In the summer of 2019, Pembrokeshire based Celtic Timber noticed a trend in customer enquiries asking about using their oak barrels for ice baths. Cold water immersion has been used for physical recovery and to reduce muscle pain/soreness for decades. The physical benefit of cold water immersion was being researched as early as the 1960s.
So, they adapted their barrels with taps for drainage, lift-off lids for access and seats for comfort and started selling them. However, when interacting with customers, it became clear that a large and growing section of their customer base was more interested in the mental health benefits of cold water immersion.
Read the full article on Celtic Timber’s website for some interesting insights to what they found.
[image credit: Celtic Timber – Emma Joy Fulford]
