The (Becoming) Popular Ice Bath/Cold Shower Trend

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mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
4,175
12,393
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
Have any of you guys tried it yet? I recommend at least trying it once!
No. And why? You made it sound absolutely miserable!
Not related to work out, but when I was growing up in S. Korea, public bath was still in use. Most of the houses, even relatively new houses back then didn't have showers.

So, mostly do hand washing with bucket at home, and on the weekends it's the public bath.

You go in naked. There's shower to wash up. Then go in this humongous hot tub in the middle of the place. You soak up for awhile. Then sometimes, you jump in a ice cold water tub. Now, it can't be healthy. Heard stories of old people getting heart attack on occasions. Then there are people who will rub dead skin off of you for tips. You shower again and come out.

Now, if you are a kid, you can go to women's bath with your mom.
This is Japanese, not Korean, but did your childhood experiences look anything like this?
Hiroshige_3_and_Yoshiiku-Contemporary_annual_events-The_Snow_Willow_Bathouse-00039178-060420-F12.jpg

Sometimes titled, "Quarrel at the Bathhouse."
 
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workman

Lifer
Jan 5, 2018
2,794
4,229
The Faroe Islands
I have a tub outside with water in it. Most mornings I'll do some workout and then get in the tub for 3-5 minutes, depending on the temperature. At the moment the water is about 10 degrees celsius in the morning and in winter it drops to around zero, sometimes with a little ice in it.
It's a kind of selftorture, but it makes me feel good afterwards. More focused, calmer yet more awake.
I like it, but I'm sort of an agnostic on whether it can provide any measurable health benefits. Don't know about that.
As long as it makes me feel good, I'll keep doing it.
 
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JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
5,686
56,349
51
Spain - Europe
Now that I've taken up whiskey again, I've found that I like it without ice. As for getting into a spittoon full of ice, I think I'll do it tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow, or better, for Christmas, which is when it's coldest. But what do you think, that I am a Norwegian salmon?
 

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,769
41,764
Iowa
As a kid, Red Cross lifesaving (which I had to have junior and senior by age 13 to teach swimming lessons and make money in addition to mowing yards) always started early mornings and right after our municipal pool had been filled in the spring - that was all the cold water I ever wanted in my life, lol.

No cold showers here!
 
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Sigmund

Lifer
Sep 17, 2023
2,627
24,314
France
Im a bit jaded and I wonder how much real science is behind these trends. Sure, its great for athletes that have to get up again tomorrow and hammer their body to hell but for normal folks Im not so sure. For older folks...they should definitely talk to their physician first. The internet has people doing all kinds of things to their body. A good percentage of it is to get more clicks and cash. A lot of it is unhealthy. Some of it is just insane. Im not saying this is. Im only saying its not wise for eveyone and the problem is that you wont know its a bad idea until something bad happens (i.e. cardiac event)
 
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geoffs

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 21, 2022
203
780
Ontario
I tried this for a while. I could see the benefits, particularly noticeably lower inflammation. But it sucks. And I could only subject myself to it for so long. Respect to you if you can hack it, but I decided to take it easy on myself in the shower. I'm hard enough on myself the rest of the day.
 
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