Ice Baths Affects Women Like This | Health Coach Angela Foster

0:00 ice bath for women. What are the kind of temperatures that work? >> Women started to shiver at higher temperatures may mean that women don't need it as cold. But I think that when we look at the research in terms of cardiovascular health benefits and things like that, then sauna is probably stronger. >> Diving straight in on ice bath for women and you know, you've done a beautiful post, but I'd love for you to walk through does it work for women? What are the kind of temperatures that work?

0:27 >> Sure. So I think I think with ice baths and there's some kind of conflicting I guess opinions going around on this with ice baths and I'd say that all things so like sauna ice baths high intensity interval training all of these things are stresses that are good stresses on the body um but what we don't want to do is overstress the body by adding too many of them particularly for women in stressful uh jobs or they're like you know running a busy household and maybe they're doing multiple things maybe they're caring for aging parents but when we look at kind of the physiological things there was a small study that was done um that showed that women started to shiver at higher temperatures. So some of the benefits that come from that how u may mean that women don't need it as cold. However, when we then look at you know other research and we look at also a more kind of holistic approach to ice baths which is about overcoming yourself and trying to avoid shivering and using breath work techniques to really feel that sense of embodiment. Um, and a a podcast that I would and and we've got a page where we can link to further resources for your audience um afterwards, but you know, I did a really really good podcast on this with Laura Hoff. Um, see, and she's just published a book, Secrets of the Icewoman. Um, her father is obviously Wimhof and how breathing techniques and things can help. And so, I think it's like something that is sort of almost wait and see because I think looking at what is the intention behind the ice bath, what are you looking to achieve as a result of it? I do think that many people are spending too long, right?

1:49 They they're going in for longer than they need and really um Suzanne Soderberg has done some great research on this. You know, in terms of the total across the week, we're looking around 11 minutes and that can be split into sessions of like 2 to three minutes um or even 3 to four. I think if you're going to start do something like an ice bath, you definitely and Laura really focused on this. You want to build up slowly and build that resiliency. So starting with a cold shower, finish for about 15 seconds as the at the end and really get your system used to it. And sometimes oscillating between hot and cold, helping your blood vessels dilate and um you know expand just can be helpful as well in terms of blood flow.

2:29 Um and there's some benefits to doing that. But I think it's all about really working with your physiology and also looking at the other stresses that you have going on in your life. You know, we know that cold exposure improves dopamine. It can help with focus and concentration. It can help lower inflammation. It can help with brown fat. All these things are really amazing. But I think that when we look at the research uh in terms of cardiovascular health benefits and things like that, then sauna is probably stronger. And so what I would say, you know, go with what you enjoy. There are so many women I speak to, they just naturally prefer the heat. Uh and that feels more accessible to them. And if that's that's how you are, um then go with that. For parenting tips, celebrity interviews, recipes, conversations with experts, DIYs, and lots more, subscribe to Kidstop Press