Ice plunge events make a splash among Jalandhar’s fitness enthusiasts

This summer, ice plunges have become the new fad in Jalandhar, especially among fitness freaks and gym-goers.

At least two such events have been organised in the city in the past fortnight. The most recent one on Saturday saw 125 persons take ice plunges after a three-five km run within the compound. “The event was a sundowner. We began at 7.30 pm and it continued till 11 pm with music being played in the backdrop, people enjoying in the pool or taking part in yoga sessions and even savouring snacks and meals. To begin with, we were not sure how it would go but the response was overwhelming. We intend to do another event sometime soon,” said Varun Singh, who runs Car-O-Box gym in the city.

Those who were a part of the event said they underwent a prep session before taking the plunge into the ice tubs. “Experts prepared us mentally on how it would feel inside the tub. We were told the ideal time to practice it was six minutes. When I stepped in, I felt like coming out immediately but I gradually got the hang of it. It was indeed quite relaxing and stress relieving. It helped me get relief from muscle aches,” said Jaspreet, a visitor.

Varun said, “I had especially purchased the foldable ice tubs for the event. More than 4,000 kg of ice was used in the event.” Explaining its therapeutic effect he said, “Ice therapy constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the inflammed body parts. It aids in the removal of lactic acid from muscles.”

Siddhartha Singh, who is a popular fitness coach, marathoner and gym trainer, is also a strong votary of ice therapy for correcting muscle soreness and recovery. He recently shared his journey of purchasing an ice tub on social media.