The Wim Hof Method is a 10 week process with breath work and increasingly longer cold showers.
The claimed benefits are increased energy, higher fat burning, higher testosterone, better immune system and higher physical endurance.
It does come at a cost of standing under a cold shower. A really cold shower. I don’t mind telling you, that this takes me a significant amount of will power to do. For the full few minutes 😉
The trick, as a good friend reminded me, is to do the Wim Hof breathing exercises before: 10-20 seconds of fast deep inhale/exhales (think: consciously hyperventilating) and then under the cold water do the slow breathing to calm your nervous system. This story is that the low CO2 and high oxygen in your blood, disables the flight stress of the fight/flight, transforming the stress to eu-stress, the good stress. Eu-stress increases testosteron.
The story about increasing oxygen seems to be bunk: as remarked by a few people I trust to have researched that, and by personal measurements with a medical grade oximeter, blood oxygenation is already at max if you are breathing normally deep.
So yes, the cold takes some getting used to,however, I find it is quite worth it: taking a cold shower costs nothing (except that small amount of will power) and I do feel clearer and more energised doing this. Which is why the Wim Hof Method in my morning ritual (in the warmer part of the year).
See also
- my morning ritual
- Cryo-therapy