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Our breathing is very important, but we usually pay little attention to it and (permanently) breathe too shallowly and therefore incorrectly. This is because we do not use the entire capacity of our lungs, but only a part of them. The diaphragm is our most important breathing muscle, which contracts when we inhale and expands the lungs together with the rib muscles. The lungs have no muscles of their own and, in combination with the diaphragm, can create a large negative pressure and thus suck in a lot of air. Healthy diaphragmatic breathing is therefore generally desirable.
Why is correct breathing particularly important when ice bathing?
When ice bathing, you should try to calm your breathing to avoid palpitations and shortness of breath. This is the body’s automatic reaction to the extreme cold. A calm and steady breathing rate calms the parasympathetic nervous system and makes it much easier to tolerate the cold, allowing you to stay in the cold for longer. Ultimately, ice bathing is extremely stressful for the body, which you can calm down with your mental attitude and calm breathing. The most important breathing exercise when ice bathing is therefore calm breathing for the first 30 seconds, which signals to your body that everything is OK. Is that it already? In principle, yes, this is the most important step in getting through ice bathing well.
Ice bathing breathing technique according to Wim-Hof / Tummo
If you want to go one step further, there are various breathing exercises you can do before ice bathing to reduce the sensation of pain and help you stay in the ice-cold water for longer.
One of the best-known breathing techniques is the so-called Wim Hof breathing, which originates from a Buddhist meditation technique and was popularized worldwide by Wim Hof. It is essentially based on Tummo meditation, which basically involves creating hyperventilation. Hyperventilation means that rapid and deep breaths increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. This lowers the carbon dioxide level and you feel a tingling sensation in your hands and feet as well as a slight light-headedness. Some people find this unpleasant, but through training you can get used to breathing and the “side effects” very well. So how exactly does the breathing technique work?
Take a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting. If you are sitting, make sure you are sitting up straight.
- First phase: Breathe in and out quickly and deeply 30-40 times. You can do this through your mouth or nose. Ideally, you should breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don’t pause between your breaths, but try to get into a breathing flow.
- Second phase: After the last breath of the first phase, exhale completely, i.e. push the air out of your lungs and then hold your breath. You hold your breath until you feel the urge to breathe in again. This should take at least 15 seconds, but should be closer to a minute. In subsequent cycles, you will notice that you can hold your breath longer and longer in the second phase. You will also feel your heart beating more clearly and a certain amount of warmth, as well as a tingling sensation in your extremities.
- Third phase: When the urge is strong enough, inhale again and hold your breath for about 15 seconds.
After you have gone through these 3 phases, you repeat this cycle twice more, so you do the whole thing three times in total. You can also do it just once or four times, this decision should be based on how you feel.
As soon as you have completed the breathing exercise, return to your “normal” breathing and get into an upright position if you are lying down. Take 1-2 minutes to recalibrate and then go into the ice water.
What do the studies say?
Studies such as those conducted by the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands suggest that you can influence the sympathetic nervous system through conscious breathing techniques. This means that you can generally increase your performance by boosting the oxygen content in your blood in the short term. This can also help with mental activities or physical exercises (more push-ups, etc.). Counter-studies like this one say that there is no scientific evidence that it strengthens the immune system.
Conclusion
Breathing properly is not only important when ice bathing. The most important and easiest thing to do is to breathe calmly and evenly, especially during the first few seconds in the cold. You can go ice swimming without hyperventilation, I sometimes do this when I have the time and the peace and quiet. Deliberately and slowly entering the water and then breathing calmly is also effective.
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