The Benefits of the Wim Hof Ice Bath
The great advantage of having a tailor-made section on our Beauty Therapy blog is being able to fit in whatever comes to mind, from the heart or body. This time, it’s all about the body. A few weeks ago, I tested an ice bath at 2 degrees Celsius – for 2 minutes!
Why? Because I have a real inclination for new experiences (read: mildly eccentric things), and immersion in very cold water is part of hormesis, which involves a set of practices illustrating this biological law.
Hormesis is a key biological principle that naturally enhances the body’s functions, strength, resilience, and immunity by stimulating the body’s biological defenses in response to a small dose of toxins or another stress-inducing agent
To be more precise, the idea is to subject your body to intense but short-term stress followed by a period of rest and recovery. This increases the body’s adaptability and resilience for the next challenge.
This applies to plants, animals, cells… or urban, stressed humans — like me.
The types of hormesis stress include:
– Hunger: fasting or intermittent fasting
– Cold: ice baths, walking in cold and hostile environments, cold showers, derivative baths, cryotherapy, sea swims (in Brittany ;-))
– Heat: hyperthermic baths, sauna
– Physical fatigue: strength training, HIIT, Tabata, CrossFit, cross-training…
In hormesis, everything is intense but brief!
The idea is that we are less and less physically challenged, and most of us face fewer environmental discomforts. The result? We soften, our bodies lose not only vitality but also their adaptive capabilities. By voluntarily subjecting yourself to hormesis, you “wake up” your body.
Of course, each technique has its specific benefits, though all contribute to making you stronger, more resilient, and sharper—not to mention the positive impact on your nervous system, memory, sleep, mental health, and… Beauty, of course—you saw that coming!
Here’s a list of the particular benefits of ice baths (anything below 12 degrees Celsius falls into this category):
– Intense stimulation of the neuro-hormone norepinephrine (increased concentration, mental clarity, focus), reduction of pain and inflammation
– Neuron regeneration (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis), both curative and preventive
– Enhanced general immunity by producing natural killer cells (particularly T lymphocytes)
– Boosts metabolism, especially by converting white fat into brown fat thanks to mitochondria production, which also impacts immunity
– Major antioxidant effect, neutralizing free radicals by increasing the production of antioxidant enzymes like glutathione reductase or superoxide dismutase (SOD)
– Regeneration and strengthening of the nervous system
– Increases insulin sensitivity, improves diabetic conditions
– Reduces fatigue and makes you physically and mentally resilient
Be careful, though—don’t attempt this without preparation, alone, if you’re exhausted, pregnant, have just undergone or are about to undergo surgery, or if you have a pacemaker. In many cases, it’s better to refrain.
How does a session work?
I took the plunge with Caroline Arditi, founder of the Paris Ice Club. She was trained by Wim Hof himself and knows how to share the revelation that this practice has been in her life. Once an inveterate cold-averse person, she has become immune to cold, practices yoga in the snow, swims in frozen lakes, and even goes on mountain hikes in negative temperatures.
We started with a brief introduction to Wim Hof, his life, and his work, followed by the preparation phase for the ice immersion: lying on the floor, we began a session of deep breathing, first inflating the belly, then the chest as we inhale, followed by exhaling.
With loud music accompanying us, we did about 30 breaths, and on the last one, we fully inhaled and then released excess air without completely emptying our lungs. We held our breath until we couldn’t anymore. Then, we took a big inhale and held it with full lungs for 15 seconds.
We did three complete cycles of this breathing, with breath-holding durations getting longer and longer, up to 2 minutes, which seemed impossible at the start. I felt a tingling sensation all over my body, with energy moving and concentrating in my extremities. I felt like I had laser beams at my fingertips—a fantastic sensation of power.
Into the Water!
The second part of the experience: everyone in swimsuits, gathered in one of the beautiful rooms of Hoy Paris, where an inflatable tub filled with ice cubes awaited. The idea was to immerse ourselves in it and stay for 2 minutes (if we could), as the water was between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius, and it’s recommended to match the bath time to the water temperature.
I entered the tub, breathing deeply and calmly. To my surprise, the cold didn’t take my breath away. I sat in the tub, a fleeting thought of escape crossed my mind, but fortunately, it didn’t linger! Caroline coached me, breathing alongside me, and since I seemed to tolerate it well, she suggested I submerge my shoulders.
Whoa! It was harder, but I managed, and the countdown ended! I was happy to return to the warm air of the room. We weren’t supposed to dry off but rather move, move, move! I started a little haka session, probably quite ridiculous but effective in warming me up and getting rid of that shrimp-pink complexion.
Results:
A great energy boost for the rest of the afternoon! Caroline advised us to drink plenty of water and avoid large meals and alcohol for 24 hours.
It was a great experience that I plan to repeat, especially since I’m lucky enough to retreat to Brittany regularly, where the water temperature often peaks at 13 degrees (so 13 minutes max of swimming). And to maintain hormesis, cold showers every morning—a discipline I’ve practiced for probably 20 years now.
If you want to know more about the Wim Hof method, check out: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/free-mini-class
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