The most powerful immune system booster, we’re taking it on!
Getting sick is part of life for most of us - something we want to avoid as much as possible. It’s inevitable that at some stage, we are all going to be exposed to the covid-19 virus in New Zealand – vaccinated or unvaccinated. Boosting our immune system is one of the best ways we can help reduce the impact of such viruses. There are many ways we can boost our immunity and spending time in nature is a great start.
At Warblers Retreat Dave and I have chosen to be fully vaccinated against covid-19, and we are trying to do as much as we can to increase our own immunity.
There’s a few extra activities we do on a daily basis to keep ourselves physically and mentally resilient, against the virus that is right on our doorstep.
What are we doing that is different?
We embarked on our new health regime at the beginning of 2021. We stumbled upon it after a conversation with a daughter’s friend. I made a passing comment about always having cold feet, cold hands, and in general, lousy circulation. The friend proceeded to ask us if we had heard of Wim Hof, the Iceman. She told us about his method of going into cold water to increase circulation. We were curious, so, with that she texted through a You Tube link of an interview with Wim Hoff, the Iceman. It didn’t take long before the curiousness morphed into total fascination into what he was saying and doing.
Who is this Ice Man - Wim Hof?
Wim Hof is in his 60s, he is from the Netherlands, and he discovered ways of coping with a major stress in his life. He had looked to nature to help him deal with the sudden death of his wife, and the daunting fact of having to raise his four children all by himself. He sought ways in which to deal with the mental stress and agony, by spending long periods outside in nature. Being people who spend most of our time outdoors, his following words totally resonated with us both.
Everything I’ve learned about my deepest physiology, about intention and the power of my mind, I learned from nature. Not from a textbook. – Wim Hof
Wim Hof learnt that being in the cold helped him to develop a physical and mental resistance. He put himself through extreme cold experiences, learning more and more about how much his body could handle. Not only did he experiment with the cold, but he also tried out different breathing techniques, to discover the effects on his body. He incorporated some of the ancient ‘tummo’ meditation techniques used by monks into his tool kit. Tummo breathing is a combination of breathing and visualization that helps to build the body’s immunity.
I learned by doing. By consistently exploring. By listening to my body. By feeling. - Wim Hof
What is the Wim Hof Method?
After many years, Wim Hof came up with his own method for optimum health, and along the way, achieved some notoriety for his incredible stunts like running a half marathon on his bare feet in the snow, swimming under ice, and climbing Mount Everest in his shorts. His methods have been scientifically proven and there are many throughout the world today, taking his approach to better health, that includes us!
The Wim Hof method focuses on three areas, deep breathing, cold water and commitment (attitude!) The deep breathing is a bit like hyperventilating and holding your breath for as long as you comfortably can. The cold water means having an ice bath, a cold shower, or in our case, a cold swim every day. I think the attitude thing comes with the swim, as it is the best challenge out – training your mind to dive into the pool when it is cold!
It’s mind control, great mind control, and it all comes down to a split second decision. That split second you choose to dive into a cold pool, or to switch the shower from warm to cold, it’s when there’s no going back. That split second decision can lead us to experience uncomfortable circumstances initially as you hit the cold, however ultimately it doesn’t take long before you’re feeling quite on top of your game, and in control.
How does the Wim Hof Method (WHM) work for us?
Every morning we religiously do our breathing exercises. They only take about ten minutes and are really easy to do. We listen to the free You Tube video that takes us through three rounds of deep breathing and breath holding. Wim Hof often talks about, ‘getting high on your own supply’, we thought this sounded quite good! It sometimes feels like this as you can feel your body tingling. It can give you a very relaxing feeling, and it definitely helps to settle your nervous system.
Following our breathing session we go for a cold swim. We are fortunate in having a saltwater swimming pool. Once we did think about installing solar heating to the pool, definitely not anymore! In winter the lowest the temperature got to was 9 degrees – often when it was that cold there was ice on the surrounding deck. It’s amazing how our bodies adjusted to the cold temperatures. It also is quite amazing how your hands and feet feel so cold they feel hot – it’s quite a weird sensation. They recommend if you have heart issues to proceed with caution of which I needed to do, the only effect being my heart rate dropped lower during the colder months but my blood has been circulating to my hands and feet much better than previously.
When we are unable to have a swim, we have a cold shower. The saying is, ‘a cold shower a day keeps the doctor away!’ Some of the older generations have known this and done it for years, for example I had a great uncle who always bathed in a cold South Island river every day.
The reward for our cold immersion is a soak in the hot tub, and that is particularly relaxing. We’re not sure if it’s recommended or not by the Wim Hof method, but it works for us! It’s a great time to enjoy watching the birds, admiring the beauty of the gardens and to have our minds set in neutral. One day, we had the delight of having a Morepork or Ruru (NZ owl), join us in the nearby nectarine tree. It’s a great time to be at one with nature, it’s very therapeutic.
A relaxing garden view from the hot tub.
The Forest Bathing we promote to our staying guests also promotes the same type of therapeutic experience.
Benefits of building immunity in nature
There’s other activities we also do to help build our immunity. The nature of our land is hilly, therefore, to do any work outside, it requires some physical effort, meaning we maintain a certain amount of fitness naturally by going about our weekly tasks. Growing and eating vegetables and fruit from our garden is a major health boost, and it’s so easy to do. Gardening itself keeps us active and by being outside we naturally absorb vitamin D from the sun to help boost our immunity. And, if it’s good enough for the Queen in her 90’s to still have her daily martini, it’s good enough for us to relax with a drink or two in the evening after a good day’s work!
Numerous studies have shown that people who spend time in natural environments are far less likely to get sick. In fact, one study found that when individuals spent just 30 minutes outside every day they were 38% more resistant to the common cold than those who didn’t get any outdoor time at all! Research has shown that spending time in nature provides protection against a startling range of diseases. As scientist Ming Kuo states,
Numerous studies have shown people who spend time in natural environments are far less likely to get sick.
“Nature doesn't just have one or two active ingredients. It's more like a multivitamin that provides us with all sorts of the nutrients we need. That's how nature can protect us from all these different kinds of diseases--cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, musculoskeletal, etc. -- simultaneously.”
How has it helped us?
The breathing exercises and the swimming have had major health benefits for us. We are able to hold our breath for over three minutes now, and the flow on benefits of this are – we feel really good. We both feel stronger and really believe the breathing and cold-water immersion is a major contributor to our daily quality of life. The calming of our nervous systems, during stressful times like long covid lockdowns, has been incredibly beneficial. It helps us deal with ‘STUFF!”. I used to bruise easily, not anymore and my circulation is so much better. A cold refreshing swim or a cold shower makes us feel alive and keeps us really motivated to do things.
Why don’t you give it a try?
If you want to build your immunity, the easiest way to do that is by spending time outdoors. Even just an hour or two of walking in nature can help increase your immune system and improve overall well-being. The added benefit? Spending time outside will also give you a break from staring at screens all day long!
If you want to take it to a different level, we suggest you give the Wim Hof method a try. It’s best to start off slowly and work your way into it, for example start with 30 seconds under a cold shower, then gradually increase the time. Your body adjusts incredibly quickly. Begin with the easy breathing sessions and work your way up to longer sessions. It has certainly worked for us!
To be comfortable, you have to get uncomfortable. It’s human nature to desire comfort, it’s nice, it’s easy, however it is not better. As Wim Hof preaches, our comfortable lives are making us sick. We need to step out of the comfort zone and into the uncomfortable zone where we challenge ourselves more often. Stepping outside into nature helps us to build resilience and to increase our immunity.
Tips and resources for getting started with this method of building immunity
If you want to have a go at trying out the Wim Hof method, it’s easy to find a multitude of information and videos online. The first You tube video that got us going. If you prefer to be trained by an approved Wim Hof Method Instructor, there’s a few of them practicing in New Zealand. Approved New Zealand Wim Hof Instructors. From time to time, there are courses run.
Another Dutch advocate for building immunity in nature is Miriam Lancewood. She and her husband Peter have been living the outdoors life for over ten years. Roughing it and living on next to nothing, but having everything, in their eyes. She has written two books, Woman in the Wildness and Wild at Heart. Like Wim Hof, they are fully in touch with nature, and they can accomplish amazing feats, as they are listening to their bodies.
So why not give it a go? Some departing words from Wim Hof himself,
“you are stronger than you think you are.”
