The Wim Hof Method

This article is perfect for you if you:

– Have trouble sleeping
– Feel that you could and should have more energy
– Often feel stressed in everyday life
– Are sensitive to cold and would like to change that
– Want to improve your health and willpower

If any of the above things resonate with you, then you should go ahead and keep reading. I promise you will not regret it! What’s coming up is by far my favourite life hack. Actually, it is much more than a life hack — it is a strategy that will change your life for the better. Sounds cheesy and exaggerated? I know. But go ahead and you’ll find out what all the fuzz is about.

In this post, I will introduce you to the Wim Hof Method (WHM). But ok – first things first:

Wim Hof is this crazy dutch dude, who holds 26 world records. He ran a half marathon above the arctic circle in shorts, climbed Mount Everest. Also in shorts. He ran a marathon through the Namib desert without drinking any water. He also holds the world record for being fully immersed in ice for a period of 1 hour and 52 minutes.

If you now wonder how he does that stuff … you’re going to find out shortly.

Wim started to share with the world how he achieves those things. Over the years he developed the so-called ‘Wim Hof Method’.

The Wim Hof Method

Wim’s method consists of three pillars: cold-therapy, commitment, breathing. The beauty of this method, next to being a powerful tool to improve your life and wellbeing, is that it is so simple and can be done without needing to spend money. You don’t need to study anything, you don’t need any experts to help you, you don’t need to acquire anything. You can simply do it — anytime, anywhere. All you need are things you can find within yourself or have around you anyway: commitment, air and water. That’s it. Like I said – the beauty of it is, that it’s so simple … and yet — what happens in your body when you practice the method, is highly complex. But more on that later. For now, let’s look at the three pillars and how to do the WHM yourself.

The first pillar, cold therapy simply means exposure to cold temperatures. Exposure to cold is known to have many health benefits — from improved immune response, better focus and improved quality of sleep, to higher energy levels, improved metabolism and decreased sensitivity to cold.

The ideal way to do that is to jump into a cold lake or some kind of ice bath. Most of us don’t have that at hand, of course. In that case, a simple, ice cold shower will do the job, too. Whenever you take a shower, instead of only showering with hot water, shower with hot and cold water – it’s as simple as that! Start with a cold shower at the end of your hot shower. And with time, implement a cold shower before, in between and after your hot showers. By overcoming your fear of cold water, by really doing it, by really pulling the handle in your shower all the way to cold — you’re not only getting all the benefits from the cold water, you also train your willpower. It’s killing two birds with one stone. Commit to doing it — every time! And then, do it every time!

The second pillar, commitment, actually stands for willpower and self-control. Therefore this pillar is directly intertwined with the first one, because to get your ass in a tub full of ice water or a crystal clear, ice-cold lake or even just to switch the water in the shower to as cold as possible, requires a large amount of willpower! Everyone who has done that before knows what I’m talking about. If you now wonder why willpower is so important … here is why: a study shows, that willpower is correlated with positive life outcomes such as better grades, higher self-esteem, lower substance abuse rates, greater financial security and improved physical and mental health.

In the same study it is stated: ‘Just as muscles are strengthened by regular exercise, regularly exerting self-control may improve willpower strength over time.’

The third pillar, breathing, is where it gets interesting. You might think now ‘well, breathing … isn’t that something everybody does all the time anyway?! If I wouldn’t breath, I would die within a very short time…’ And of course you are right. And yet, there are actually different ways of breathing that engender different effects on your body. The breathing I’m talking about, Wim Hof’s breathing method, is different: it’s more like a controlled hyperventilation. Wim also calls it ‘power breathing’. Wim’s power breathing exercise enables you to gain energy by influencing your nervous system. It positively influences your blood circulation and thereby improves your immune system. Sounds crazy? Exactly!

What do you need for Wim’s breathing method and how do you do it?

The breathing exercise (or breathing kickstart, how I like to call it, since I do it in the mornings, and it always kickstarts my day), really requires only air — easy peasy. And here’s what you do with this air: Find a comfortable position (sitting or lying, not standing because of possible dizziness). Now you start by taking a deep breath — imagine that you fill up your lungs as if you would fill up a balloon. Then you let go. And again: inhale – exhale. Breath in, let go. Letting go means, literally opening your lungs and letting all the air out that naturally flows out — don’t force all the air out of your lungs. Repeat this 30 to 40 times. Deep inhale – letting go. Deep inhale – letting go….

Eventually (after those 30 – 40 repetitions), you let go, and then stop breathing. It is important that you stop breathing after exhaling for the last time. Don’t inhale and stop. Exhale, and then stop breathing — become still and enjoy the sensations you can now feel. Don’t breath until you feel the urge to inhale again, however long that may be. Then, take a very large deep breath — fill your lungs to their full capacity. Hold that air in your lungs for 10-15 seconds, then exhale. And that is the first set. Now you start again: deep inhale – exhale, etc. Do between 2 and 4 of those sets. Perhaps you start with two sets and after a few days you do three and eventually four. Enjoy the tingling sensation and the lightheadedness you will feel during the exercise.

If you now wonder if there is any scientific proof that this stuff is actually helpful and as good as claimed… I can tell you: yes, there is scientific proof! Wim Hof lists on his website quite a few studies and experiments that have been done in different universities and from different scientists, investigating his method and its impact and effect on the human body.

And for those of you who would like to know in more detail what happens in your body during the cold therapy and the power breathing …. Keep reading 🙂

What happens with your body when you exercise the cold therapy?

Countless studies have shown, that cold water actually boosts our immune system. The oxidative stress that cold water causes, improves the antioxidative protection of the body. Czech scientists even discovered that taking cold showers regularly increases the number of white blood cells, which in turn enables your body to more effectively fight diseases.

Other research shows that cold water improves antioxidative protection:

When cold water hits the body, it makes our blood circulate faster and at a higher pressure, which increases the blood pumping efficiency of our arteries which in turn has a positive effect on our overall heart health. It also lowers blood pressure and clears blocked arteries.

Sudden exposure to cold water is perceived by the nervous system as a threat to the body. In order to feel stronger and thus be able to deal with the perceived threat, the neural response of the body is to release adrenalin. The sudden rush of blood and the released adrenalin and dopamine gives you energy.

Not only does a cold shower give you an immediate energy boost, it can also reduce chronic fatigue:

Whenever cold water touches the skin, the peripheral nerve endings of all the cold receptors in the skin send a lot of electrical impulses to the brain. Further, the level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline increases. Other research finds that cold water can have an anti-depressive effect:

When jumping under a cold shower, your body is instantly forced to work hard to keep your body temperature at the necessary level for homeostasis. In order to do that, your body cranks up your metabolism immensely, burning calories in the process. At the same time, growth of brown fat is stimulated. Brown fat, in contrast to white fat, is considered ‘the good fat’, since it expends energy and is responsible for keeping us warm.

Researchers out of Australia note that shivering is a more powerful weight loss tool than riding a bicycle.

Unlike hot water, cold water doesn’t strip the skin of essential oils and doesn’t dry out the skin. It forces blood to rush to the skin’s surface, giving it a natural, healthy glow. Even your hair benefits from cold water, as cold water flattens and closes hair cuticles — making the hair healthier, stronger and shinier.

Through exposure to cold, the plasma uric acid concentration in the body decreases and the ratio of glutathione increases, “resulting in an increased tolerance to stress, e.g., diseases”.

Exposure to cold also helps with faster recovery from physical exertion. Due to reduced inflammation and muscle soreness, many athletes and sportsmen make use of the cold therapy.

What happens with your body when you exercise the breathing?

Through inhaling and exhaling deeply and rhythmically during the power breathing, the ratio of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in your body changes. Firstly, through the power breathing, you consume a lot of oxygen. Simultaneously, the concentration of CO2 decreases. The power breathing makes the pH-value in the blood increase, which makes the blood more alkaline — so at the same time, the acidity decreases. Scientific experiments on Wim Hof and others practicing his method have shown those claims to be true. Thus, what until then has been believed to be impossible, namely to voluntarily influence the Autonomic Nervous System, has now proven to actually be possible. That also means, that you can consciously and deliberately boost your immune system.

Conclusion

Ok, let’s sum up… what benefits can you gain from practicing the Wim Hof Method?

Stronger will power
Improved blood circulation
Improved overall heart health
Clearance of blocked arteries
Increase of white blood cells in the body
Improved immune system
More efficient metabolism

Weight loss

Stimulation of growth of brown fat
Healthier skin
Healthier hair
Better stress resistance

Better mood

More energy
More alkaline and less acidic blood
Better sleep
Faster recovery from physical exertion
Improved sports performance
Enhanced creativity
More focus and mental clarity

Whoa – that is one long list, isn’t it?! And I know, I haven’t elaborated on all of these points, and there aren’t yet scientific studies for all of them. To the last three points for instance, I haven’t found any studies. Those are merely claims by Wim Hof himself. I’m sure though, that whenever you start practicing the WHM, you will find it easy to agree, that those points do indeed belong on that list. Plus, the nature of science is to discover—and new scientific information is continuously being explored and revealed.

Also, if you think about the magnitude of impact that strengthening willpower could have on your life, this list could be even much longer.

Ok, now I have a few more tips for you:

When you do the power breathing, have a stop watch next to you and track the time you can go without breathing between the sets (when you exhale the last time until you draw a breath again). Believe me – you will be greatly astounded!
Do the power breathing on an empty stomach…more place for your lungs to expand.
Do the power breathing next time when you wake up with a hangover. You will be amazed to find out that…. SPOILER ALERT…. your hangover will be gone!

And now…. Take a deep breath, get over your fears and commit to changing your life for the better.

¹ https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower.aspx

² https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/

³ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8925815

⁴ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10396606

⁵ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10751106

⁶ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2164952/?tool=pubmed

⁷ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17993252

⁸ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278646.php

⁹ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272258.php

¹⁰ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0891584994900302

¹¹ https://www.wimhofmethod.com/workout-recovery