Plunge pools, cold water swimming and ice baths have certainly took on a newfound popularity these last couple years, and it's no wonder really. With phones and screens so rife in our culture, it seems only right that we should want to connect with the natural elements and, whether you've taken up lido swimming or a dip in those Hackney swimming ponds Harry Styles seems to frequent, getting your fill of the cold water has been proven to boost moods.
Yep, made famous by Wim Hof - or the ‘Iceman’, as he's often penned - taking a cold plunge in icy water can help to boost your immune system, rebalance hormones, improve sleep and, all-importantly, give your endorphins a little manual restart (a.k.a get those happy feelings circulating). Wim himself takes this to extreme levels, and currently holds the world record for swimming under ice; however, you can get pretty much the same fix from the confines of your own home, and here's how. Introducing, garden plunge pools.
Indeed, nowadays, you can buy an inflatable or portable plunge pool on Amazon to pop up in your garden or patio and, the best part? Most of them will even fold away for easy storage when not in use. Whether you're looking for something that can double as a warmer inflatable pool for summer, or a literal steel ice tub like something out of an athlete's changing room, we've pulled together a round up of the best options.
See this 70 by 70cm option, for instance; with two different designs to suit your exterior, an easy valve for drainage and several layers of reinforced durability, you'd be hard pressed to find a problem with it at just £55.99. By comparison, the Viomed RecoveryTub is a tad more expensive at £145 but, with a bath-like structure, it's easier to lower yourself in slowly, especially if you're nervous at the idea of a sudden cold shock (and we don't blame you).
How to cold plunge at home:
- First off, pick a time that you're going to attempt (and succeed!) at your plunge, and stick to it everyday if you can.
- Ideally, you want the temperature of your pool to be hovering around 7-10ºC but, from March to mid-May, it's likely that your pool will be this temperature anyway if left outside.
- If you feel up to it, get in in one smooth motion while breathing on an exhale. You might not be able to do this first time and, if you need to ease yourself in slowly, be forgiving to yourself - you showed up and you're doing great!
- Start a stopwatch once you get in and don't put pressure on yourself to stay in the water longer than feels good. That said, try to at least regulate your breathing before you succumb to a warm towel (make sure to leave one on the side). Ideally, after around 21 days of plunges, you'll have worked yourself up to a ten minute duration, but take it at your own pace.
- Breathe as slowly as you can, deep and resonating breaths and, most importantly, try to enjoy it!
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