The Swedish TV show ”Science World” broadcasted a BBC documentary about the world record holder in cold endurance, Mr. Wim Hof AKA ”The Iceman”. He was swimming around in a glacier lake for 15 minutes, apparently unaffected and enjoying it. This made such an impression that I began to absorb every piece of information I could find about the phenomenon.
After reading the book “Becoming the Iceman” I decided to try cold water immersion for the first time in March 2011. The water temperature was only 4 degrees Celsius and I managed to endure a few minutes by relaxing and drawing deep slow breaths.
With cold therapy we train our blood vessels capability to expand and contract, which streamlines the body’s thermoregulatory ability. By exposure to extreme cold during a short time the body seems to enter a genetically programmed survival mode, so it is recommended to listen to your body and know when it’s time to quit. As a reward after cooling down, substances that cause an intensed but short euphoria are released.
Breathing technique is a surprisingly simple way to control the shock of exposure to rapid and merciless cooling. Since the lungs are the body’s own heat exchanger, it is quite logical that lowering the respiratory rate saves heat. A good exercise is to breathe in and out slowly with long deep breaths trying to empty the lungs as much as possible during exhalation until an well oxygenated feeling arises. Then try to hold the breath as long as possible first after complete exhale and then on the next full inhale. This exercise gives a warming sensation.
It is possible to practice cold resistance even if it is not winter. End each shower by turning over to cold water, close your eyes, relax and breathe with deep long breaths. Flushing head and neck for a while, will enduce a tingling sensation in the blood vessels that begins in the hands. Believe it or not but it is possible to get warm using cold showers.
Regular cold therapy will not develop immunity to the cold, but it will definitely increase tolerance, exposure time and significantly reduce the risk of frostbite by improving circulation.
Voluntary hypothermic mortification may not be beneficial for heavy drinking chain smokers with a history of strokes, but will certainly be a harmless health boost for most people.