Ice bathing trends. Influencer and tiktoker Jenny Gehrken (22) is one of the ice bathers.
– Now in winter it is a very nice activity, both for togetherness and to make use of the cold weather. It goes really well with cinnamon buns and cocoa, all of which we Norwegians are very fond of, Jenny answers questions about why ice bathing is trending like that.
She even takes ice baths twice a week. She has done that for the past two years.
– I mostly do it because I think it’s fun. And then I put myself in a state of discomfort that makes me practice stress management, she says.
PARTNERS: After Christmas, the influencer couple Jenny Gehrken and Kasper Kristoffersen will move in together. – It will be my first roommate, so it will be a bit exciting, says Jenny. Photo: Private
ROWING DOWN: Stress management is the health benefit Jenny Gehrken points out when ice bathing. Photo: Private
BOWLS: When the gang gathers for a bath at seven in the morning, Jenny has buns for everyone. Photo: Private
MANY: Jenny Gehrken and Kasper Kristoffersen’s ice bath group has gone from being seven people who meet at seven in the morning, to becoming a group of over 50 people – in two months. Photo: Private
Together with her boyfriend, writer and influencer Kasper Kristoffersen, she started the group Ungt Felleskap. The idea was to create an arena where young adults can gather to do pleasant things together. Twice a week they meet to swim at Tjuvholmen in Oslo.
Stress management
The health benefits Jenny Gehrken points out when taking an ice bath are of the mental kind.
– I practice stress management, to calm down in a state of shock. It can be transferred to many other settings in life. Now I feel that the stress level rises much less often. I don’t feel my heart rate going up so fast anymore. It’s cool to be able to master your body in that way, says Jenny.
She is supported by the fact that ice bathing has demonstrable effects on health by doctor Torkil Færø i. Færø is the man behind the blockbuster book “Pulskuren”, which is the third best-selling non-fiction book this year.
– Ice bathing is a way to improve resistance. Then you have done something that is difficult and uncomfortable, you have overcome something. If you get used to doing uncomfortable things, you get better resistance to stress, both mentally and physiologically, says Færø to Dagbladet.
LAST FOR SEVERAL HOURS: “Pulskuren” author Torkil Færø can see the soothing effect of ice bathing for several hours afterwards on his heart rate monitor. Photo: Andreas Harding / Kuldekraft Show more
Physiological effect
All the cells in the body can get a “vitamin injection” from bathing in ice-cold water, preferably combined with a sauna.
– Ice bathing looks like it has a purely physiological effect on the body. All the cells in the body are affected by the cold shock proteins that are secreted. It improves our cells, says Færø.
Buy only one
He elaborates:
– It improves our cells and thus also improves the brain cells. This is one of the reasons why you feel better by taking an ice bath.
Færø, who has become particularly familiar with how the pulse is an expression of health, thinks it is exciting to see how the pulse is affected by temperature changes: Heat stresses, and cold calms the pulse.
– I see on my heart rate monitor that this has a calming effect. After is a cold bath or a cold shower, I can see that this has a calming effect for 2-3 hours afterwards. It calms the heart rate and measurably calms the nervous system. Then it becomes more motivating, when I see the effect, says Færø.
Here’s how to do it
Doctor Torkil Færø has the following recommendation for those who are beginners in ice bathing:
Start with cold showers. 15 seconds one week, and gradually increase by 15 seconds until you reach two minutes. Or just jump in and take a two minute cold shower.
When taking an ice bath: Try to stay in the water for one to two minutes.
The easiest thing is to alternate between sauna and cold water. The heat from the sauna makes the skin almost like armor – it protects you so that the transition to the cold water is not so great. Tip: don’t finish with a sauna, but with a short bath and then quickly enter the sauna just to get warm again. If you finish with a very hot sauna, the stress reaction can last for hours afterwards.
11 minutes a week is what studies have shown is the dose needed to notice improvement from cold showers. This can be spread over 3-5 times a week.
In the case of an ice bath, 1-2 minutes last once a week.
Source: Torkil Færø, actor and author
Someone should watch out
However, there are some groups that should not take ice baths.
– Pregnant women should not do it. People with heart conditions are generally advised not to take ice baths. It is best to consult your doctor. There are cases where people have suffered cardiac arrest in connection with ice bathing, and therefore you should also never bathe alone, says Færø.
RIBS: Dagbladet chef Christopher Sjuve with a simple guide to how to make the sworn crispy on Christmas ribs. Photo/clip: Bjørge Dahle Johansen / Dagbladet TV Show more
He says that it is not entirely known whether it is dangerous for heart patients or not, and points out that in the past people with heart problems were advised against exercising.
– Ice bathing is a form of exercise – a voluntary physiological stress that improves your stress balance. It may well happen that you find out that this is particularly good for heart patients, says Færø.
The cold shocks can also help with mental disorders, he believes.
– Mental disorders, we see more and more, are poorly functioning cells, which go beyond the organ in the body that is most dependent on well-functioning cells – namely the brain. Therefore, you will feel better by exposing yourself to cold and heat, says Færø.
On the third day of Christmas at 12 o’clock, Jenny Gehrken and Young Community a joint ice bath day across the country. Currently, ice bathing is planned in 18 cities, such as Trondheim, Hammerfest, Bergen, Arendal and Oslo. Information on whether there is swimming near you is posted on group’s Facebook page.
2023-12-23 08:53:10
#Practicing #stress #management
