If you saw one of your tradie mates bathing in a giant esky after work, you might presume he’d just got slightly over-excited when grabbing a cold post-shift beer.
But for Cairns-based sparkie, Jamie Wilding, the unorthodox method has become a budget ice bath hack perfect for unwinding after a long day on the tools, and he’s not alone.
A frosty revolution is underway among Aussie tradies as the nation’s hardest workers empty their wheely bins, eskies and even chest freezers to create an ad-hoc ice bath.
Once reserved for athletes and health gurus, tradies are now swearing by the chilly plunge for top-notch recovery after a day of hard yakka.
But what on earth is an ice bath?
Also known as the Wim Hoff Method or cold water immersion, ice baths are a type of cryotherapy which saw its popularity become mainstream at the start of this decade.
Touted by celebrities and fitness experts as their go-to method for health and recovery, the user submerges up to the neck in a container of water and ice that exposes the body to cold temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius for several minutes.
Research suggests ice bathing has several rejuvenating benefits, such as muscle recovery, fat loss, improved mental health and better cognitive function.
So why choose a bin?
With top-end ice baths going for up to $8,000, it’s no wonder forward-thinking savvy tradies are seeking alternative tools to help them get the job done at a fraction of the cost.
After hearing about the benefits of ice baths, Jamie told Build-it he wanted to trial the recovery method without breaking the bank.
“I wanted to give ice baths a go, but the cost of them made it a no-go; even the local recovery centre which has them wanted $50 a week,” he said.
“So I decided to make my own with our recycling bin.”
“The misso was pretty shocked when she first came home to find the garbage bags on the lawn and my head popping out the wheelie bin.”
Jamie says the recovery tool quickly became central to his post-work routine, upgrading from a wheely bin to a 500-litre esky after noticing the benefits.
“I spend half the day in cramped spaces, my muscles are always playing up, and by the weekend, my back is aching so much I spend it all trying to recuperate,” he said.
“The ice baths are a massive help. Unfortunately, the misses wanted the bin back, so I had to devise another solution. I found this esky online for under $200, and it does the job and even stays cold for most of the working week.”
Jamie’s trash-free steps for budget ice bathing:
- Grab an empty wheely bin or an esky.
- Clean it out thoroughly using a hose and anti-bacterial cleaning products.
- Position the bin where you want to take your baths.
- Fill it two-thirds full with cold water.
- Add 2-5 bags of ice cubes.
- Position a bench, chair or stepladder nearby to aid entry.
- Submerge to the shoulders for a maximum of 15 minutes.
- Keep a lid on it to keep the water cool for three days.
- Empty, clean and repeat.
But wait! There are some downsides to bathing in a bin…
Aside from looking like Oscar the Grouch during a rainstorm, a wheely bin or even an esky ice bath has several other downsides.
While portable and cheap, bathing in any water-filled container without a filter requires constant maintenance to ensure the surface remains hygienic and the water stays bacteria-free.
This means they require emptying, cleaning and refilling weekly to ensure user safety or adding chemicals such as chlorine to get a few days extra use.
Failure to do so can result in mould building up within the bin or esky and even lead to skin infections.
“It’s probably the most important part of bin dipping,” Jamie told Build-it.
“I have known people who have caught skin infections as they thought the water was clean and kept reusing it – it’s not worth the risk.”
Meanwhile, larger eskies can also remain challenging to manoeuvre, even when empty, with their size and cumbersome shape proving problematic for those needing to transport the container up stairwells or through gates.
Other health hazards
Unfortunately, the health benefits of ice baths aren’t universal, with those with pre-existing health conditions such as respiratory issues or heart problems recommended to avoid them.
There’s also the chance of hypothermia should you exceed the minimum recommended temperature or maximum recommended length of time.
Be on the lookout for blue-tinged lips, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness, confusion, and long-lasting shivering, and seek medical help if you are concerned.
