Why cold training can help you become your best self.

Cold training for chronic pain? Cold training has become quite popular in a short period of time. And for good reason—it is a highly effective way to improve both your physical and mental health. However, it’s more than just a trend; cold therapies like cold showers, ice baths, and breathing techniques are attracting the attention of both scientists and health enthusiasts. But what exactly is cold training, why is it so healthy, and how can you safely integrate it into your daily routine?

What is cold training?

Cold training, or cold therapy, is the process of exposing your body to cold temperatures to achieve various physiological and psychological benefits.

Benefits of cold therapy

The most well-known ways to reap the benefits of cold training are immersing yourself in an ice bath (increasingly offered at gyms), taking a cold shower, and using Wim Hof’s breathing techniques. With cold therapy, you strengthen your blood vessels, boost your immune system, and reduce pain signals. How does that work? By briefly exposing your body to cold, blood flow to less vital body parts is temporarily cut off. In fact, it is vital that the body not cool down beyond 35°C so that the heart can continue to pump properly. Due to this prioritisation of vital organs, your arms and legs will temporarily receive less blood flow. Blood vessels constrict, arms and legs start to tingle, and may produce a burning sensation.

Training blood vessels and releasing endorphins

Now when you start warming up your body again, the blood vessels will dilate again and blood flow will be restored at lightning speed. This constricting and dilating is basically a “workout” of your blood vessels. They become stronger as a result, leading to a significant reduction in chronic pain. Additionally, your immune system gets a boost, your muscles recover faster after exertion, and you feel more energetic. Moreover, endorphins are released, allowing you to experience intense feelings of happiness and euphoria. Comparable to the effect of opiates, but without adverse side effects. It is even recommended for people with depression and anxiety disorders.

People with chronic pain experience a lot of stress

Or are you more susceptible to pain when you experience a lot of stress? You can also look at it the other way around. People with chronic pain experience constant pain signals, which overload and hypersensitise the nervous system. As a result, the nervous system begins transmitting even more pain signals, including stimuli that wouldn’t necessarily need to be painful (like pressure) or stimuli that shouldn’t trigger any alarm at all. By ‘alarm’, I mean a sensation picked up by the brain and interpreted as pain. To gain more control over this, change from multiple perspectives is essential. Nutrition plays a role, releasing trigger points and fascia (the connective tissue), calming the nervous system, managing stressors and negative thoughts, applying breathing techniques, and staying active.

The Wim Hof Method: Breathing, Cold & Focus

Wim Hof, also known as ‘The Iceman’, has gained worldwide acclaim for his cold training and breathing techniques. The method consists of three main pillars; breathing, cold exposure, mindset and focus. The aim of Wim Hof’s method is to strengthen the body and immune system, activate the nervous system, calm your thoughts and your ‘mind’ and increase your mental resilience.

A Wim Hof exercise for beginners

Wim Hof’s unique breathing technique is quite simple but also very powerful. I’d love for you to experience a great exercise that you can easily do yourself. This way, you can immediately feel the positive and powerful effect.

1. Sit comfortably upright in a quiet space, in a safe location. So, not in the shower, in water, or while participating in traffic.
2. Breathe in deeply through your nose or mouth and fill your lungs completely, including your belly and chest.
3. Breathe out relaxed, without fully emptying your lungs.
4. Repeat 25-30 deep breaths, one after the other with little to no pause between the inhale and exhale. Your breathing will consciously become faster and deeper. You may start to feel tingling in your hands or feet, or feel a bit lightheaded. This is normal, don’t worry.
5. After the last exhale, hold your breath for as long as possible, with a guideline of between 1 and 3 minutes. Your lungs will be relatively empty. Relax completely and feel your body. During the retention, you can visualise a sun with white golden healing light directed to a part of your body where you feel pain. Essentially, channeling healing energy. When you feel the urge to breathe again, do so slowly and controlled.
6. Breathe in deeply, hold the breath for 10-15 seconds, then exhale. This restores your body and prepares you for the next round.

Repeat this entire process 3 times and pay attention to how your body and mind respond. This intensive breathing exercise, combined with brief exposure to cold (such as a cold shower or ice bath), can significantly change how your body responds to stress, anxiety, and pain, and improve your overall physical and mental health.

Scientific basis of cold training

Cold training has attracted scientific interest. Several studies have investigated the impact of cold therapy on the body. There is evidence that cold exposure improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and increases recovery speed after intense exercise. A study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine in 2015 showed that cold therapies such as ice baths can help reduce muscle damage after intense physical exertion and shorten athletes’ recovery time. Additionally, research published in PLOS ONE suggests that regular exposure to cold can increase metabolism, which may lead to improved fat burning and weight loss. This is because your body has to work harder to maintain its temperature, burning more calories.

Health benefits of cold therapy

The benefits of cold training are very diverse. The main health benefits of cold therapy listed:

1. Strengthening the immune system: Regular exposure to cold can help strengthen the immune system. Cold training stimulates the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections.
2. Reducing inflammation: Taking an ice bath or cold shower has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. This is especially beneficial for people suffering from chronic pain or inflammation-related conditions.
3. Better blood circulation: Cold stimulates blood circulation by causing blood vessels to constrict and then expand again as your body warms up. This promotes blood flow and can help improve heart health.
4. Faster muscle recovery: Cold training can shorten recovery time after physical exertion by improving blood flow and reducing muscle damage.
5. Increased energy and focus: According to Wim Hof, your energy levels, mental clarity, and focus improve, especially in stressful situations, through regular cold exposure.
6. Improved sleep: There is evidence that cold therapy can improve your sleep quality
7. Increased fat burning: Cold training can help activate brown fat, which is responsible for producing heat in your body. This can contribute to weight loss through increased fat burning.

Think about your safety

It is really important to approach it carefully, especially if you have little experience. Start slowly, gradually build up. Pay close attention to your body’s signals and stop if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or uncomfortable.

How do you go about this?

Deep abdominal breathing during cold shower Start by breathing calmly before stepping under the cold shower. Make sure you breathe properly through your belly (diaphragmatic breathing). Inhale deeply through your nose, fill your belly completely and slowly exhale longer through your mouth. This helps you calm your nervous system and prepare for the cold. Breathe slowly and deeply as you turn on the cold water spray. It can help to breathe in and out quietly for a while while you feel the cold water on your skin. Make sure not to breathe too fast, as this can lead to hyperventilation or panic. Keep breathing into your belly as you feel the cold. Focus on filling your belly with air, not your chest. It helps to divert your focus from the cold and calm your body. Repeat the process of breathing in and out through your nose and mouth while trying to accept the cold. The aim is not to completely avoid the discomfort, but to regulate it through breathing. Stay in the cold shower for a shorter period if you are new to it – start with 20 to 30 seconds. Try to build it up slowly as your body adjusts to the cold.

Works better than coffee!

It gives you energy: it takes some getting used to, but if you want a boost of energy in the morning, a cold shower is more effective than coffee. Life Force Therapy can help if you’re struggling with pain. Make an appointment in my online calendar; I’d be happy to help you map out and reduce your pain.