6 weeks ago I committed to Wim Hof once again and the 'Iceman Within' is rising.... and rising fast. When I knew i was starting up again on the next leg of my long road, and that I'd be taking something bigger and badder than ever before on, I looked carefully at all dimensions of what I was doing well and what lessons I learned. One of those I picked up on was that since finishing my Jurassic Ultra in May, I had entirely stopped doing my Wim Hof Training.
Truth be told, I'd stopped the cold showers way back in the spring as I'd never built up the habit properly to begin with. It was basically no fucking fun at all getting up at 5.30am in March and having an ice cold shower to start the date... though it did wake me up.
I wrote back at the very start of this blog about Wim Hof Method and it's benefits, and if you're too lazy to read the link, then to summarize:
- deep breathing,
- extended breath holds (up to 3 minutes!)
- Cold showers/plunges
resulting in,
Reduced stress
reduced fatigue
improved oxygenation
faster recovery
faster healing
better aerobic capacity and function
better fat loss
balanced energy
better fat adaptation
improved wellbeing
improved immunity
to name but a few. And these are actually scientifically demonstrated and tested benefits. It's amazing really. But it's not an easy thing to stick to.
Who knew deep breathing without pause could have so many benefits. I tested it before long runs and was surprised by the difference it made. I ran easier, faster and longer instantly. But think about it. Flood your body with oxygen and it will operate better. But I stopped. For months. So I decided to commit. Every single day. And here I am six weeks later. So what have I done?
Every morning I do an 11 minute Wim Hof guided breathing session (though I've upped the level just now so it's about 15 minutes). You can find the beginners one on youtube here.
Every time I have a shower (day or night) I have a normal warm shower then go for at least a minute on full cold shower at the end (and do not end on warm, only end on cold). This is every day of course (because I am neither a dirtbag, nor a teenager).
and the results have been excellent...
Firstly, I feel better. That's worth the ten minutes or so a day on its own. I feel connected, grounded, and ready to tackle anything after my breathing exercise. It's both meditative and action-activating. You just want to 'go' after you've done it. Stress evaporates and you simply feel 'ready'.
My wellbeing has improved. Very recently it has been wildly stressful. Work has been mental busy, and my youngest had to have an emergency surgery very recently (he's recovering well). High pressure time, but simply taking it on much more gracefully than I would have previously.
I'm recovering faster and healing better. My Pilates classes are tough but I'm shaking the soreness off very fast. Same with my runs. In fact, I badly pulled my calf at the weekend and it has entirely healed within 4 days when normally I'd be feeling it for 2 weeks.
My body just feels tighter. Less soft. Less wobbly. More effective. It's hard to describe, but I feel just better than I was a few weeks ago. Combining two days of 24hr fasting per week I think is helping, and these days are pretty easy now. Weight is shifting even while I'm not training particularly hard yet.
As for breath holds. After an outbreath I am now getting up as far as 3 minutes! Try breathing out and THEN holding your breath for a minute. It's fucking hard. Not with Wim though. Now it feels like I can hold my breath for crazy periods of time compared to when I started.
What to expect
When you do this, it feels a bit weird. Start slow (beginners rounds on his youtube). You will likely get ice cold feelings in your hands, and pressure in your head. Just feel where your edges are. Everyone is different. If you have any health issues with breathing, fits, etc then seek medical advice first and take it SLOW if you do it. Do not force yourself into this. Listen to your own body. Afterwards you will feel great. And that alone makes it worth while.
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