{"id":80394,"date":"2023-03-27T17:11:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bergfreunde.de\/blog\/breathe-deeply-take-a-cold-shower-stick-at-it-what-can-the-wim-hof-method-do\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T10:15:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T08:15:45","slug":"breathe-deeply-take-a-cold-shower-stick-at-it-what-can-the-wim-hof-method-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alpinetrek.co.uk\/blog\/breathe-deeply-take-a-cold-shower-stick-at-it-what-can-the-wim-hof-method-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Breathe deeply, take a cold shower, stick at it: what can the wim hof method do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wim Hof has a cult following with his very popular method. It is about breathing exercises, getting used to coldness and regular practice of personal development. The promises floating around the web are huge. From health to fitness to zest for life and resilience to stress, the Wim Hof Method (WHM) is said to increase just about everything. As a mountain lover and outdoor sports enthusiast, it\u2019s hard to avoid this bearded Dutchman and his cold and breathing training.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a warning<\/strong> is needed: there are numerous pictures and videos of Wim Hof and his method, which should be treated more as stunts and performances \u2013 and not as a model for beginners! This refers in particular to bathing, swimming and diving in ice-cold or even frozen waters. Several people have lost their lives in such attempts. Taking ice baths requires a lot of practice<\/strong> and experience gained through a slow approach! In the Wim Hof Method courses, the initial ice baths are exclusively in bathtubs. Anything else is irresponsible and negligent!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When conducted correctly, the Wim Hof training (which also includes occasional small meditation and yoga exercises) should be accessible to everyone. However, you may read terms such as \u201csuperhuman\u201d, \u201csuperpowers\u201d and similar big claims from time to time. Which, in turn, is why there is occasionally talk of \u201chype\u201d and \u201cexaggerated marketing\u201d. But where is the real potential? Can the WHM really take average people like you and me to new heights?<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For most people, it is about doing something physically and mentally for their own health and vitality. And that is entirely possible and realistic, as we will see in a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hof discovered this cold and special breathing method at the beginning of the nineties. He noticed not only physical adaptations, but also an increasing psychological well-being. Regular contact with the cold was his way out of his grief over his wife\u2019s suicide. Gradually, his journey led him further to almost complete insensitivity to cold and to an immune system that has not been affected by any illness since. The individual steps of this journey became the pillars of the evolving method. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Woman<\/a>
Wim Hof is known for his unique cold and breath training.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Breathing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It starts with relaxed, deep breathing into the belly and chest \u2013 so that the front of the upper body rises and falls like a wave. Exhaling is done by just \u201cletting go\u201d, so the air flows out without pressure. A Wim Hof breathing cycle consists of 30 to 40 such breaths followed by the \u201chold\u201d \u2013 retaining the breath after the last exhalation. At the beginning, the whole thing is done slowly, and as time goes on, the speed and duration of the holds are increased. The longest hold in the 10-day crash course I took in January was 2.5 minutes. However, there is no pressure or obligation, and it does not matter whether you manage five minutes or only one and a half minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is beyond the scope of this article to describe the whole procedure, but I have provided a link to a very good instructional video at the bottom of the article. This also addresses chemical-physical processes such as gas exchange in the lungs and blood as well as changes in the acid-base balance in the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing I\u2019ll say here is that the complex processes are experienced by some, among other things, as mild states of euphoria and intoxication. You are \u201chigh on your own supply\u201d for a few moments, as Hof likes to say. You also reach a meditative state, as attention is focused almost exclusively on the inner body processes, and cognitive brain activity \u201cshuts down\u201d. This \u201cswitching off\u201d both calms and activates, so it is very beneficial! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This controlled breathing helps you to \u201cget in touch\u201d with your own nervous system and is the key to getting comfortable with cold sensations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the breathing sessions, it\u2019s time for a shower. The shower is initially warm before turning to cold for 30 seconds, but on the third day of the crash course, the shower was first turned to cold for one minute. This can be a challenge on winter days when cold tap water is really cold. But that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about \u2013 challenging yourself and adapting and engaging with the experience. The reward afterwards is the feeling of being reborn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magic formula of the process is \u201cvascular fitness\u201d, a kind of strength training for blood vessels. Breathing exercises as well as exposure to cold are controlled stress stimuli that cause powerful contraction and deep relaxation of innumerable tiny blood vessel muscles. This means they can react faster and more efficiently to future stress stimuli. Changes in body condition that previously would have been fatiguing happen increasingly easily and quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindset, commitment, mental strength<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like any training: breathing sessions and cold showers require a certain amount of effort to overcome at the beginning. But each time the \u201cwillpower muscle\u201d is strengthened so that overcoming resistance feels less and less difficult. The more consciously you go into the breathing and the cold, so to speak, and the more you focus on the positive effects, the more the initial resistance is reduced and the more effective the mental training is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, this willpower can reach into areas of the nervous system that until now have been considered inaccessible. Wim Hof, for example, was able to demonstrate using an infrared camera that he can change the blood flow and temperature of his hands through sheer willpower. The crucial point here, repeatedly emphasised by Hof himself, is that these skills are not rare individual talents or genetic dispositions, but can be learned by most people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is so new and special about the WHM?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On its own, no WHM component is anything new. Kneipp baths and cold therapies have been around for centuries, and consciously controlled and modified breathing has existed for thousands of years and in many cultures. Tibetan monks and Indian yogis have been known through the ages for their seemingly impossible physical and mental feats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wim Hof has just rediscovered and restructured this old knowledge and methods in his own way. His achievement is that he has gone further than other Westerners and presented the content in such a way that it is accessible to everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that a clear structure which is relatively easy to follow is now available to a wide audience. As a result, a great many people are now achieving things that were previously the domain of only a few determined and intrepid people. Numerous practitioners (\u201cHoffers\u201d) describe their own progress as \u201calmost superhuman\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is Wim Hof?<\/b> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Who is the man behind the method? To me, this connoisseur in the art of living and holder of more than 20 extreme sports world records seems to be a colourful mix: on the one hand, he is a gruff forest ranger and a hands-on entrepreneur, on the other, he is a wacky hippie, a fun-loving buddy and even a father figure. A bird of paradise with a strong charisma who is not only outstanding for his achievements. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it\u2019s no surprise that over the years a certain cult of personality has developed. Marketing for the company, which has been established by Hof\u2019s children, is also strongly focused on his personality. My opinion: so what? It doesn\u2019t bother me at all. On the contrary, when I consider what else society adores and puts on pedestals, this man seems to me to be very worthy of distinction. Particularly because, instead of just flaunting himself, he evidentially helps other people. The fact that he also earns money from it after decades of self-exploration and development of his concept is perfectly fine. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a nutshell, you can see that I really like this cool guy ;-)<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the point? Does it really work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cold resistance, stress resistance, willpower, increased performance, faster regeneration, better blood circulation and a stronger immune system. These are all things that regular practice of the WHM is supposed to bring. Sounds kind of like a miracle pill that Alpine Trekkers would love, doesn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"People<\/a>
The method can unlock physical and mental resources in mountaineers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ll give you my personal opinion right away: yes, it\u2019s true, the method can be a miracle pill for fitness, health and wellbeing if used properly and on a long-term basis. It can unlock physical and mental resources in mountaineers and climbers for more effective training. Personally, I\u2019ve just noticed a surge of motivation that normally only starts much later in the year, or sometimes not at all to such frequency and intensity. According to initial tests, my fitness level also seems better than it normally does in February. And all this despite the wintry darkness and the pressures of this very strange time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal testimonials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Further personal results after a 10-day course and about 3 weeks of one breathing session per day and 5 cold showers per week since then: <\/p>\n\n\n\n