In today’s interview I get to speak with health coach, Leigh Ewin.
We talk about cold adaptation and the benefits taking cold showers can have for our health.
We also get a chance to talk about how the energising effects of a cold shower in the morning can set us up for the rest of the day, why we shiver and how to best get our blood flowing whilst doing cold training.
If you know someone who is interested in learning more about:
- What are the benefits of cold adaptation training
- How cold must your shower water be
- Tips on how to incorporate cold showers into your routine
- What are the best ways to incorporate hot sauna time with cold exposure
Then this interview is for them.
I really enjoyed this interview with Leigh who gave us a great overview of the topic of cold adaptation training.
Leigh shared lots of actionable tips on how to easily incorporate it into our daily lives, things to watch out for and why being exposed to cold helps improve our health and well-being.
Special thanks to Leigh for joining me on the show.
Enjoy the episode!
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Speaker Links
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Show Notes with Timestamp Links
Find summarised highlights of what we talk about during the interview.
Use the clickable timestamp links to jump direct to those points in the audio file below:
[00:20] – Introducing Leigh Ewin, a health coach teaching clients worldwide how to find their flow state using various breathing techniques, cold exposure training and mindset techniques. He holds instructor certifications in the Wim Hof Method, oxygen advantage, breathology and is a trained bulletproof coach.
[01:19] – When helping clients find their flow state, Leigh recommends cold exposure training. He explains how it all started for him and how the controlled temperature environments we live in meant we lost the functionality to manage different temperature ranges.
[04:56] – While long exposure to stress leads to inflammation etc., Leigh explains how the hormetic response such as a controlled burst of stress, (like a cold shower or fasting) can be beneficial to health.
[06:21] – One of the health benefits of training ourselves to be better cold adapted is strengthening the immune system. Leigh shares some studies conducted with cold exposure.
[12:14] – For those of us who have no experience with cold showers, Leigh shares some good tips for introducing them into our routine.
[15:10] – Leigh explains that shivering is a natural response signalling your body that it needs more energy. Slow, Tai-Chi type movements can gently move the warm blood through the body.
[18:21] – There are two components to the Wim Hof Method, the breathing and the cold. It is important for people to understand that they should not mix those two. Leigh explains that if you are shivering and feeling the cold it is a good idea to move around gently but don’t do anything vigorous.
[20:59] – Leigh explains why, generally speaking cold exposure after a work out is not a good idea, instead the best thing to have is a sauna. An exception is with high performance athletes who can improve recovery.
[25:34] – Leigh discusses the method of going quickly from the hot to the cold. He likes to keep the two separate and prefers doing the cold in the morning to wake up and a hot sauna in the evening to relax.
[31:36] – While you don’t necessarily lose anything by hopping into the hot right after cold exposure, there are some benefits to finishing with the cold.
[33:27] – For beginners, Leigh recommends a challenge. Start with one minute burst of cold in the shower for one week and then increase the cold exposure gradually so that by the end of the third week you can take a full cold shower.
[37:35] – To ensure you are getting beneficial effects, it is good to keep in mind that at 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) and below, the body starts producing brown fat.
[38:59] – Cold exposure is easier to do in the summer time but can be challenging when we are tired and looking for comfort. Leigh recommends cold showers for winter time too.
[41:32] – For people interested in trying a dip into a hole in the ice, Leigh does not recommend swimming around in there to start with. It’s best to ensure you are able to stand in there, as swimming in bodies of water at such low temperatures can be dangerous.
[43:58] – To contact or find out more about Leigh, the two best places he recommends are Instagram and his website: flowness.io
You can also go to wimhofmethod.com, where they have different courses and workshops.
