A woman who partied all weekend and survived on late-night McDonald’s changed her life after discovering the power of an ice bath.
Nina Finlay, from Aigburth, once described her lifestyle as “worked hard, played harder” but found herself burning out through her boozy lifestyle. The 41-year-old was partying all weekend from Friday evening until Sunday, putting away up to 24 pints and surviving on four hours of sleep and late-night McDonald’s.
In February 2016 she said she felt “sluggish and drained” and realised something needed to change. Nina joined a gym but found her party lifestyle was hard to kick.
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But things turned around for her when she discovered the Wim Hof method, a technique, developed by the famous Dutchman, which uses breathing exercises and ice baths to reduce stress levels by increasing the amount of oxygen in your body.
Nina, an engineer and cold therapy instructor, hadn’t even had as much of a cold shower before she went on a five-day wellness retreat in 2019, in the Pyrenees, Spain. During her £2k stay, she and other guests were taught breathing techniques and cold immersion by Wim Hof himself.
After returning from the retreat, she continued to practice the methods she’d learnt and even used chest freezer for ice baths before upgrading to an old whiskey barrel. Nina found the holistic methods allowed her to cope with the stresses of the job as she felt “more connected” with herself.
Nina qualified as an instructor in March 2022 and now offers one-on-one sessions at her home-studio.
She said: “Going out was a way to release the pressures of my job but also to mask the other things going on in my life. When my mate invited me to go with her on the retreat, I decided to go for it.
“It was intense, and I was out of my comfort zone, but that first ice bath was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Wim Hof was so charismatic and engaging- it was an honour to learn from the best.
“I knew I had to continue to practice when I returned and it only went from there. I’ve connected with people from all over the world through the Wim Hof community and I regularly speak to Wim himself.
“Above all, I’ve healed my body from the inside out and that’s why I trained to become an instructor, to help others.”
Nina said she was the “life and soul of the party” after clocking off from her job as an engineer that saw her travel across the county. This all caught up with Nina in February 2016 when she found herself physically exhausted and emotionally drained.
In June 2019, Nina’s friend, Simon Loftus, 47, recommended the five-day wellness retreat in the Pyrenees.
She added: “I did a little research before I went but nothing could’ve prepared me for what I was about to experience. On the first day we started off with breathing exercises, I felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders and a release of so many emotions I had been holding on to for years.
“On the same day, I tried ice-bathing for the first time which was nerve-wrecking but an incredible experience. Some of the sessions were taught by Wim Hof himself, he was incredible, very personable and encouraging.
“When I returned home, I knew that I wanted to carry on practicing the Wim Hof method. I started off with a paddling pool but that was too shallow to ice bath, so I got a chest freezer which worked for a while- I even got personalised it with ‘Frozen Finlay’s Box’.”
In September 2021, Nina registered to become an official instructor and completed a six-month online course. By February 2022 she moved on to her masters module that saw her travel to Przesieka, Poland where she ensured frozen rivers and hiked up the Karkonosze Mountains in shorts.
In March 2022 Nina became a fully qualified instructor and set up her own at-home studio where she offers personal sessions centred around the Wim Hof method, as well as fully guided breathing classes.
Nina said: “It’s crazy to think back at the life I used to lead of chaos and booze. Now I’m able to manage the stresses of my job and everyday life through a positive outlet.
“I feel like I’ve got my mojo back and it’s all thanks to the holistic method. I do three rounds of breathing and a cold shower in the morning and one ice bath a week, it’s embedded in my routine.
“Having my own clients is so rewarding because some of them are coming from the same place I was when I found the method. I can relate to what they’re going through and it’s rewarding to see their progress.
“I still have the cheeky drink every now and then but the ice in my life is mainly found in my tub, not a gin and tonic.”
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