On cold/contrast therapy.
A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the breathing practices that I have been implementing for several months now. The inspiration came from Wim Hof and the the science that supports the practices that he offers in his method. Some benefits include improved cardiovascular health and reduced inflammation in the body. Today I want to share some of my personal experiences with the cold/contrast therapy and how it has impacted my life.
Cold showers are not very enticing, especially this time of year when it’s already quite cold in Chicago. It takes time to get acclimated to the cold and Wim Hof offers a gradual approach. Here is a brief summary:
After taking your warm shower, shift the temperature to cold.
Begin with your hands and feet, from there, start to include your entire body; it’s a gradual introduction so as not to shock the system.
Start with 15 seconds. Each week increase the time to 30 seconds, 45 seconds, a minute, ultimately working your way up to 2 minutes.
It is recommended to do this 5 days a week.
Initially, I hated it. It was a struggle. I had to set a timer, play some music, take lots of deep breaths, some profanity was involved … all just to make it to 15 seconds. As time passed and my body began to adjust. The cold showers/contrast therapy turned into something that was not only bearable, but enjoyable. I would honestly have to say that it took a solid 6-8 weeks for me to get to this place.
This is what enjoyable means to me in this particular situation:
I started to feel more awake. The morning fog would pass very quickly. This is definitely an effective way to wake up.
I feel more energized. Not only feeling more awake, but my system was ready to go. More energy means having the capacity to do more of the things I have to, but also the things I love to do.
I am warmer. I was one of those people that was constantly cold. This made it extremely challenging to regulate my system when the external temperatures dropped. Once I get out of the cold water, this surge of warmth comes over me. I am able to regulate my body temperature and not as easily impacted by the external environment. If you are a person that is constantly cold, you know how this can significantly impact your life.
Of course there are ways that you can continue to build on this practice to make it what you want it to be. I am about 3 months in now, and I am so grateful that I experimented with cold therapy. I foresee this being a practice that I sustain throughout my lifetime as it has brought so much energy and vitally in my day to day. It’s simple to integrate into my day and it’s effective. I would love to hear if you have any cold/contrast therapy practices that have supported you. In the meantime, hope you are staying healthy and strong.
In love, light + with gratitude,
Nicole