- Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete who has run a half-marathon in the Arctic Circle wearing only shorts, touts his Wim Hof Method (WHM) of cold exposure and controlled breathing as a benefit to physical and mental health.
- Hof has subjected himself and his method to scientific study numerous times, but a systematic review of those studies had not been done until now.
- A new review of multiple studies suggests that the WHM may have substantial benefits for reducing inflammation but also recommends higher-quality trials to determine a larger wellness benefit.
The Wim Hof Method (WHM), an unconventional approach to overall mental and physical health that involves exposure to extreme cold and a rigorous breathing rubric, has gained popularity and attention in recent years largely due to the “microcelebrity” status of its namesake founder.
Hof himself, a 64-year-old Dutch athlete, has run a half-marathon in the Arctic Circle wearing only shorts, swum nearly 200 feet under ice (a Guiness World Record), and climbed Mount Everest (nearly 25,000 feet of it) in only shorts and shoes.
The WHM focuses on what it refers to as three pillars:
- exposure to cold through daily cold showers or ice baths
- hyperventilation and deep, controlled breathing
- commitment to mastering these routines.
Hof, who is often referred to as “The Iceman,” has subjected himself and his methods to scientific testing as a way to support its beneficial claims for issues like chronic pain, fatigue, mood, and inflammation.
But until now there had been no comprehensive review of the various studies that have examined the WHM.
While the WHM has attracted proponents of cold-water plunges and deep breathing techniques, a number of deaths have occurred when people have lost consciousness while attempting certain aspects of it.
Three people drowned in 2023 practicing the breath work, and in 2022 a $67 million lawsuit was filed against Hof for the drowning of a teenage girl who practiced the Wim Hof Method in her pool in…
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