Ice bathing in the Moosacher Steinsee: Dive into the ice-cold water – Ebersberg

It’s zero degrees, the wind pulls on the jacket and even snowflakes fall on the mirror-clear water surface. Where the parking lot and the Steinsee are usually full in summer, you won’t even find a walker at this time of the day. But: three courageous ice swimmers are at the Moosacher Bad. The brothers Emanuel and Matthias Fendl, as well as thirty-year-old Miriam Boehlke, dare to go into the water in the icy temperatures. The brothers are 36 and 37 years old and have been ice swimming since 2018. How did they come up with that? “Youtube, Wim Hof,” says Emanuel Fendl. With that, all has been said. The Iceman, as Wim Hof ​​from the Netherlands is also called, holds 26 international records for enduring extreme cold. For example, he climbed Kilimanjaro – dressed only in shorts and shoes – and still holds the record to this day, in which he took the longest ice bath in the world in one hour, 52 minutes and 42 seconds.

The swimmers stay in the ice-cold water for three minutes

But the three ice bathers from Steinsee don’t want to stay in the water that long. The timer is set for three minutes – that alone will be a challenge because it’s particularly cold today. Even two degrees make an extreme difference, especially with the wind. “The last time I went swimming, the water was about seven degrees,” says Emanuel Fendl. That’s why he estimates it at three degrees today. He leaves his cap on, after all most of the heat escapes through his head, he explains. But we can’t talk for long, Miriam Boehlke is already standing trembling and stark naked on the bank’s edge.

The three ice bathers go into the water with determination. There’s no hesitation, no squeaking. Instead, focus on breathing. Only when they are up to their necks in the water can they breathe freely for a moment. A minute has just passed when Emanuel Fendl says: “I can’t feel my legs anymore”. Today, however, the conditions for ice bathing are particularly difficult. “I’m having thoughts of aggression right now,” laughs Miriam Boehlke, trying to resist the need to escape the lake and its ice-cold water. “You mustn’t defend yourself,” said Emanuel Fendl. “Look at how beautiful the trees look with the snow in front of the sun,” Matthias Fendl tries to distract her. But after almost two minutes, Miriam Boehlke prefers to listen to her body and gets out of the water.

The most beautiful moment is the feeling of warmth when you come out of the water

Outside, Miriam Boehlke quickly gets on her slippers and wraps herself in a bathrobe. “When you go into the lake, your whole body starts to tingle,” she explains. “You just have to endure the half minute after that, and then it will slowly get better.” She counts down the remaining ten seconds and as soon as the alarm clock rings, the brothers begin to swim back to shore. There they stand, three happy ice bathers with very red bodies covered in blood.

Emanuel Fendl explains that his favorite moment about ice bathing is when he’s back home in the warmth. “No, the best moment is actually when you come out again,” interjects Matthias Fendl. Then it won’t be cold outside at all. “I also like the ending best,” agrees Miriam Boehlke. “My head is now completely free, like after a meditation. I always feel a bit high and think – oh, the world is beautiful!”

Open detailed view

If he distracts himself by swimming in the water, then ice bathing would work better for him, says Matthias Fendl. But his brother shakes his head. “When you move, it feels even colder,” he says. “When you’re still, you have a kind of small heat film that emanates from your body.” The other two ice bathers agree that you either have to be very still or keep your body warm with regular strokes.

Miriam Boehlke also goes ice bathing according to the saying “Move your ass, your mind will follow”. Today her head actually told her that she didn’t feel like ice bathing. “But then I thought to myself: I’m going to go swimming now!” Instead of trusting her head, she would rather trust her body and – like today – listen to it when it gave her the signal not to go any further.

After the ice bath, the brothers and Miriam Boehlke can hardly feel their toes and fingers. “But I thought about it,” says Emanuel Fendl. “Me too,” agrees his brother. Both pull a shoe tongue out of their pockets, otherwise you can’t get into your shoes, they explain. As soon as they got dressed, the three ice bathers started moving to stay warm. “Ten minutes was the longest we managed while ice bathing,” says Matthias Fendl. But the healthy effects would also occur after two minutes, everything beyond that would then only be voluntary suffering.

Even a few minutes of ice bathing not only strengthen the immune system and boost the metabolism, regular ice bathing also helps the body to better cope with stressful situations. And not only that: After that you just feel better, also mentally, says Miriam Boehlke.