VIDEO: Zabarny discusses the benefits of ice baths. Why does he practice this?

The center-back for Bournemouth and the Ukrainian national team, Ilya Zabarnyi, responded to questions from his followers on TikTok.

One of the most frequently asked questions was about the benefits of an “ice bath” – the daily practice of taking an ice-cold bath:

“I take an ice bath every morning, regardless of the weather. Why do I do this? It’s my discipline; every morning, no matter how much I might not want to, I have to do it. I hate cold water. It was really tough for me to sit in it, and it was hard just to get in. So, I decided that in order to progress in my discipline, I needed to do this. Of course, I didn’t start with 3-4 minutes; I began just by immersing myself.

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This is 100% beneficial for the body; it's beneficial for me, especially with heavy and intense workloads, as the body tends to become inflamed.

There are also some nuances; after you take an ice bath, your muscles freeze and become like stone. Therefore, it's essential to warm up thoroughly afterward. I do this either at home, when I have time, or at the training base before everything begins. I come in and do my warm-up and stretching. This is crucial for an athlete because your muscles may not be ready for training,” Ilya explained.