Ice Bath FAQs

​What is an Ice Bath?
An Ice bath is the process of immersing part of the human body in cold water for a limited time. Some people refer to ice baths as cold water immersion, cold water therapy, cold therapy, and cold plunge. In addition to aiding physical recovery, ice baths provide many other benefits that athletes particularly, and non-athletes can also benefit from.
​Method
At Nova Holistic Spa we follow the Wim Hof Method when using the Ice Bath. Basically, this method focuses on three key pillars to move through mental and physical blocks: breathing, focus, and controlled exposure to cold though temperature modulated ice bathing. 

If you’re a beginner to Ice Bathing, we recommend booking one of our beginner polar plunge packs which includes a wellness concierge to coach you through it, as it’s important to ease your way through initially.

It’s not about the amount of time you spend in the ice  bath at one time, it’s about building up your resilience with it, using a range of breathing techniques to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.

​Ice bath plunging is a skill, and to do it properly, having someone there to monitor and coach you through the different levels is extremely beneficial. 
What to bring ​
​Swimwear
​What to expect in a session
​If you want to make your ice bath as enjoyable and effective as possible, you should consider some things first:
  • If you are sensitive to cold or have any medical conditions, speak to your doctor before ice bathing.
  • Take some cold showers at home in the lead up to your ice bath session. This will help you understand how your body will react to the cold at a smaller level and help you manage your reactions later.
  • You will need to shower before using the ice bath and you may want to have a tepid (not hot) shower after.
​Is it safe to use?
Yes, the Australian made ODIN ice bath water maintains a temperature of between 5-11°C and constantly utilises UV antibacterial light disinfection to control microbiomes.
​How long should I have an ice bath for?
For best results, it really is about the regularity and not the time you spend in it. At Nova Holistic Spa, depending on your cold tolerance, we suggest starting in smaller 3-10 second increments over 5mins for beginners and working up to 2-10mins over 15mins, which is more than enough. The more experienced regular ice bathers could stretch to 15minutes at a time, but this is only for those who are able to manage the breath work necessary to last this long and have been regularly exposed to extreme cold temperatures. Our Holistic Concierges can work through this with you.

The health benefits start if you regularly step into an ice bath once a week. Choose one of our ice bath polar packages to help you commit to optimising your inner health and mental strength.  ​
* It is best to consult your physician if you have any chronic health contraindications. Not suitable if pregnant, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or have an open wound of less than 48hrs. Do NOT combine breath-holds with cold exposure. Breath work is extremely important. ​