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Doing This for Just a Few Minutes a Day Can Boost Your Health and Longevity.

September 30, 2024

What drives someone to sit in ice water for nearly two hours? For Wim Hof, it’s about pushing the limits of the human body and mind—and convincing others of its benefits.

Known as “The Iceman,” Hof has set multiple world records for cold exposure, including spending 1 hour and 52 minutes submerged in ice water and running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle while wearing only shorts—and no shoes.

Hof believes that cold therapy can help people build both mental and physical resilience. Through his experiences and the Wim Hof Method, he teaches that controlled exposure to cold strengthens the body’s ability to handle stress and promotes overall well-being.

But is that really true? And should you be trying it yourself?

First, know this: Hof is an outlier, and his unique ability to withstand extreme cold for long periods is likely something he was born with. (In a 2014 study, scientists in the Netherlands found that Hof’s twin brother—who was described as following a "normal," sedentary lifestyle without extreme cold measures—demonstrated similar metabolic reactions as Hof when exposed to mild cold.¹)

That doesn’t make Hof’s ideas wrong, though. In fact, there’s growing evidence that cold exposure, even in milder forms, can offer real physical and mental health benefits—from strengthening your immune system to fighting depression—for everyday people like you and me. 

In this article, I’ll walk you through the emerging benefits of cold therapy—and give you a simple protocol you can start using today. 

What Cold Therapy Can Do for Your Health

When done right—at just the right temperature and for the right amount of time—cold plunges can offer some serious health benefits.

So, how cold is cold? For cold water immersion, aim for temperatures around 53 degrees Fahrenheit (11.6 degrees Celsius). If you’re new to cold therapy, you can start warmer, around 68°F (20°C), which still feels pretty cold but is a great place to begin.

Don’t have a thermometer? No big deal—just go for the coldest water you can tolerate for about 30 seconds. As you adapt, you can gradually increase your exposure time or even try using colder water.

Ready to take the plunge? Here are the top 5 reasons cold therapy could be the key to unlocking better health:

Reason #1: A Stronger Immune System

Cold exposure gives your immune system a serious boost, helping you fight off illness. A study in the Netherlands found that adding just 30 to 90 seconds of cold water to the end of your regular warm shower helped people take 29% fewer sick days than those who stuck to warm showers alone.²

It turns out, a quick blast of cold water might be just the thing to keep you healthier year-round.

Reason #2: Lower Inflammation for Long-Term Health

Cold therapy also lowers inflammation, which is key for preventing chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.³ By reducing inflammation, cold plunges can be a powerful tool for maintaining long-term health and longevity.

Note: It’s important to recognize that while reducing inflammation is important, cold plunges are just one tool in your overall health toolbox. They can support a lifestyle focused on health and longevity but aren’t a magic bullet on their own. When combined with other healthy habits, like a balanced diet and regular exercise, cold therapy can help push your health and longevity even further.

Reason #3: Activation of Brown Fat—Your Body’s Built-In Heater

One of the coolest things about cold exposure is how it activates brown fat, a special type of fat that acts like your body’s internal heater. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat burns calories to generate heat and keep you warm.

In a study involving healthy young men, researchers found that when exposed to cold, brown fat went through some pretty dynamic changes.⁴ Areas rich in fat started burning it for heat, while spots with less fat took in more from the surrounding areas to keep the process going. In short, your brown fat kicks into action, burning energy to warm you up.

By tapping into this built-in heater, cold therapy can give your metabolism a boost while helping your body generate heat naturally.

Reason #4: Improves Cardiovascular Health Parameters

Cold therapy has been shown to enhance circulation and reduce biomarkers associated with cardiovascular inflammation. 

A study conducted over five months (November through March) found that repeated cold water immersion (three times per week for 7–10 minutes per session in a nearby lake) significantly reduced markers of arterial stiffness and inflammation, such as hsCRP, in healthy participants.⁵ The study also showed a decrease in carotid intima-media thickness, an early sign of atherosclerosis, and improvements in cholesterol levels, including lower LDL and triglycerides.

It turns out, regular cold exposure could be a simple yet effective way to protect your heart and support long-term cardiovascular health.

Reason #5: Calms Your Nervous System by Activating the Vagus Nerve

Perhaps one of the most remarkable benefits is cold therapy’s ability to activate your vagus nerve. Think of the vagus nerve as your body’s communication superhighway, connecting your brain to key organs like your heart and lungs. When cold exposure stimulates the vagus nerve, it triggers deep relaxation, reduces stress, and boosts mental clarity.

A recent study found that applying cold stimulation to the neck region (but not the cheek or forearm) significantly increased heart rate variability and lowered heart rate—both signs of vagus nerve activation.⁶ This means targeted cold exposure, especially to the neck, can help your body manage stress better, leaving you feeling calmer and more centered.

And One More Bonus: A Natural High

Cold plunges do more than wake you up—they can actually boost your mood. Research shows that just five minutes in cold water can leave you feeling more alert, inspired, and less stressed. The magic comes from how cold exposure affects your brain, increasing connectivity between areas responsible for emotion regulation, attention, and self-awareness.⁷

So, after a cold plunge, it’s not just the physical refresh—you’re likely to experience a mental "reset" that leaves you feeling more focused and emotionally balanced long after you dry off.

The Science of Cold Therapy

A key element to cold therapy is stepping out of your comfortable, thermo-regulated environment. Exposing your body to external stressors like cold immersion provides a powerful stimulus for health and longevity. It challenges your system, helping it grow stronger and more adaptable over time.

Does this sound familiar?

This process is called hormesis: when your body adapts to short bursts of stress, it becomes better equipped to handle future physical and mental challenges. Exposure to cold—just like with exercise or heat therapy—triggers hormesis, the protective mechanisms that ultimately strengthen your resilience. It’s a little discomfort for a lot of long-term gain.

On a cellular level, cold exposure helps kick-start autophagy, a natural clean-up process where your body breaks down and recycles damaged or aging cells. This makes room for healthier cells to take over, which is one of the ways cold therapy can slow down aging and promote longevity.

On a broader, whole-body level, cold therapy enhances circulation and promotes natural detoxification processes. By constricting and dilating your blood vessels, cold exposure pumps oxygen and nutrients more efficiently to your vital organs, while flushing out waste and toxins.

How to Make Cold Therapy a Part of Your Routine

Cold exposure is especially powerful when paired with heat, like a sauna. The heat opens your blood vessels, and when followed by a cold plunge, the quick shift helps flush your lymphatic system, clearing out toxins and sending them to your liver for processing.

When combining cold with heat, you create a dynamic system that stimulates detoxification, improves circulation, and strengthens your body’s resilience—all with just a few minutes of stepping into the cold.

To help you adapt to cold temperatures—especially if you’re new to cold immersion—you should pair it with breath work, like Wim Hof’s breathing technique. 

Wim Hof’s Breathing Technique

A key part of the Wim Hof Method, is a breathing exercise designed to support cold exposure by helping you gain control over your body’s response to stress. 

Research shows that when cold exposure is combined with deep breathing techniques (like Wim Hof's), the immune system gets an added boost. A 2022 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that cold exposure, paired with specific breathing exercises, significantly reduced inflammation and boosted immune response.⁸ The study demonstrated that participants who practiced both cold exposure and deep breathing had a stronger anti-inflammatory response, making them more resilient to stress and illness.

Here’s how to do it:

• Get comfortable: Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down, where you can breathe freely.
• Perform 30-40 deep breaths: Take 30-40 deep breaths in quick succession. Inhale deeply through your nose or mouth, filling your belly and chest. Then exhale through your mouth without force.
• Breath retention: After the last exhalation, hold your breath for as long as you can. This is the retention phase, where you hold your breath without discomfort.
• Recovery breath: When you feel the urge to breathe again, take one deep inhalation and hold it for about 15 seconds before releasing.
• Repeat: Complete 3-4 rounds of this process without pausing in between rounds.

This breathing technique not only enhances your ability to handle cold exposure but also supports relaxation, mental clarity, and resilience.

Practice Cold Therapy Daily for 1 to 4 Minutes

Here are some options:

Always start with the Wim Hof breath practice before cold exposure (and throughout the plunge). You might feel inclined to hold your breath when cold water hits your body, but try to relax during the exposure by breathing (even if it's just slowly in and out).

• Cold showers: Take a 1- to 4-minute cold shower every morning. Start with a brief burst of cold water and gradually increase the time as you adapt.
• Cold water immersion: For a more intense cold therapy experience, immerse yourself in cold water between 40 to 60°F (4.4 to 15.6°C) for 1 to 4 minutes. For extra coldness, add ice to your bathtub.
• Temperature-regulated cold plunge: Consider investing in a temperature-regulated cold plunge, which looks like a bathtub, to control your cold exposure more easily and consistently.

References

1. Vosselman MJ, Vijgen GH, Kingma BR, Brans B, van Marken Lichtenbelt WD. Frequent extreme cold exposure and brown fat and cold-induced thermogenesis: a study in a monozygotic twin. PLoS One. 2014 Jul 11;9(7):e101653. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101653. PMID: 25014028; PMCID: PMC4094425.

2. Buijze GA, Sierevelt IN, van der Heijden BC, Dijkgraaf MG, Frings-Dresen MH. The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 15;11(9):e0161749. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161749. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2018 Aug 2;13(8):e0201978. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201978. PMID: 27631616; PMCID: PMC5025014.

3. Almahayni O, Hammond L. Does the Wim Hof Method have a beneficial impact on physiological and psychological outcomes in healthy and non-healthy participants? A systematic review. PLoS One. 2024 Mar 13;19(3):e0286933. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286933. PMID: 38478473; PMCID: PMC10936795.

4. Coolbaugh, C.L., Damon, B.M., Bush, E.C. et al. Cold exposure induces dynamic, heterogeneous alterations in human brown adipose tissue lipid content. Sci Rep 9, 13600 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49936-x.

5. Tóth Š, Barbierik Vachalcová M, Kaško D, Turek M, Guľašová Z, Hertelyová Z. Effect of repeatedly applied cold water immersion on subclinical atherosclerosis, inflammation, fat accumulation and lipid profile parameters of volunteers. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2024 Feb;136(3-4):87-93. doi: 10.1007/s00508-023-02246-9. Epub 2023 Aug 2. PMID: 37530998; PMCID: PMC10837236.

6. Jungmann M, Vencatachellum S, Van Ryckeghem D, Vögele C. Effects of Cold Stimulation on Cardiac-Vagal Activation in Healthy Participants: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Form Res. 2018 Oct 9;2(2):e10257. doi: 10.2196/10257. PMID: 30684416; PMCID: PMC6334714.

7. Yankouskaya A, Williamson R, Stacey C, Totman JJ, Massey H. Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks. Biology (Basel). 2023 Jan 29;12(2):211. doi: 10.3390/biology12020211. PMID: 36829490; PMCID: PMC9953392.
   
   
8. Zwaag J, Naaktgeboren R, van Herwaarden AE, Pickkers P, Kox M. The Effects of Cold Exposure Training and a Breathing Exercise on the Inflammatory Response in Humans: A Pilot Study. Psychosom Med. 2022 May 1;84(4):457-467. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001065. Epub 2022 Feb 23. PMID: 35213875; PMCID: PMC9071023.