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Constantin (Eisbaden.de): Today we’re talking to Patrick Boillat about topics such as ice swimming, winter swimming, cold exposure, biohacking and mental resilience. Patrick, you call yourself Cool Bär, you’re from Switzerland and you’ve recently become a certified trainer with the Swiss Cold Training Association. Congratulations on that!
Patrick Boillat: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here. My name is Patrick Boillat, also known as Cool Bear. I am 51 years old and have been ice swimming for several years. I was originally a banker, but my experience with ice bathing has led me to focus more on this subject. I live in Switzerland and offer my courses and workshops in the surrounding area.
Constantin: That sounds very exciting. How did you get from banking to ice swimming, which is not necessarily a typical career path?
“Burnout made me start with breathing techniques and ice bathing.”
Patrick: I used to work in sales and always had to deliver higher figures. At some point, my body said “this far and no further” and I suffered a burnout. I spent some time in a clinic and learned how to reconnect with my body and find myself again. When I was released from the clinic, I was determined to keep going and looked for ways to train my body and mind. I came across Wim Hof’s breathing techniques and took part in a few workshops. While immersed in an ice tub at one of these workshops, I felt for the first time a sense of calm and clarity that I had never experienced before. That was the moment I decided to spend more time ice bathing.
Constantin: That sounds impressive. How has your life changed since then? What positive results have you noticed from ice bathing?
“I have a daily ice bath routine.”
Patrick: It was important for me to incorporate ice bathing into my daily routine. I go into the water every day and I have my breathing routines in the morning. I do Wim Hof breathing two to three times a week, which helps me to recover from stress in everyday life. I’ve noticed that in difficult situations, whether professional or personal, I can say: “I was in cold water at zero, maybe two degrees, what’s holding me back?” I feel more vital and fitter and am better able to face the day.
Constantin: That’s right, there are many positive aspects that I have also noticed in myself. Of course, it doesn’t have to be burnout, but there are many situations and events in life where you have to be very focused. As you said, the cold helps tremendously to regain focus. I always notice that I have clarity and focus throughout the day after an ice bath. And this effect lasts.
“The effect lasts for 2 to 3 days after ice bathing.”
Patrick: That’s exactly how it is. It is said that dopamine and adrenaline last for almost two to three days. It’s completely different when you consume chocolate or coffee, because the dopamine and adrenaline levels only rise for a short time and then quickly fall again. So you don’t have to go into the ice water every day to feel the benefits. But for me, it’s almost a must because it feels so good.
Constantin: Of course, going into the water every day is extreme. But the more often you do it, the more often you want to repeat it.
Patrick: It was the same for me. I started attending workshops once a month and then it became more and more. In the end, I decided to include ice bathing in my daily routine so that I wouldn’t forget and because it’s good for me. I also have a group in Thun on Tuesday evenings, we are usually between six and twelve people. On Sunday, I was at the Moose with another group. So I already have two fixed dates, and that also helped me with my certification as a refrigeration expert, because it was concrete training for me to pass the course.
Constantin: Tell us something about your role as a coach. What kind of coaching license did you get? How difficult was it and what methods did you learn?
Patrick: I am a certified refrigeration expert from the Swiss Cold Association based in Zurich. I also attended further training with Rolf Duda (Peakwolf). Ice bathing is booming at the moment and there are lots of people who want to try it out. However, it’s not uncommon for the wrong methods and approaches to be used, which can be dangerous. It was very important to me to train myself well so that I could then lead workshops.
The Swiss Cold Association training was divided into different modules. We practised ice swimming at 5 degrees over a distance of 100 meters and then looked at how the body reacts to it. It was very important for me to understand what happens in my body when I go into ice water. What exactly happens to the cells and tissue? What do I need to pay particular attention to if I feel the so-called “brain fog” because I have stayed in the cold water for too long? And, of course, the emergency first aid course was also important so that I could react correctly in an emergency – the circumstances are not comparable to a car accident, for example.
The training also included a cold experiment in which we hiked for an hour at -8 degrees wearing only swimming trunks. And, of course, we practiced ice bathing in water with a temperature of 3 degrees and -8 degrees outside. We also looked at all the different breathing techniques, i.e. Wim Hof breathing, Buteyko breathing, Soma breathing and transformative breathing. I also learned how to run a workshop and advertise my courses. All in all, it was a comprehensive training with theory and practice that now enables me to lead workshops professionally.
“When ice bathing, you should get into the water relatively quickly, otherwise your body will realize that it’s too cold for it.”
Constantin: What is the best way to go into the ice water?
Patrick: When ice bathing, you normally get into the water relatively quickly and then immerse yourself in order to protect important organs such as the heart, lungs and torso. If you go in slowly or only put your hand or foot in the water first, your body quickly realizes that it’s getting cold and protects the rest of your body from the cold. You may then feel a sharp pain in your feet or hands. It is therefore advisable to get into the water quickly and then dive straight in so that the body does not have time to notice the cold.
Constantin: I agree that you should go into the water quickly, but not so quickly that you overstrain your body. In summer I might jump in the water, but in an ice-cold lake I would walk in slowly, pause for a second or two and then dive in. If you think about it for too long, you probably won’t do it.
Patrick: The temperature differences are an important point. If you go into the water when it’s 25 degrees outside and it’s 3 degrees, or if you go into the water when it’s 5 degrees outside and it’s 1 to 5 degrees, your body reacts differently to the cold. You should always keep that in mind.
Constantin: Do you have any tips for beginners on how long they should stay in the water at different water temperatures? It certainly depends on how you feel, but is there a minimum time that you shouldn’t go below?
“2 minutes of ice bathing is enough for the body.”
Patrick: It’s important to listen to your body. If you notice after a minute and a half that your body isn’t feeling well, you should get out of the water to be on the safe side. For beginners, I recommend a minimum time of two minutes in water temperatures of 3 to 5 degrees. During this time, you will feel the benefits of ice bathing, such as the formation of brown fat and a faster warm-up. However, if you do not practise ice bathing regularly, you will not achieve this effect. The challenges you often see on Facebook or YouTube to see who can last the longest in ice water are not necessarily ideal. Two minutes is enough for the body and it is more important to listen to your body and experience ice bathing as a positive experience. If you stay in the water too long, your hands and feet will have difficulty warming up. It is important to always do your best for your body so that ice bathing remains a pleasant experience.
Constantin: I agree that it should be a positive experience and that you shouldn’t overstrain your body. What is your opinion on breathing techniques for ice bathing?
Patrick: Ice bathing is very often associated with Wim Hof breathing, and unfortunately many mistakes are made with this breathing technique. The problem is that Wim Hof breathing is stress breathing, which leads to hyperventilation. Triggering the body before the ice bath and pushing the stress upwards is an enormous challenge and therefore not optimal. This means you should do Wim Hof breathing 1 to 2 hours before ice bathing, if at all. I do Wim Hof breathing 2 to 3 times a week. You have to compare this breathing a little with a fitness center, because this is also strength training, namely for the organs and the vagus nerve, the largest nerve. If you do this too much, you can also get sore muscles, just like with strength training, and then you’re too stressed.
What I do every day is Buteyko breathing – a breathing technique that helps you to calm down. You make sure that you increase your resilience by breathing more slowly. Buteyko breathing can actually be done at any time, for example on the way to the office or the bus. As I walk, I simply hold my breath and count how many steps I can hold my breath for.
Transformative breathing is the most intensive breathing I have come across. It lasts between 1 and 1.5 hours and you dive very deeply to release trauma. If you succeed in releasing something within yourself, it happens on an emotional level that you can’t get to with any other breathing technique!
Constantin: In Switzerland you normally have enough cold water, even in summer there are really fresh mountain streams. So you have everything you need for ice bathing.
Patrick: Exactly, we take that into account too. Later in spring, when it gets warmer again, you go into the mountains and hike to the mountain lakes. It’s a completely different feeling to sitting in a tub. You enjoy nature in a completely different way and find peace there.
Constantin: Who are your participants and what motivation do they usually bring with them?
“It’s important to leave your comfort zone.”
Patrick: The groups are quite mixed. Many participants say that they want to break out of their comfort zone and try something new. They have also often been made aware of ice bathing by the media and have never bathed in ice water before. Others come to me with a specific problem, such as a participant with a broken arm who still has pain and inflammation. The participants have heard that ice bathing is good for inflammation and want to try it out. It’s amazing that some of them felt an improvement after the first ice bath, as it wasn’t just a specific area that was cooled, but the whole body. Another of my goals is to support people who are on the verge of burnout and to pick them up before it’s too late. I want to support these people with work-life balance and ice bathing to get them out of the hamster wheel and prevent burnout. That is the goal for my next workshops.
Constantin: Prevention is very important, especially in our stressful society. Have you received feedback from participants who keep ice bathing as a regular routine?
Patrick: Yes, the feedback is always positive. The participants have a good feeling and are motivated to continue. Unfortunately, there is also the risk that some participants don’t continue ice swimming after the workshop. To avoid this, I have set up a WhatsApp group where participants can stay in touch after my workshop. We plan joint events or challenges and thus keep the group together. The aim is to help participants progress and establish a routine to avoid stress and burnout.
Constantin: That sounds great. It’s great to hear that the group stays in touch and supports each other after the workshop. Thank you, Patrick, for the interesting interview and for sharing your experiences with us. I would be delighted if we could make it to the ice hole together soon!
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