How to control your breathing in an ice bath

When taking your first ice bath, you’ll likely notice your breathing becoming more rapid. This is your body’s natural response to the shock of ice-cold temperatures, and your breaths per minute can increase by almost double your resting rate.

While it’s completely natural to react this way, regulated breathing can be one of many benefits of ice bathing. After all, if you can maintain a sensible breathing pattern during an ice plunge, you can tough it out through anything. These methods can also help you warm up after using your ice bath.

We’ve compiled some of the most common ice bath breathing techniques used by experts to make the most of your time in the water.

How do ice baths affect your breathing?

There are multiple reasons why ice baths cause your breathing pattern to speed up. First is that cold temperatures can trigger a fight-or-flight response, especially when heading straight in from a comfortable heat. You may experience hyperventilation as you try to stay submerged.

Additionally, our heart rates slow down when our body drops in temperature, meaning more oxygen is needed to pump blood around the body and fight off the cold.

Ice baths also activate your vagus nerve, which is programmed to conserve heat in the body. While this nerve is working hard, your breathing can begin to feel shallow and rapid.

All of these are normal responses to cold, but conditioning yourself with breathing exercises before and during an ice bath can combat these issues.

Why is breath control important in an ice bath?

When resting, we typically breathe about 15 times per minute, but this can increase when our body is under stress. The sudden shock of cold that comes from your body adjusting to low temperatures can force you to draw in breath faster for strength, with most people reaching 30 breaths per minute while submerged.

Because of this, it’s important to slow your breathing to counteract your natural instincts. This will let you make the most of your oxygen intake, strengthen your resistance to the cold, and improve your lung capacity for future exercise.

There isn’t one set breathing pattern for everyone, however, as there are numerous physical and personal factors that can affect your preference. So, don’t feel as though you have to stick to one technique – experimenting with other methods and mastering a range of breathing patterns will help you reach the best results possible.

What techniques can I use to help regulate my breathing?

There are plenty of ice bath breathing techniques you can learn, and it’s a matter of finding the one that works best for your personal preference. Here are just a few of our recommendations:

Box/square breathing

One of the simplest ways to control your breath is using the box breathing method – also known as square breathing. This technique involves breathing in equal amounts in four steps, hence its name. It’s a simple pattern to remember:

Enter your Chill Tub and take a deep breath in and out
Inhale for 3-4 seconds
Hold your breath for 3-4 seconds
Exhale for 3-4 seconds
Wait another 3-4 seconds before you inhale again
Repeat steps 2 to 5 as needed

This method will condition you to pay attention to your breathing pattern and take deep, even breaths. It can help to imagine tracing a square as you breathe, with each side being drawn as you take on each new step.

Triangle breathing

As the name suggests, triangle breathing is very similar to square breathing but is made up of only 3 main steps. This technique skips the wait between inhales and exhales, making it easier to practice if you’re feeling short of breath.

Enter your ice bath, breathing deeply
Inhale for 3-4 seconds
Hold your breath for 3-4 seconds
Exhale for 3-4 seconds
Repeat steps 2 to 4 as needed

Triangle breathing is simple, easy to remember, and slightly less intensive than box breathing. While other methods target specific parts of the process, it’s a useful technique to control breathing in an ice bath for beginners.

4-7-8 breathing

Similar to triangle breathing in its number of steps, 4-7-8 breathing puts greater focus on your exhales through less even timings.

Breathing deeply, make your way into your Chill Tub
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold your breath for 7 seconds
Exhale for 8 seconds
Repeat steps 2 to 4 as needed

Once you memorise the pattern, 4-7-8 breathing is an easy habit to pick up. It is often used to relieve anxiety and ease panic attacks, making it useful for overcoming mental obstacles when using your ice bath.

The Wim Hof breathing method

Wim Hof, a.k.a. “The Iceman”, is an extreme athlete known for his resistance to low temperatures. His daring feats have included a barefoot marathon in the Arctic Circle and standing in a container of ice for 22 minutes. He attributes his success, in part, to a breathing technique that has now been named after him.

Move towards the edge of your ice bath, taking deep breaths in preparation
When you’re ready, take a deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs by focusing on your belly, then your chest, then your head
Exhale slowly as you enter the ice bath
Inhale deeply through the noise again
Hold your breath for 10 seconds
Exhale slowly through the mouth
Repeat steps 4 to 6 for a count of 30-40 repetitions, or as long as needed

Wim Hof’s website lists the method’s benefits, including increased willpower and easier sleep, however, these have only been backed by anecdotal evidence rather than scientific studies.

Diaphragmatic breathing

The diaphragm is an important muscle surrounding the lungs that plays an integral role in your breathing. If you’re looking to keep it engaged through deep breathing, this method can help with your oxygen intake, and comfort when powering through an ice bath.

Enter your ice bath, taking deep breaths
Place your hands on your stomach
Inhale deeply through the nose and let your stomach rise as you breathe
Slowly exhale and allow your stomach to return to its original position
Repeat steps 2-4 as needed

Rather than using timed breaths, diaphragmatic breathing is focused on conditioning the muscles that are worked when breathing, giving you greater control over your lungs during physical activity.

Buying an ice bath with Chill Tubs

Hopefully, you’ve now learned some useful breath-control techniques for toughing out the cold! If you’re looking to buy your first ice bath, Chill Tubs have a wide range of products to help you on your wellness journey.

Get in touch for a chat with one of our experts, who can help find the perfect tub for you, or read more of our blog posts if you’d like to learn more! We have plenty of guides to help you make the most of a Chill Tub, such as temperature advice, how often you should use an ice bath, and when to use it.