Ice bathing is definitely not without danger and you should pay attention to a few basic things. Very cold water draws body heat from you very quickly. And from a body temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, your heart switches off. It is therefore life-threatening to become hypothermic and this can happen quickly, especially in cold water.
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You should behave accordingly and not extend the time for ice bathing too much – especially at the beginning when you are untrained. Ice bathing is not a competition, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Get out if you don’t feel well, it hurts too much or you are shaking badly.
Diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes
If you have high blood pressure, you should avoid ice bathing or approach it very slowly and consult your doctor. The reason for this is that your blood pressure will increase even more at the beginning. Relatively many people have high blood pressure, which has now become a widespread disease (almost 30% of the population is affected).
It is also not a good idea to go into an ice bath if you have heart or vascular disease. This is because the blood vessels are under a lot of strain and need to function well – just like your heart, which has to pump a lot more blood through your body. Sometimes there are unrecognized illnesses that you are not even aware of and have not yet been diagnosed. That’s why it makes sense to have all eventualities checked by a doctor you trust.
Ice bathing is also not normally recommended for people with severe diabetes. Ice bathing can have a positive effect on insulin levels, but as there are different types of diabetes with varying degrees of severity, advice from a doctor is probably a good idea here too.
Get in and out slowly
In any case, you should go into the water slowly (this is really important!) and also come out slowly. Otherwise, even a healthy heart can be overwhelmed and you risk a heart attack. So never jump into the water, you risk a cold shock!
Prefer calm waters, be very careful on ice
Go into calm waters such as lakes. These may not be as cold as running water, but you won’t usually have any raging currents. You should also always be careful not to stray too far from the shore and avoid steep banks completely. Especially when you go out, you will be a bit clammy, your movement will be restricted and sometimes it will hurt a bit. In this respect, you shouldn’t unnecessarily prolong the time if you’re already planning to get out. But even in lakes and ponds, there are sometimes currents that can sweep you away or prevent you from getting out again quickly.
When swimming in frozen lakes, NEVER swim under the ice. There is a high risk of losing your bearings and not coming to the surface.
What to do if something happens in the ice water?
If something does happen to you and you can’t get out of the ice, try the following:
- Keep calm and clear-headed, that’s your best way out of the situation
- Try to conserve your energy. Don’t fidget unnecessarily, as this will cause you to lose even more heat
- Draw attention to yourself – call for help
- Try to get onto the ice as quickly as possible, i.e. out of the water. The water will draw a lot of heat from you and you won’t be able to stay in the water for long
- Try to pull yourself onto the ice or roll onto it if it is stable. If this works, crawl across the ice to the shore lying down to prevent yourself from collapsing again
- If you can’t get out because the ice is too thin, try to break through to the shore, preferably with your elbows, as the ice is sharp-edged
- Don’t start gasping for breath, keep your breathing calm
- Never give up, even if it hurts!
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