Anyone here ever try Wim Hof breathwork?

[Darc]

I had done it for a year and a half. I did it along with regular meditation, but have gotten lax on both for the past 6 months. I still take a cold shower every morning and I do feel good afterwards. I have also done 1 ice bath and it felt good for me, painful initially. I also intend to hop in Lake Michigan on New Years and stick it out as long as I can. I missed doing it last year as I had Covid, but maybe should have anyway.
The breath work started to feel like work for some reason, and I decided to take a break. I was trying to get longer hold times instead of just freeing my mind. I however will say when I was doing it regularly, I had a feeling of calm afterwards.
I'm pretty sure between meditation and the breath work my resting heart rate dropped noticeably. I was in the high 50's to low 60's, and after doing both for awhile I was hitting the high 40's and low 50's regularly. The nurse at last year's physical took my pulse 3 times as she was surprised it was 52 in the middle of the day.

Best of luck in Lake Michigan on NYE.

I still do cold showers, even in Winter. No ice Lakes where I live. After a few years you get used to it. Summer can be worse than Winter if the water is cold and your Body is used to warmth.

Little tricks like start on the Legs and Butt before immersing Chest n Back etc. Flex the core to keep heat around the vitals.

First few times are such a buzz afterwards. They say it builds emotional durability, but so would a kick nuts too probably.

 

[Baron]

The issue I've always had with Wim Hof is that he never represented anything I ever wanted to be. In other words, there's really nothing exceptional about his overall health and appearance that I find desirable. It's not like he's super shredded for his age, and his face appears very leathery and weathered, no doubt from being exposed to the cold so much.

Yes, he has established quite the tolerance to cold conditions over the years but I don't see how that has manifested itself in any desirable way other than actually being able to tolerate more cold. I know the current buzzword these days is "autophagy", meaning that the cold somehow causes the body to do some house cleaning by removing old cells and regenerating new healthy cells, but I know a lot of guys in their sixties that look way better, younger, and more vibrant than Wim Hof, that's for sure, so the autophagy aspect seems like a bunch of bullshit honestly.

 

[tango29]

The issue I've always had with Wim Hof is that he never represented anything I ever wanted to be. In other words, there's really nothing exceptional about his overall health and appearance that I find desirable. It's not like he's super shredded for his age, and his face appears very leathery and weathered, no doubt from being exposed to the cold so much.

Yes, he has established quite the tolerance to cold conditions over the years but I don't see how that has manifested itself in any desirable way other than actually being able to tolerate more cold. I know the current buzzword these days is "autophagy", meaning that the cold somehow causes the body to do some house cleaning by removing old cells and regenerating new healthy cells, but I know a lot of guys in their sixties that look way better, younger, and more vibrant than Wim Hof, that's for sure, so the autophagy aspect seems like a bunch of bullshit honestly.

I think he is more than just the cold exposure. He also is into meditation through his form of breathing method, and the cold is just a part of his practice. They have done studies that indicate the breathing meditation and cold exposure can aid the body in health aspects. I don't necessarily buy that one practice helps alone. He also has done marathons in the desert with no water. With cold exposure there seems to be more studies coming out that indicate it can have a positive mental and physical benefit.
I think in general he is somewhat an outlier in human physiology, although I am a believer in meditation and the benefits of the practice. Personally the cold showers feel good to me and I come out in what I feel is a better frame of mind after the initial suck.
Does he look great? No I agree there, but I don't think that is the point he is trying to get across. He seems more concerned with mental well being and the overall changes that may be provided via the breathing meditation and cold exposure. It certainly hasn't improved my looks, and that is why I keep my wife drugged up at all times.
From what I gather some of the over hyping of the whole thing is his brother making money off of him. He is the one that runs the programs and website.

 

[tango29]

I don't think his weathered leathery skin is from the cold exposure, pretty sure it is from good old sun exposure.
He does most of his stuff like climbing Everest to 20000 ft in shorts and no shirt.

 

[Baron]

Well no wonder he doesn't need a coat when he's hiking. His tough leathery skin from the sun and cold is the only coat he needs. Why wear a leather jacket when there's one already attached naturally?

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I think in general he is somewhat an outlier in human physiology, although I am a believer in meditation and the benefits of the practice.

Probably. But he trained others to do endure cold exposure climbing mountains underdressed, and regulate their immune system after being injected with endotoxins. And the latter under lab conditions and supervision.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Yes, he has established quite the tolerance to cold conditions over the years but I don't see how that has manifested itself in any desirable way other than actually being able to tolerate more cold.

https://www.healthline.com/health/wim-hof-method#benefits

As for your other observation, I don't think the WHM is a beauty regimen. He's a year younger than I am, but looks older. In addition to what tango29 said about sun exposure, there's also the function of genetics. Not everyone ages in the same way. Doesn't mean you don't play the hand you're dealt as best you can.

Some of the benefits may be a bit overblown, but I think there's still value in what he does. As I noted earlier, I read a book by Scott Carney, an anthropologist and investigative journalist who wanted to out Hof as a charlatan. He ended up becoming something of a devotee:

 

[Baron]

Breathwork of all types and patterns has been taught in the Yogic sciences for thousands of years, and in no way am I trying to diminish the impact and benefits of that activity. But the fact of the matter is that his so-called method isn't anything new at all. But I guess if he can bring the benefits of breathwork to a different group of people that wouldn't get exposed to yoga or similar meditative practices otherwise, then that's a good thing.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

In his own book, Hof didn't suggest it was new. If memory serves, he referred to breathwork going back many, many years. He simply adopted a version of it and maybe tweaked it a bit, and combined it with the cold exposure. He himself doesn't claim ownership, but rather sees himself more as a missionary spreading the word. The guy is downright evangelical about it.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Yes, he has established quite the tolerance to cold conditions over the years but I don't see how that has manifested itself in any desirable way other than actually being able to tolerate more cold.

There's probably more truth in your sushi and rice comment than you realize. Epigenetics is the study of how different biological and environmental signals affect gene expression. Instead of changing DNA itself, epigenetic signals can change the number of methyl chemical groups attached to a gene, which turns that gene on or off. A person’s diet is an important source of epigenetic signals, and that's why the author of the book I was referring to examined the diets and environmental factors of all the world's longest living people to see what they're doing and we're not.

Aside from diet and excercise, another important epigenetic signal is exposure to extreme temperature. It seems that when the body is exposed to extreme conditions like a sauna on the hot side or cryotherapy on the cold side, it activates certain pathways in the body that have a direct effect on longevity. So the more you put stress on the body in that way, the tougher the body becomes which is beneficial for living longer. You can view exercise as being a beneficial stressor in the same way.

So it seems that a combination of limiting caloric consumption, daily exercise or hard work, combined with occasional exposure to extreme temperature is where the magic happens for living longer.

Just sayin'.