I’m a big fan of extreme temperatures! I love proper seasons, hot summers and cold winters, none of this inbetweeny nonsense! We don’t get much of that here, the Gulf Stream makes sure the UK is in a permanent state of confusion when it comes to weather and climate! Apparently if there was no Gulf Stream, we’d have Scandinavian style weather…. That would suite me down to the ground!
Apart from jetting off to warm and cold climates (which I try to do as often as possible) to get my fix I partake in saunas and cold plunges, have done for many years now and I am a strong advocate for their physical and mental health benefits!
Today I would like to talk about cold plunging! I know I’m mental for doing this, but I absolutely love it! I got seriously into it after I read the iconic book ‘The Wim Hof Method’ Very interesting and enlightening, this isn’t a book review blog but I would advise you to read the mad buggers book!
To help you understand, basically the Wim Hof Method is three things: controlled breathing, cold exposure, and mindset. You breathe hard and deep to fire up your system, expose yourself to cold to build resilience, and use focus to stay calm when your body wants to panic. It’s about learning that you’re tougher than you think, physically and mentally, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
I decided to put this into practice a few years ago and as part of my YEAR OF CHALLENGES in 2022 I took part in Brave the Chill for WWF, where I ice bathed everyday for at least 2 minutes in January. I raised about a thousand pounds for the charity! Money was slow to come in initially, but after I posted a video of me breaking the ice to get into the bath to fulfil my 2 minutes the money flooded in! I think it was about £400 on that day alone!
I finished the challenge and have carried on with the cold exposure; I fitted a cold only tap to my shower so I could have a cold blast after my shower. I would recommend this as it offers great benefits, I’ll copy and paste the reason:
In a large randomized trial with over 3,000 adults, researchers found that people who added a 30–90 second cold finish to their daily shower for at least 30 days took about 29 % fewer sick days (sickness absence) from work compared with those who didn’t take cold showers.
Pretty decent eh!?
Unfortunately I had to get rid of the old bath, so for my Christmas present last year, Mrs TimberMane bought me an old whiskey barrel which I refurbed and turned into a cold plunge which is now down near Muscle Forest!
Now I take a plunge a couple of times a week, usually after hitting the gym! This morning I shuffled to the barell through the snow in my crocs and just like that bitter day in 2022 I broke the ice to dunk myself into the harsh water! I usually stick it for about 2 minutes or so, but this morning I wasn’t hanging around, it was biting!!
I’m not pretending it’s easy, but I guess that’s the idea. Once it’s done I feel refreshed, invigorated and accomplished. That feeling of knowing that what I’ve just done is probably going to be the hardest thing I do all day, and it’s finished before I even go to work, is pretty epic. Cold plunging has taught me that discomfort isn’t something to avoid, it’s something to use. You come out sharper, calmer, and proud of yourself. In a world that seems to be getting more and more “comfortable”, a bit of voluntary hardship feels grounding. Now, I’m not saying everyone needs to start smashing ice in their garden before sun up but whether it’s a cold shower, a winter walk, a sauna session, or something else entirely, give yourself a challenge. Get uncomfortable on your own terms. You might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
Stay Cool
TM
