How to cold plunge for the first time

Before you get in

1. 1

   Skip alcohol the night before and eat lightly an hour or two before.

2. 2

   Rinse off (the vitamin C shower is right there) and get into your swimsuit.

3. 3

   Sit with your coach and breathe: in through the nose for four counts, out through the mouth for six. Two minutes of this changes everything.

4. 4

   Decide your target before you get in. One minute is a good first target.

Getting in

The hardest part is the first 30 seconds. Your body throws a gasp reflex at you. Expect it, and keep exhaling through it.

1. 1

   Step in and lower yourself in one steady motion, water to your shoulders. Hovering at the knees makes it worse.

2. 2

   Hands in or out. Out is easier for beginners.

3. 3

   Fix your eyes on one spot and count your exhales.

4. 4

   Around 30 to 45 seconds the gasping fades and a strange calm arrives. That is what people get hooked on.

How long to stay

One to two minutes. If you feel calm at ninety seconds, stay to two. If you are shaking hard or your breath will not settle, get out. Both are wins.

Getting out and warming up

1. 1

   Stand up slowly. Legs can feel heavy for a few seconds.

2. 2

   Towel off and move: walk, gentle squats, arm swings.

3. 3

   Let your body rewarm itself for 10 to 15 minutes. The after-drop shiver is normal.

4. 4

   Booked the sauna too? At Revive the sauna always comes first, then a quick shower, then the plunge, so the plunge is your finish.

What to bring

• Swimsuit
• Towel (we have them too)
• Sandals or slides
• Water bottle
• A friend, if nerves are high. The tub is one person at a time, so we book two plunges back to back and you cheer each other on.

What first-timers usually say

"That was way easier than I thought with someone talking me through it." The second most common: "When can I come back?"