Cold shower & breathing
I’ve been seeing and reading about this cold plunge (or cold shower) for about two years now, when some patients told me what they were doing. It took two years to build up the courage to do this, since cold showers do not sound like fun, yet anytime I read about something that can be good for my health, I want to try it. During the last few minutes of my daily shower, I slowly lower the temperature to as cold as it will go, and stand there and breathe…slowly. I figure the summer is the best time to try this, because once winter comes around, I’m not sure how easy this will be. I’m definitely getting used to it, as standing there in cold water is not so easy, but it is getting better.
It’s called the Wim Hof method & has been around for years. Some people plunge into a very cold ice bath (I have friends who fill a large freezer of cold water and then sit in it), yet I’ve chosen the shower method. The key is to breath slowly, since if you are standing there in cold water and are shaking and shivering, it defeats the purpose. According to the website, the benefits include increased energy, better sleep, reduced stress levels, heightened focus and determination & increased willpower, among others.
With this focus & determination, comes more mastery over your mind, and the ability to do more. There are so many things in people’s lives that we don’t do or can’t do because of lack of willpower, lack of confidence, or lack of determination. The Wim Hof method can help with all of those, if you are able to plunge in a cold bath or end your showers with several minutes of cold water. Sure you go somewhere and do cryotherapy, but a shower can be done in your own home, and doesn’t cost extra. Back when I was doing lots of distance running while training for marathons, I often took ice baths after my long runs, as a way to reduce inflammation in my legs. So this is really not new to me, it’s just a new way of doing the cryotherapy.
The website is below if you want to learn more, and let us know if you try this, and if you experience any benefits. A healthy body should always be one of our goals, after all, “if we don’t take care of ourselves now, where are we going to live when we get old”?
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/practice-the-method
