I stumbled upon this body hack 5 years ago by way of an introduction to the Wim Hof method.
Recently, cold exposure began becoming popular for weight loss.
How could this possibly work and why?
A simple explanation goes like this…
We have several different kinds of fat cells. Fat cells are like little batteries used to store energy to run our bodies.
Our bodies store and generate energy from multiple sources in much the same way our power grid does for our homes.
We have a coal burning furnace of sorts in the use of carbs for energy. We have a solar energy component of sorts in the skin from vitamin D and the sun. We have a thermal energy powerhouse by way of burning fat. This thermal energy powerplant is what we are focusing on here. Routine cold exposure builds up stores of a special kind of fat tissue called brown adipose tissue. These stores are mainly in the shoulders and back and used to generate heat in the body. What happens is as you build back the natural brown adipose tissue, you start burning hotter and more efficiently throughout the entire body. This results in more intense burning of the bad fats. In addition, cold exposure itself leads to an increase in calorie burn through thermogenesis. Combined, the two processes lead to losses of fat that otherwise not utilized. In fact, studies are now showing that daily cold exposure via ice baths, cold showers, or chilly walks in the frigid winter air can lead to fat loss of 5 to 10 pounds a year. Try a cold shower using the tips below. Reframe your mindset before doing it. This is just like a workout! It’s going to suck at first, and it won't produce results immediately, but once you get it down you will end up enjoying the process because of how good you feel afterwards and all the weight shed in places you normally couldn’t lose. Tips for Taking Cold Showers
Treat it Like a Workout - Know it's going to be hard, it's not fun, but if you push through it you will feel great afterwards.
Start Warm and Finish Cold - They get easier over time. At first, it's downright unbearable, so start warm and aim to finish cold.
Do 20 Deep Squats First - Build up some increased body temp.
Breathe Rapidly From Your Diaphragm - This will start to warm you up.
Treat It Like "Holding a Sneeze" - Much of this is mind over matter. Many of us can't hold a sneeze, but we all have done it before when the moment requires it. Don't think, just do!
After all that cold exposure, warm up with one of our terrific heated classes!