DO :

• On your first cold bath, immerse yourself in stages. First, by being in seated position to immerse only the lower body (until hips). Once you get used to the temperature you can then submerge the rest of your body. If you experience pain in extremities due to coldness, you can wear socks (Eg: Neopren), which will not affect the quality of care.

• Everybody has their own level of cold adaptation. Feel free to start with a bath a few degrees warmer, and then lower the temperature in the following sessions. Note that consequently, the session will last longer.

• Distract yourself. The best way not to feel the chill of the water and don’t feel the time passing is to distract your mind. In order to « endure » the session, don’t hesitate to listen to music take a book, or your smartphone to tweet, take pictures or call a friend.

DON’T :

• Do not overexpose yourself to cold. Avoid temperatures below 8°C in sessions up to 15 mins. Except if you are supervised or have received specific instructions. Overexposure will not result in additional benefits.

• Do not rush to a hot shower right out of the bath. The cooling effects are still beneficial and your body is progressively warming. Prefer wearing a sweater or a blanket for about 10 minutes. However, if you fail to warm up in this time, take a hot shower!

• Do not take a cold bath with open wounds or without  being protected by a waterproof plaster.