Let's Get COLD!!!

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I was ahead of the curve on this one. A buddy and I have been going to Walden Pond now for several years to swim out to the middle and just hang for 20-30 minutes in the months of March, April, October, November when the water temp gets down below 40 degrees. It does hurt a lot for 90 seconds or so but if you breathe through it after that your body adjusts and you hit an endorphin rush like no other. And the rest of the day you feel like a million bucks. Recently we have been going on Friday mornings @ 10 am. So please come join us! (you can email me at [email protected] to make sure we haven't changed the day or time). Walden is always gorgeous and always different. But last week was one of the best ever.

At my old house the water out of the tap is wicked cold and we had a huge tub, so I would fill that thing up and lie down in it. I also had a gym with super cold rainforest showers.?

Cold exposure has been scientifically proven to treat depression, speeds up your metabolism, reduces inflammation, and improves your immune system. All the fluid in your body goes to your core to protect your organs. Then when you warm back up fresh clean fluids rush to your extremities thereby getting rid of harmful toxins in your system.

Of course, the pioneer of this method is Wim Hof . He discovered it after his wife suddenly died leaving him a single father horribly sad. He found the only relief he could find was swimming in frigid Dutch rivers. He has done all kinds of crazy shit like swimming under the ice for 50 meters (missing the hole he was supposed to come up in and having to turn around), stayed in an ice bath for almost two hours, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and climbing Kilimanjaro in shorts and sandals.

A big component of how Wim teaches to withstand cold (and improve your life) has to do with breathing. Here is an 11-minute breathing exercise which I found to be really useful.?

Here is a good summary of the benefits of cold exposure by Stanford Medical School Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.

Here is Huberman’s full podcast going through a review of the scientific literature of cold exposure.

Here is Wim Hoff on RRP all the way back in 2016 when I was first introduced to him.

If you want to build your own cold tub at home there is a Facebook page with over ten thousand (!) members that will tell you exactly how. Or you can buy a turn-key cold tub but it will cost your a pretty penny.

For me the natural cold swims are the best, along with cold showers at home. They all keep me feeling invigorated, happy, and healthy.