"It hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body." It's this Titanic line that, most unhelpfully, springs to mind as I eye the ice-filled tub before me. As someone who had up until this moment taken ice therapy to mean Ben & Jerry's after a break-up, this is the only reference my brain calls upon as I stretch and breathe before entering the water.
“Remember, shoulders in the water and exhale as you get in,” Walid Aboulnaga instructs. The adventurer and founder of Nafas Journeys continues: “Oh, and if you’re struggling, hold your breath – that will soon distract you from the pain.”
My first step into an ice bath literally took my breath away
Plunged into the icy depths, I am not overcome by the sensation of tiny icicles piercing every inch of my skin, nor the pain I had mentally prepared for. Rather, it’s the sensation of my breath being swept away from me in a second that overwhelms me. The shock of being unable to breathe, that innate ability that we are all born with, sends my heart galloping as it tries to escape my ice-immersed chest. Although the initial reactions of my fellow bathers differed on the day, I am not the only one to respond in such a way.
“My first step into an ice bath literally took my breath away,” Aboulnaga tells me.
Despite the shock to the system, I volunteered for round two, as did everyone in attendance. But why put ourselves through it? Because, like healing heat therapy, practices such as ice baths and cold showers are growing in popularity in the contemporary wellness space. They may make up two extremes, yet both hot and cold therapy can be beneficial.
The Wim Hof effect
In recent years, Dutch athlete Wim Hof has raised the status – both in terms of visibility and viability – of cold therapy. If you’re not up to speed, the so-called Iceman has broken 20-plus records in the realm of cold exposure. He has run a half marathon barefoot on ice, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro wearing only a pair of shorts and shoes, swum great lengths in icy waters and immersed himself in an ice bath for an uninterrupted 113 minutes.
But it wasn’t just Hof’s record-breaking feats that appealed to followers such as Aboulnaga, who led the workshop I attended at The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, using the patented Wim Hof Method – a combination of breathwork, meditation and cold therapy. Hof preaches that cold immersion can heal mind and body, and that by using specialised breathing techniques and meditations, we can withstand extreme temperatures and even control our body’s response to them.
“I was fascinated by how he was able to inject himself with multiple different viruses and bacteria, and through the power of breath and meditation have close to no symptoms,” says Aboulnaga.
In 2011, a scientist researching the Iceman dubbed it "remarkable" that he demonstrated the ability to control his own immune response when being administered endotoxin, a bacteria similar to E Coli. In 2014, these results were reproduced in a larger group of subjects after they followed Hof’s teachings.
In 2018, professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at Wayne State University, Vaibhav Diwadkar, said: “The practice of the Wim Hof Method may lead to tonic changes in autonomous brain mechanisms, a speculation that has implications for managing medical conditions ranging from diseases of the immune system to more intriguing psychiatric conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders.”
Evidently, the Iceman is on to something.
Gabriel Halmagyi, grand spa manager at Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in Italy says of Hof's preferred method of healing: "Cold helps the body to recover, balancing its temperature, which helps tone both muscle and skin, fights inflammation and provides a sensation of feeling refreshed, light and invigorated."
Work on your willpower and watch how this carries over into other important areas in your life
While Hof favours headline-making extremes, temperature has long been used as a source of healing. "Cold bathing is a practice known for its health benefits for hundreds of years, from Japan to ancient Greece to Egyptian cultures," Aboulnaga says. One of the oldest surviving medical texts, The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, (which dates back to 1600 BC), makes numerous references to the use of cold as therapy.
These days, it is used by physiotherapists in rehabilitation, athletes after training, by pharmaceutical companies in creams and gels and, of course, spa therapists with infrared and laser therapy, as well as more traditional treatments.
Harnessing heat therapy
Saunas and steam rooms, meanwhile, have been the bread and butter of spas throughout history. This is no surprise considering the word itself – derived from the Belgian town of Spa famed for its thermal baths dating back to the 8th century – references a location where mineral-rich spring water, often heated, is used to take medicinal baths.
By increasing body temperature, the body can better fight against colds and flu
When it comes to modern thermal healing, Tampere in Finland is the unrivalled sauna capital of the world and across the country at large, it's common to have a sauna in your home or to use the hot spot (pun fully intended) as a meeting space. But it’s about more than relaxation.
Heat, says Soni Rawat, spa supervisor at Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, “can be especially beneficial for people suffering from chronic pain”. This may explain why the Finnish applaud the sauna for its ability to alleviate stress.
Dry heat, in which humidity is increased by adding water to rocks to create steam, helps to "release endorphins, a feel-good chemical that reduces the effects of stress on the body, which can relax you enough to sleep better", says Galina Antoniuk, spa director at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort. As the sauna aids blood circulation, this, in turn, better delivers oxygen and nutrients to the muscle tissue.
The steam room, on the other hand, is all about the humidity. “Heated at 48 degrees, this is an environment of almost 100 per cent humidity,” says Halmagyi. He explains that the vapours help to open airways, improve breathing, and even fight asthma and allergies. “This increases the local metabolic process, resulting in weight loss, detoxification, and the alleviation of aches and pains.”
Both saunas and steam rooms can help to improve the immune system, he adds, as by “increasing body temperature, the body can better fight against colds and flu”, detailing that this is why your temperature increases when you are fighting an infection.
The benefits are backed up by science, too. A 2018 study carried out (unsurprisingly) by researchers in Finland demonstrated that enjoying a sauna had a similar effect on the body as 30 minutes of medium intensity exercise.
Mixing it up
As the science behind the power of cold therapy becomes better known, more spas and wellness centres are bringing the two elements together. “Something that heat and cold therapies have in common is that they are both used to reduce muscle spasms and alleviate pain,” says Rawat.
Using the two therapies together leads to better circulation and, therefore, bodily function, Antoniuk says because, quite simply, “cold treatments reduce inflammation by decreasing blood flow, while heat treatments promote blood flow”.
Physical benefits aside, both extremes can alter your mental state, too. While heat releases endorphins and enables the body to relax, the cold teaches our brain about endurance; instead of sending you to sleep, cold showers will send energy levels soaring, leaving you feeling positive and alert.
As of yet, eager as we may be to harness the healing power of water at all its temperatures, it’s a lot easier to convince most people to relax in a room filled with steam than it is to ask them to jump into an icy bath.
But, as Aboulnaga puts it, the temporary moment of pain is worth the long-term gain. “I believe ice therapy will teach people to trust in themselves, and to explore the huge potential of the human mind and body to help itself. It takes focus to stay in the cold water. Work on your willpower and watch how this carries over into other important areas in your life.” Round three, then.
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hoopla%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jacqueline%20Perrottet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20required%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
Palestine and Israel - live updates
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Australia World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (capt), Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.