Wim Hof breathing method to feel active
I watched a video on the benefits of Wim Hof breathing technique a few days ago. It intrigued me. I decided to give it a try and make it a habit after all the benefits the video claimed with research.
The method is simple: Take sharp inhales and exhale softly for each breath. Repeat this about thirty times or unless you feel dizzying effects of hyperventilation. Then after an exhale, hold your breath for as long as possible. When you breathe in, hold this for about 20 seconds. This is one cycle of the Wim Hof breathing. Do this three more times in succession. Do the complete method three times per day.
I have decided to make it a habit and reap whatever benefits I can. But one instant effect I noticed after a session was alertness and activeness. One day, I was feeling sleepy after lunch, and I tried the above breathing method, and I was able to ward off sleep for a few hours. It seemed like I had discovered some superpower.
Hyperventilation has some effects on the physiology. We go into that state when we run too. In the past, when we ran, we were either chasing prey or running away from something (we didn’t run for fun). Hyperventilation perhaps triggers that response and makes our body think that we are in survival mode. That can be why I felt active immediately after a session of Wim Hof breathing.
By that logic, any action that triggers our survival mode will make us feel active and alert. I speculate that holding our breaths for as long as possible a few times would also scare away the drowsiness and alert us, at least for a while. I will test it.
It is not part of my daily routine yet, so I haven’t experienced its long term effects as claimed in many videos.
(If you liked this post, please follow my blog. It’s one tap for you and it helps me. You’ll get instant updates when I post something. Thanks.)
