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Lowering the temperature has its benefits.

For this reason, many of the women who can boast of splendid bodies for many years to come use the technique of immersing themselves in ice water or ice baths to stay in shape.

routine

by, among others,

,

and

which other well-known handsome men such as David Beckham and Justin Bieber also sign up for.

And it has gone viral.

Because the cold makes the body burn excess fat more quickly.

In addition, it is also great for

and strengthening

and, incidentally, resetting the mind.

Yes, the benefits of

go beyond improving the physical tone of the body;

According to its supporters, this technique manages to "reduce stress, improve the

, quality of sleep and concentration," says Sara Álvarez, co-founder and creator of RETO48, a method that combines high-calorie personal and functional training with

lifestyle habits

and good physical condition.

According to Álvarez, ice baths contribute to "greater tissue regeneration and an interesting activation of what is known as

."

Still, it's not as simple as filling a bathtub with ice cubes;

Using cold water as a beauty and

routine has its secrets.

Created by the Dutch athlete Wim Hof ​​-known as 'Iceman' and famous at 63 years of age, in addition to his

for being the author of the book 'The power of cold' (Ed. Mondadori)- this method does not involve more than 20 minutes and it's a hugely popular fat burning therapy;

In fact, Hof accumulates three million followers on his

account De él.

It's "a natural way to reach and maintain optimal state of both body and mind," Hof says.

It works for him, in particular, because he has broken

related to this subject and, among other feats, has crowned Everest in shorts and without a shirt, has run a half marathon in the

and has locked himself up. in an ice container for two hours.

It is clear, the

for him has no secrets.

GTRES

The benefits of this calibrated exposure to cold come through breathing, which "by

the body increases

, reduces

and strengthens the immune system," says

.

And this triggers a series of health benefits that translate into the reduction of body fat, the increase in the quality of sleep and the maintenance of

.

But to get all these benefits you have to do it right.

And safely.

How to tone muscles with an ice bath

For starters, it's not easy to get into a

full of ice and stay in it without shivering forcing us out before setting foot.

How to achieve it?, we asked Sara Álvarez.

The key is to control your breathing until you achieve controlled

.

practices

of Tibetan monks that is scientifically recognized," explains Álvarez.

"Through these breaths, the heart rate and blood pressure increase, the blood vessels contract, the body

rises and the oxygen-carrying capacity of the lungs improves. On the other hand, the blood is enriched with more

in less time, while carbon dioxide is eliminated". It is a way of cleaning the body, a detox effect and the first of the many benefits of this practice.

The model Elle Macpherson enjoys an ice bath. Instagram Elle Macpherson

Learn to control your breath

Breathing

is the first pillar of this

and is responsible for a large part of its virtues

The psychologist Montserrat Fernández, from the Awen Center for Psychology and Emotional Health teaches how to do it well according to this method.

• Lie down

  on a comfortable surface.

• Take thirty to forty breaths as

  deep

  as you can.

• Exhale

  and hold the air without breathing, as long as you can hold it, one minute, two, three, etc...

• Inhale as much as you can into your interior, feeling that you flood your lungs and hold the air for

  ten to fifteen seconds

  .

• Repeat the previous two steps

  three to four

  more times.

• Now do as many push-ups as you can without

  breathing

  .

• End with four minutes of meditation to relax.

• It is recommended to do all this on

  an empty stomach

  .

After taking 30 to 40

, it is necessary to exhale and hold without breathing for as long as possible, and then take a deep breath and hold the air in the lungs for 15 to 30 seconds.

How long do you have to be on the ice?

The

should last about

although Sara Álvarez warns that it is better to increase the time little by little and hold out in the ice water only "as long as you can be without difficulty."

The ideal, she explains, is to "remain lying down, breathing calmly

always on an

and in a safe environment."

instagram lady gaga

How to expose yourself to the cold

The

has its keys.

And you have to know how to handle them because it is not without

when you are not familiar with it.

The ideal is to consult a doctor before trying it, in case there is any health problem that prevents it.

Afterwards, start practicing it in a

and, until we are fully used to it, always accompanied to avoid

problems .

In this sense, there are training centers with spas that offer this treatment.

Cold dips should

done gradually.

At the beginning, recommends Sara Álvarez, "it is enough to finish the normal

with a few seconds of

. Afterwards, the ideal is to gradually increase the residence time and reduce the

until being able to dive in ice for a maximum of two minutes".

And always controlling the

.

Control your breath to bear the cold

The most important thing when taking ice baths is to breathe consciously.

This must be done both at the time of contact with cold water and during the duration of the immersion.

"Throughout the bath it is necessary to continue breathing calmly and relaxed. What we are looking for is to focus on

, nasal breathing and long,

inhalations and exhalations ," concludes Sara Álvarez.

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