Why has ice bathing become a trend? In a country with so much cold already, why expose yourself to even more? Voluntarily! It's even rumored to be addictive. We asked doctor Torkil Færø what might be behind it.
Written by: Guro Thobru
The doctor is new to ice bathing, but finds the research in the area and the measurements he sees on his own heart rate monitor exciting. Torkil Færø is the author of the book Pulskuren, which is about how you can optimize the autonomic nervous system, both for health, better performance and better rest.
- "Cold and heat are a key part of this. As we experience here at KOK when we're in the sauna, jumping into the water and howling with frightened delight," he says.
Cold has one effect, heat another, and cold and heat combined have further effects.
- Cold water is very stressful for the body at the time, but it has been shown to have a calming effect on the nervous system afterwards. Many ice bathers experience clarity and calm after an ice bath alone. The effect of the cold on the body can be measured on the heart rate monitors and seen in the data retrieved," he says.
If you've heard of stress management in everyday life, you may have picked up on the fact that our nervous system, our central nervous system, is closely linked to our emotional life. The autonomic nervous system consists of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic part of the nervous system enables the body to cope with stressful situations such as physical exertion, lack of oxygen, a moose running after you, or hypothermia. An activation of this system is often called "fight or flight" mode. The pupils dilate, the heart beats faster, the oxygen supply to the blood increases, digestion takes second place and you are ready to fight or flee from danger.
This state is not good to be in over time, and the parasympathetic nervous system is what creates balance in the body after it has been under stress. But our nervous system is not like the software in an iPhone. It's not updated and adapted to the pace of the modern world. In our lives, there is a huge amount of impulses that can activate the sympathetic nervous system and put us in stress mode whether there is real danger or not. Ringing phones, raised voices, noisy cars, arguments, news, letters from the tax authorities, approaching deadlines, to name but a few. In an everyday life with a constant stream of impressions, the parasympathetic system may need help to activate. Ice bathing is one way to activate it.
Mens Ice bathing has its fine health effects, ice bathing and sauna are in a different league.
- "When we alternate between ice-cold water and a hot sauna, it puts a lot of strain on the body, which is more comparable to a workout than ice bathing alone," says Færø.
But over time the body will get used to these loads, just as a fit person doing cardio will recover faster than a beginner.
- "And for many people, daring to do this probably gives them extra self-confidence. Most people are a little terrified before jumping into the water, so there are both physical and mental benefits," says Færø.
When the doctor doesn't have access to a fjord with cold water, he uses the shower.
- Regulating how I expose myself to cold and heat is one thing that allows me to regulate my own physiology. If I'm stressed, I can take a cold shower to calm my system down. It's another tool in addition to breathing techniques, meditation, exercise to up and down regulate the intensity of my physiology.
- My heart rate monitor shows that my body is under a lot of stress. In fact, even more stress than if I were to train hard.
What happens in the body is something called homeostasis.
- A hormetic activity is a planned, voluntary exercise that builds the capacity of your circulatory system. This is super important for us and makes us stronger and more robust. Alternating between cold and hot for an hour - an hour and a half is a load that can be compared to exercise. This activation can last for a long time during the day and actually disrupt sleep because it's so intense," says Færø.
Other sources: NHI and The Cleveland Clinic,
An important caveat from the doctor at the end: It's important to adapt these activities to the stresses of everyday life. If you have a very stressful workday, it may be better to de-stress with a cold bath alone, without a sauna. On the other hand, if you have a calm day at the office and your heart rate monitor is showing a low level of strain, the alternation can give you exactly the invigorating activity you need.
In Torkil's book Pulskuren you will find more tips to optimize your physiology and nervous system.
Do you need more tips? Here are 40 more!
Should it be an ice bath, with a heat guarantee afterwards?
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