Ice bathing

We love ice bathing – it activates body and soul, is healthy and sustainable. And we love the winter Untersee in Arosa. We make this experience and this magical place accessible to all.

Members of the club can use the bathing area free of charge.
Experienced ice bathers who are not members, we thank you for a small donation. Donation box, TWINT and Paypal can be found at the entrance.
At the bottom of this page you will learn more about the question: Why ice baths?

The workshop takes place at your own risk. People with high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems or diabetes may only participate with a written confirmation from their family doctor.

Why ice baths?

Proper ice bathing promotes well-being, circulation, immune system and regeneration of the body. It helps against inflammation,
Pain, anxiety, depression and freezing. Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy, has a broad scientific base and has long been established in elite sports.

Cold exposure takes many forms: Ice bathing, ice swimming, cold showers, cold chambers, heating less, wearing less clothes, walking barefoot in winter, etc. The intensity of the effect differ depending on the form. We love ice bathing. Ice bathing shows noticeable effect on body and psyche already from the first time. For lasting results, you need regularity. Regular ice bathing helps…

…the well-being
A 2004 study over an entire winter shows: Tension, fatigue, memory and negative mood decreased significantly in swimmers with increasing duration of the swimming period. After four months, the swimmers felt more energetic, active and lively than the control group. The values for vitality and activity were significantly higher. All swimmers who suffered from rheumatism, fibromyalgia, or asthma reported that winter swimming had relieved pain.

Pirkko Huttunen, Leena Kokko & Virpi Ylijukuri (2004) Winter swimming improves general well-being, International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 63:2, 140-144, DOI: 10.3402/ijch.v63i2.17700.

https://www.tandfonline.com/action/showCitFormats?doi=10.3402%2Fijch.v63i2.1770

…the circulation
When exposed to cold, the blood vessels in the extremities contract while the torso is kept warm, this stimulated the circulation and is good for the heart.

Ice bathing releases a cocktail of hormones. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates thyroid activity, which boosts cell metabolism and circulation. Endorphins provide feelings of happiness and dopamine is responsible in the body for increasing our concentration and making us awake, we feel a boost of energy. In addition, norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) is released, which has an analgesic effect. Pain therapy with cold is considered well researched and is also used by many doctors and clinics.

[P. Huttunen, H. Rintamäki, J. Hirvonen (2001) in: Effect of regular winter swimming on the activity of the sym-pathoadrenal system before and after a single cold water immersion, Int J Circumpolar Health]
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11590880/

…the immune system
Exposure to cold causes a stress response in the body. This activates and trains the immune system. Ice bathers have better defenses against certain diseases and infections. They get sick less often and less intensively.

Knechtle, B.; Waśkiewicz, Z.; Sousa, C.V.; Hill, L.; Nikolaidis, P.T. Cold Water Swimming-Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17238984

…regeneration
Ice bathing, known as cryotherapy for therapeutic purposes, is said to help prevent muscle soreness in competitive athletes. Testosterone levels were significantly increased and creatine kinase levels were significantly lower, resulting in an overall increase in performance.

[Arnd Krüger: Whole-body cold therapy. In: Competitive Sports (Journal) 44(2014), 5, p.25-26]

…for inflammations
Based on blood tests immediately before and after a 150 m winter swim (6 °C), it was shown that the white blood cells increase significantly due to the cold, so that there is better protection against inflammations. [Lombardi, G., Ricci, C et al. (2011): Effect of winter swimming on haematological parameters. In: Biochemica Medica 21(1), pp.71-78]

https://www.biochemia-medica.com/en/journal/21/1/10.11613/BM.2011.014/fullArticle

…against anxiety and depression
It is known that exposure to cold activates the sympathetic nervous system, increases blood levels of beta-endorphin and norepinephrine, and also increases the synaptic release of norepinephrine in the brain.

A cold shower, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, sends an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from the peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which can lead to an antidepressant effect.

[Nikolai A. Shevchuk, Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression, Medical Hypotheses, Volume 70, Issue 5, 2008, Pages 995-1001, ISSN 0306-9877]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030698770700566X

Ice bathing can also provide a better night’s sleep. [Ice Bath Benefits. In: icebath.org, 2011]

…against freezing
Cold stimulates the production of brown fat cells in the body. Brown fat cells are “good” fat. The body needs them to convert energy into heat. Brown adipose tissue is extremely important for the body, but it is broken down if we only spend time in constant temperatures, especially heated rooms in winter.

As a result, the body freezes all the faster and becomes more sensitive to the cold and has to keep warm by shivering. [6 Reasons Why Cold Is Healthy, In: https://coolzoone.de/6-gruende-warum-ka-elte-gesund-ist/, 2019]

However, there are two different types of reactions in the body. There are individuals who lose body temperature very quickly (insulating hypothermic response) and others who lose it very slowly (metabolic insulating response).

[Brazaitis M et al. (2014): Two strategies for response to 14 degrees C cold-water immersion: is there a difference in the response of motor, cognitive, immune and stress markers? In: PLoS One 9(10) e109020]

A very detailed study on ice bathing with countless links:

Cold Water Swimming-Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/8984/htm

The advantages described are in line with our experience. Morning bath activates the whole body and gives the feeling of having done something extraordinary before sunrise. We take this physical and mental energy into every day.

Ice baths change the way we deal with cold. We rarely freeze anymore and appreciate the good qualities of the cold.

We do not recommend ice bathing for pregnant women and people with cardiovascular problems.

For the untrained, we recommend going into the ice water with accompaniment and preparation. As a preparation, from summer onwards, repeated outdoor bathing or regular cold showers can be taken.

For the first few baths, we do not recommend submerging the head under water. Since the hands and feet cool down particularly quickly, the hands should be held in the air while bathing and thin, protective shoes should be worn on the feet. If bathing suits were used, it is essential to avoid chilling after bathing. We advise a quick change into dry clothes. Depending on the body and the duration of the ice bath, the complete warm-up may take several hours. The process is accelerated by warm showers or physical activity. We recommend the latter. This is how the body learns to warm itself up.