THE COOL CLUB
As part of our exciting new partnership with local Super League Rugby Team Castleford Tigers, we supplied them with Ice Baths to aid player wellness and recovery throughout the 2024 season. To further immerse the team in the power of cold-water therapy, The Ice Co along with our friends at Root2Rise, put on a tailored Wim Hof Workshop for the team as well as the coaching staff as their season kicks off.
Watch how the team got on here:
The Science
Root2Rise created a specially tailored, fast-track Wim Hof Method Workshop to show the players how implementing the method into their routine can support and improve athletic performance. In two sessions, Jim and Natalie shared their story of how Wim’s method has helped them improve their lives, before sharing the science behind the method with the team. We learned that superstar athletes like Novak Djokovic swear by the method and the benefits of practicing include reduced stress, increased pain threshold and increased lung capacity.
The Breathwork
After the science, it was time for the breathwork! The squad worked through 5 rounds of breathwork guided expertly by Root2Rise, before experiencing a relaxing sound bath to close off the session. The response was incredibly positive, with the majority of players stating how calm and grounded they felt and how grateful they were to feel truly relaxed. Once the team had come around, we launched into the science behind the cold and why each of these activities, when completed together, can improve your overall health and well-being,
The Ice Baths
Now it was time for the most exciting part – the ice baths! Despite it being a mild 8° day, the chill of the wind made taking the plunge a true feat – not to mention the biting cold of the 5 inches of Party Ice on the surface of each tub! One by one the players underwent 2 minutes in 2° degree water using the breathwork techniques before warming up in Wim’s classic horse stance to warm the body naturally. All in all, the squad and members of the coaching staff endured over 200kg of Party Ice – something to be incredibly proud of in the bitter UK winter especially!
The Response
Adam Whitney, Head of Performance at Castleford Tiger’s said “I think it’s great to be sponsored by The Ice Co and having Root2Rise come down and teach the Wim Hof Method. I think new experiences, challenging experiences, dealing with the adversity of getting in an ice bath in the freezing cold, I think can only benefit the players.
I think were lucky to have them come down, I’m a big believer in every player recovers differently and I think offering lots of different recovery modalities to a player, allowing them to work out what best works for them & helps accelerate their recovery is only going to be massively beneficial to the players, so we’re really pleased to have the experience.
I’m a big fan of breathing techniques, breathing patterns, teaching players how to belly breathe and breathe appropriately to help with their recovery, downgrading their nervous system to a parasympathetic nervous system and that’s a lot of what they’ve done today.”
Alex Mellor, who’s played for Castleford since 2022 said “It was great, really really good. It opens your eyes about what your mind can do and how you can control your body, it’s been a fantastic experience!”
Josh Simm, who recently joined the squad ahead of the 2024 season said “I think a few of the lads found it very relaxing, she was saying before a game it’s good to get you ready and get your lung capacity all sorted, so I think we’re probably going to start doing that before games”
Watch our behind-the-scenes video here:
If you’d like to learn more about the Wim Hof Method, take a look at what Root2Rise events are happening near you or if you’re ready to take the plunge now, head over to theiceco.shop to purchase Glamour’s best-rated compact ice bath.
