt absolutely fine with no DOMs at all.” Cold showersĬold showers were notorious in the military and public schools 50 years ago, believed to build a man’s constitution. When is best to dip for running? “My osteopath recommended an ice bath to me, but I just couldn’t face it! But over the last two weekends after a very hilly 18 miles and a 15 mile run I put my legs in the sea and just waited for about 10 minutes,’ says Nazliahn Massey. Remember, tides and currents can be strong, so always research your dipping spot online to be sure of safety, and have someone with you if possible. Again, acclimatisation is key – especially if you’re venturing into British seas or lakes! Start by dipping (getting in and getting out again quite quickly) and make sure you’ve got plenty of warm clothes for after. If you can’t face an ice bath and you live cold water, you could just take a dip. I’m sure the ice baths helped me get through the rest of the day.” Take a dip I’d then wait 30 minutes and follow up with a hot shower. ‘As well as easing aches and pains, I felt invigorated. “I had an ice bath every week after my long runs on Saturday and Sunday,’ she says. She tried ice baths with bags of ice in the cold water whilst training for her first ultra, a 64-mile run from London to Brighton. How best to combine ice baths with your runs? Charlotte Laing, 40, works shifts as cabin crew and is a mum of two. Build up by 90 seconds week,” advises multiple Ironman triathlete and open water swimming coach Mark Kleanthous. Sit in the bath up to waist first thee immerse up to neck. “Add ice cubes or ice packs to make water colder than tap water. Here’s everything you need to know… Ice baths What next? It’s not quite as simple as jumping into the sea – it’s important to acclimatise your body, to avoid things like cold water shock. So, you’re ready to enjoy the benefits of cold water therapy, and you’ve fished out your cossie. When you immerse your body in cold water, the blood rushes to surround your vital organs, and forces your heart to pump more efficiently – great for running! Cold-water immersion can stimulate blood flow. Improves circulationĪ large-scale study of the effects of hydrotherapy on the body in 2014 found that cold water can improve circulation. A study found that there was a “mobilisation effect” on the immune system when participants were exposed to cold temperatures. Cold water therapy is believed to boost our immunity by increasing the body’s immune cells. Boosts immunityĪs runners we regularly give our immune system a battering. According to French researchers, if you’re too warm it’s hard to sleep and a cold shower can help regulate your body temperature. Improves sleepĪs runners we need good sleep and your body temperature when you go to bed can impact on how you sleep. And according to Science Direct, studies in humans and animals have suggested that increasing the amount of healthy brown fat might help weight management and reduce symptoms of diabetes. While white fat stores calories, brown fat burns energy to help keep the body warm, and could help us lose weight. Produces ‘healthy’ fatĬold therapy, cold showers, and being in cold temperatures all help to boost the production of brown fat, which is ‘healthier’ than white fat (fat stored round the hips and stomach). Studies are a little inconclusive, but many athletes use ice baths, cold showers, or stroll into the cold sea to speed up recovery after physical exercise. Once your body starts to warm up it’s like turning on a tap, and the blood flushes through your system, moving by-products of cellular breakdown to the lymph system, and clearing out waste. When you immerse yourself in cold water, the blood vessels constrict, and when this happens the process of tissue breakdown and swelling slows down. What are the benefits of cold water therapy? Reduces inflammation, swelling and sore muscles
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