A couple of weeks ago, prior to coming down with covid, I ventured to Nimbus Co in Bondi. Nimbus is a zen-like space which has infra-red saunas and ice baths.
Since I'm a little bit of a weakling when it comes to ice baths (or even cold showers, for that matter), I asked my husband to try the bath for the purpose of this review.
Now I've tried cryotherapy, where you stand in a chamber that plummets to -180 degrees, but somehow, sitting in a bathtub seemed all the more, well, cold.
Prior to the ice bath, my hubs sat in the sauna for 45 minutes. I did pop in too, but extremes of temperatures on both sides don't appeal to me, so I didn't stay in too long. That said, I do rather enjoy the benefits of infra-red saunas so I do try to do them every now and again.
After the sauna, and a quick shower, my hubs made his way into the ice bath. I could tell by his facial expressions that it wasn't for the faint of heart, so I opted out of trying it this time. He managed to stay in for the maximum three minutes that are advised and then burst out of that bathtub as quick as lightning.
What does an ice bath feel like?
My hubs told me that the ice bath was actually quite painful and he really had to concentrate to make it comfortable enough to stay in. I was actually quite proud of him because I once went surfing in Cornwall one summer and the ice water hitting my body was painful to the bone. I can only imagine this was far far worse.
Once his three minutes were up, he felt invigorated. He said he felt like he had way more energy than beforehand. After another shower, he didn't feel cold. It wasn't like he needed to warm up for hours after. He said he really enjoyed the experience and would love to do more.
Cold water therapy is meant to reduce inflammation, and, therefore, reduce the risk of heart disease and a whole host of other diseases.
It's often used by athletes as a recovery method, so it's good for pain management. It can increase energy levels and is said to be a great anti-ager.
Since it has so many benefits, I'm working on including cold therapy as part of my daily routine, but I'll have to brave a few cold showers to begin with.
If you'd like to learn more about cold therapy, check out Nimbus Co. here.