Lifestyle

July 20, 2022

Ice baths… Freezing or Fun?

When my friends started talking about how amazing the Wim Hoff method is, I thought they were crazy. The ocean is cold enough as it is, you guys want to sit still in ice water? Sounds psychotic.

But then I tried it.

I had been hearing about how my friend cured her depression with ice baths, how another friend got herself off of ADHD medications with ice baths, how another healed their chronic knee injury. The list goes on. So I decided to give it a go.

I am so glad I did.

Bathing in an Ice Barrel

While I think the real cures come from consistent ice baths, we have started on our ice-healing journey. I have had bouts of depression, ongoing struggles with ADHD, and chronic injury-related hip pain. Not that these ailments are completely gone, but I absolutely notice a difference after the ice baths.

I think there are lots of ways one can cure themselves outside of traditional Western medicine. I think incorporating ancient techniques like breathwork, meditation, acupuncture, saunas, and ice baths can be much more healing than one would initially think.

I’ve been on (and off) Adderall and Vyvanse for ADHD since high school. During the pandemic, I tried out various antidepressants. And I fell snowboarding in college so hard I about broke my hip, keeping me on alternating doses of Advil and Tylenol whenever the pain flares up.

Only more recently have I started looking for alternative solutions. And while I will probably still turn to modern medicine from time to time, it’s really nice to have holistic alternatives in my toolkit. And ice bathing is at the top of that list for me.

Since starting to do ice baths, all of my ailments have subsided. My hip pain is effectively gone. I have hardly taken any stimulants. I am completely off antidepressants. And I feel great.

While I can’t say everyone will have these same results (I’m a blogger, not a doctor) I think ice baths are definitely worth a shot. If you are in LA and looking for a place, Wi Spa in Miracle Mile is a great place to give it a go.

We ended up buying an Ice Barrell that we fill up with ice so we can do cold therapy at home. We order 100 lbs of ice on Instacart, fill the rest up with hose water, set a timer, and hop right in!

I’m curious if any of you have tried ice baths and what your experience has been like. Comment below if you have questions about ice baths or comments about your experience.

Xoxo, Sydney

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *