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In addition to the question of how long an ice bath should last, people also often ask how often you should take an ice bath. Of course, it is completely up to you how often you want to do this. This depends in particular on how much time you can or want to invest.

Regularity is more important than frequency
Ice bathing becomes really addictive after a while and you will miss it if you have to reduce the frequency or give up ice bathing altogether for a while. The important thing is that there is regularity right from the start. It’s a bit like exercise – just as you exercise regularly, ice bathing can become an integral part of your life. You should be careful not to force yourself to go ice bathing very often at the beginning. That way, you run the risk of quickly losing interest and consistency because ice bathing doesn’t always fit in well with your everyday life.
However, as is so often the case, mastery lies in regular practice, not in the occasional splendor. In this respect, it is not enough for the health benefits of ice bathing to go into the ice bath once in winter and take photos of wintry landscapes. You need to incorporate ice bathing into your daily routine.
Ice bathing at any time of year
This is also a very frequently asked question. How can I take regular ice baths when the winter is so short? And in times of global warming and even shorter winters, this is also a legitimate question.
Ice bathing is actually possible all year round. Not as easy as in winter where you can jump into your ice buoy, but not as difficult either. Because all you need is cold water. You can do this in a cold mountain stream or river near you. Or by converting a freezer for ice bathing in summer.
This means you can also enjoy the wonderful benefits of ice baths in summer, spring and fall. And let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing ice bath in summer. Getting out and warming up is much easier than in winter and you’re probably craving a cool down anyway when it’s +30°C in summer.
Ice bathing once or twice a week and for the long term
You won’t have any really positive effects if you only jump into the ice bath once and then don’t practice ice bathing again for months or years. You should therefore establish a certain routine. For beginners, I recommend going into the ice water 1-2 times a week. And all year round. Why once a week?
- It can be difficult to motivate yourself to go ice bathing more than once a week. I speak from experience and find the comparison with sport apt. How many people do sport every day?
- Ice bathing is simply more fun in a group or with friends. How often do you get together to go ice swimming?
- In my opinion, the weekend is the perfect time, as most people have time and you can organize it very well to go ice swimming at least once (together).
- Set a fixed day for ice bathing, e.g. Saturday or Sunday, always at the same time. Then it will become a fixed part of your life and you won’t have to plan it anew every week.
- Ice bathing also involves a bit of effort, just like sport. So it doesn’t fit into everyone’s normal working day.
Is there such a thing as too much ice bathing?
Well, here too, opinions differ? Is it good to exercise 7 times a week? Most would say no. Because the body also needs time to regenerate. After all, this is an “extreme sport” and therefore comparable. I firmly believe that your body also needs rest breaks from ice bathing, so I think ice bathing 7 times a week, i.e. every day, would be counterproductive if your goal is to stay healthy or strengthen your immune system.
Take a cold shower several times a week
But what you do every day anyway is take a shower. And that can just as well be cold. If only taking cold showers is too unpleasant for you, try alternating showers. You can do this several times a week without having to prepare – and you can do it in the comfort of your own shower at home.
Ice bathing in summer too
As I said, regularity is important. And a cold shower cannot compensate for the experience and positive effects of ice bathing. Although it toughens you up and makes you less sensitive to the cold, the cold shock is nowhere near as strong as with ice bathing and the positive effects are not as pronounced. It is therefore important to stick to the weekly ice bath cadence 1-2 times a week, even in summer. Simply fill your bathtub or tub with ice or go straight into your freezer for a few minutes. Then also without a partner 😉
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