Epoxy & a Pond Liner Make the Perfect Cold Plunge Ice Bath

The benefits of ice baths are many – and in the balmy Aussie climate, there’s no better environment to take full advantage. But what’s the best way to make one? While filling the bathtub with cold water and ice cubes lasts for a single session, there’s a much better way – and, with careful planning, it’s totally environmentally friendly too…

All you need is a pond liner and some high-grade swimming pool epoxy. With very little effort you can easily construct a permanent cold water immersion (CWI) therapy unit right in your backyard.

Everything You Need to Know About Ice Baths (including how to make your own)

The ice bath craze is sweeping the nation – and for good reason. By lowering your body temperature and diverting blood flow towards your core organs, CWI has many potentially positive effects.

These include:

Reducing inflammation: Not only does this have the primary effect of lowering muscle soreness after exercise, but It might also help reduce internal inflammation (the root cause of so many diseases and illnesses).
Pain relief: Some people report that ice baths help relieve chronic pain. It’s definitely great for calming the agony of a musculoskeletal injury, such as a sprained ankle.
Primes your central nervous system: This can lead to many potential life improvements, such as aiding sleep, raising your mood, helping you feel more alert and improving your reaction time.
Trains your vagus nerve: This is the only cranial nerve that extends into the body (it runs down the sides of the neck). Stimulating this can have a positive effect on your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you deal with stress and how you approach tense situations.

Of course, plunging your body into a bath of icy water isn’t something that should be done straight off. You should begin slowly – perhaps with a blast of cool or cold water at the end of your daily shower. Once you can cope with this without ill effect, begin with partial immersion. Start with your feet and lower legs. Over time and as you get more comfortable, begin to introduce more of your body into the water.

Once you’re proficient, an ice bath should be no longer than 5-15 minutes. Always be aware of the dangers of hypothermia and get out of the bath if you begin to feel any discomfort. If you’re new to the experience, don’t take an ice bath when you’re on your own. Always have someone else around just in case you have any adverse reactions. Also, if you have any medical conditions, then you should consult your healthcare provider before starting CWI.

How to easily make a home ice bath

OK, so the first thing you need is a pond liner. Now, while you could go to the store and buy a new one, it’s far kinder on the planet to repurpose one that’s no longer needed. You can easily find one on Marketplace or Freecycle – or ask your friends and family if they’ve got one to dispose of.

If you search online for how to make an ice bath, you’ll get all sorts of weird and wonderful instructions about sealing, making your unit watertight, priming, yadda, yadda, yadda…

You… Don’t… Need… To… Do… Any… Of… That…

Because, as long as there’s no gaping holes in the pond liner, all you need to do is line it with swimming pool epoxy. This not only makes the surface 100% watertight, but smooths it out so it’s comfortable to sit in. Plus, you can also add colour to the mix so it looks really cool as well.

Swimming pool epoxy is poured and skimmed into place – you don’t need any special skills. If you purchase a complete kit, then everything you need to cover the base and walls of your home ice bath will be included. It’ll be touch dry within a few hours and ready to fill with water in a couple of days. Once you’ve completed this, purchase a thermometer (easily obtained online or from a swimming pool store) and voila! You’re ready to go…

There’s no better place to buy your ice bath lining material than market-leading epoxy provider, SHIMICOAT. Not only do we sell everything you need to get your ice bath up and running, but our expert advisors are on hand to give you any advice you might need.