Embedded Files
Post date: Jun 18, 2017 12:56:56 PM
Cold Training
“You can’t learn anything from the cold. But you can learn to not do some things.”-Wim Hof
Exposure to the cold has a favorable effect on health and mood.
Cold is good for circulation, the heart, glossy hair, taut skin, increased energy levels, improved mood, fighting infections and self confidence.
The body has 125,000 km (77,671 miles) of blood vessels. These blood vessels ensure that the billions of cells in the body continually get enough nutrients and oxygen. If the blood vessels are working properly, the body functions better as a whole (the brain, muscles, intestines, liver, heart, etc.)
About blood vessels:
The Arteries. The aorta connects the heart to the other arteries, the coronary makes sure the heart muscle is supplied with blood.
Blood vessels divide and provide the whole body with blood.
Capillaries are smaller blood vessels that are very narrow and filter oxygen and nutrients through the capillary walls to the tissue cells.
Blood that is low in oxygen returns to the heart through the veins.
Blood is transported from the intestines by the portal vein to the liver, where harmful substances are removed as much as possible. This giant web of arteries and veins is crucial to many functions in the body.
Open and properly working blood vessels are of benefit to the entire body.
By exposing the body to the cold, the body automatically closes off blood flow to the less vital parts of the body. Body temperature must not fall below 35°C (95°F.) The heart, liver, lungs and kidneys are given priority. They get enough blood flow so they can continue working. The arms and legs get less. The arms and legs may begin to tingle. When the body warms up again, the blood vessels open up and circulation normalizes .
Cold exposure trains the blood vessels by closing them forcefully and then letting them open back up again.
By consistently training in the cold, the body learns to feel the cold less. An ’energy’ boost is derived from the cold as well a boost in mood. More is achieved by building up slowly, as the cold is also a dangerous force.
Cold Damage occurs when the core temperature falls below 35°C (95°F) the cold gets into the bones and tissues die. Heart rate and blood pressure lower and breathing slows down. The untrained person can succumb after an hour of cold exposure (30 minutes in ice water.) The normal metabolic core is also at risk: heart rate and blood pressure lower and breathing slows down. Eventually, consciousness is lost and after an hour, it will be fatal.
However, Wim Hof can sit in a full tank of ice for 1.5 hours while his body temperature remains constant at 37°C (98°F). His heart rate and blood pressure remain normal. How is this possible?
When exposed to ice, Hof’s metabolic rate increases by 300%. This also increases his body’s heat production. He can turn up the stove three times hotter than normal by controlling his autonomic nervous system with breathing exercises just before the cold exposure. Hof’s training has given him a lot of brown fat, so he stays warm more easily.
White Fat vs. Brown Fat
White fat mainly stores energy and is a reserve for nutrients. Beneath the skin it serves as insulation for the body. It protects the organs and ensures they stay in place.
The main function of brown fat is warming up the body by burning fatty acids and glucose. Brown fat tissue is activated by cold. It starts to be stimulated 18° (64.4°F) body at the right temperature. The lower the temperature, the more brown fat is activated.
People that are overweight (which is an excess white fat) who train in the cold, use the white fat as fuel for the brown fat to burn.
White Corpuscles. The benefits of the cold also include the production of white corpuscles.
There between 5 & 6 liters (1.3-1.5 gallons) of blood flowing through the body. Blood consists of 55% plasma and 45% corpuscles. Plasma is mainly water and minerals, carbohydrates, fats, hormones and more than 100 different kinds of protein.
There are three different types of corpuscles: blood platelets (thrombocytes), red corpuscles (erythrocytes) and white corpuscles (leukocytes.) Platelets help heal wounds by ensuring that the blood stops flowing and a scab forms. Red corpuscles absorb oxygen in the lungs and transport it to the organs. The red corpuscle cells contain hemoglobin which gives blood its red color and binds with oxygen. White corpuscles are a collective name for different cells. They are larger than red corpuscles and there are fewer of them. They defend the body against infection from bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, yeasts and foreign substances. If we have an infection then the body produces more white blood cells to fight.
People who take a cold shower every morning also have more white blood cells. The cold shower activates the immune system.
Knowing what happens to the body when exposed to the cold can encourage us to train to withstand the cold. Cold training can help with many physical complaints including excess weight, fungi and viruses--along with helping to open up lax blood vessels. After only 3 to 4 cold showers many people can get used to the cold and begin to feel its many benefits.
Do it yourself: Taking Cold Showers
Take a warm shower, like normal except start doing the following breathing exercises: breathe in and breathe out slowly. Deep and slow. Do this for one minute (6-10 breaths) Then turn the shower to cold.
The trick is to breathe calmly again, control the breathing under the cold shower. Once under control, the cold will feel different. Start by staying under the cold shower for one minute.
Do it yourself: A bowl of Ice Water
Fill a bucket or bowl with cold water. Put the hands into the cold water. At first it will tingle painfully as the blood vessels contract. The pain will quickly decrease and the hands will become warm as the body’s thermostat turns up (around 2 minutes.)
Where parts of the body are immersed in cold water, it releases strengthening hormones and an antifreeze hormone that makes the blood vessels strong and elastic.
Do these two exercises for one month before progressing to cold swims.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse