The Power of the Cold With Wim Hof

Could you tell us a little bit more about the relationship between this breathing technique and the cold therapy that you're using?

Yes, the cold therapy trains the cardiovascular system. Killer number one in society? What is it? Cardiovascular related diseases. Why? Because we wear clothes all the time. We are never exposed to the elements of nature: to cold, to heat, to pressure. It's always neutral. Neutral is like a muscle, and you don't drain it. It's there, but it is this that is our vascular system.

Our vascular system is a hundred thousand kilometers long inside everybody. The thermal receptors and the electro receptors end up in our biggest organ of ours, which is the skin. We always get it covered. Logically, we have a cardiovascular related epidemic, pandemic going on for hundreds of years already. And now I say, “a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away.”

Okay, so how cold and how long? That begins with 30 seconds. First, I explain what happens when you go into a cold shower. You activate, you stimulate deeply the thermoreceptors and the anti-pain receptor, pain receptor, thermoreceptors, electro receptors, which is the neurology all connected to the skin. They, in turn, affect the vascular system.

The cardiovascular system—millions of little muscles—suddenly are stimulated. They begin to optimize it. The blood flow goes a lot better through the system. That is number one. It reaches a lot better our cells with oxygen, nutrients, and vitamins. That's why a cold shower gives you energy.

Then the second thing, if you regularly begin with 30 seconds, then you do 45 seconds, one minute, one minute and a quarter, etc. You go up to two and a half minutes a day. Why? Because that is the vascular fitness exercise. The best then cardiovascular related diseases, and that is also inflammation into the heart. Inflammation into our neurology is goodbye.

How simple! What happens? When all these little millions of little primitive muscles in the hundreds of thousands of blood vessels inside are activated, optimized, then the heart rate suddenly doesn't need to compensate for the loss of the vascular condition. And then the heart rate will go down with 20 to 30 beats a minute, 24 hours a day.

You see what kind of stress that would be if you have a weak vascular system in tone? Then it takes maybe years—maybe 10 years, maybe 20—but it will take its toll. Because the heart rate, when it goes up, it triggers directly the liver to release cortisol and glucose. It's like you are in fight or flight.

Because the function of our accelerated heart rate is to pump glucose and adrenaline through our system the fastest as possible. Yeah, but now there is a constant danger signal going on because of our weight. That's why cardiovascular related diseases, arteriosclerosis, is logical. Because the blood flow is not helped with these millions of little muscles who are weakened; they are not stimulated.

And then the heart rate needs to pump 20 to 30 a minute, 24 hours a day, day in, day out, day. And hey man, it will take us all sooner or later.

So if the people, they gotta wake up. A cold shower—the best thing you can do for yourself is a cold shower. How cool! Just to call. Turn them too cold. That is creating the stimulation. You start with 30 seconds. Yes, it begins with 30 seconds because I say don’t force.

Because, yeah, maybe 90% of the people go, “Well, you guys, you will go well. Young woman, that goes, well no problem.” Hey, if you have a condition, then it is because of one of you; of the system, there is a defect going on. It will boost at that moment the system, and it will go through a good job.

So that's why I said, safety first: 30 seconds to begin with. But within 10 days, anybody is able to do the same, to go to two and a half minutes—no problem. Culture! Within 10 days, your cardiovascular system is improved so much; the way nature meant it to be.

And the way nature meant to be is that the skin is—we have skin—we have electro receptors and thermal receptors and pain receptors all going into the skin to give us the information of what is going on outside in life.

Would you recommend covering it up? Would you recommend doing this in the morning or in the afternoon or the evening? Whenever you take the shower, okay? You take them nice and warm, etc. It’s all nice. But then to also take the cold one—it’s the best.

They, what they saw with cold water? We just recently have done a new study on that. It really improves within 10 days the cardiovascular system, which is directly related to the neurology, by the way.

Yeah, neurologic—the opening and closing of all those, the activating of those muscles, to open and close all the veins, arteries, and capillaries. I mean, a hundred thousand kilometers is done by the neurology—the nervous system. So if any defect is there in the nervous system, you will get to it through a cold shower.

Increasing that is not the last. Last practical question? Maybe the last one.

Well, so the cold shower is 30 seconds and you can also use a warm shower afterwards if you want? Yes, warm, before. You should end with the cold shower. Yes. And then after 10 days, you like to begin with cold, which is better.

Why? Because then your mind comes into play. Because you know you are going into the cold. Then you connect with the stress mechanisms inside yourself. You become stronger when you know you are facing danger.

When you face—when you go to face a force, you set your mind to it. And that is what we lost in our society. It's always comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort. No! Seek discomfort. Then discomfort becomes power. That's the point where you are learning. And there you get new power. You go past the conditioning and that. It’s amazing what the cold can teach us.