The outbreak of the Coronavirus in recent months has lead to a lot of concern with it spreading globally and this in turn has seen a surge in people looking at the Wim Hof method to see if it can help. So in this video I want help clarify some of my thoughts on using the Wim Hof technique for Coronavirus and whether it’s effective in reducing the risks of the virus. Now, before we go into the detail, I want to state these are just my thoughts and while I’ll do my best to answer questions, I’m not an expert. However, I will link you all to Elizabeth Lucy, a channel many of you may know as I recently worked with her on a collaboration about mental toughness. Not only much more qualified on speaking about the virus, Liz has been monitoring the situation and research extremely closely, providing almost daily updates on the virus.
With that said, I do think the Wim Hof method will certainly offer some benefits to cope with the virus, so let’s look into understanding why. About Coronavirus The Coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China and until now has spread to over 80 countries all over the world, leaving many experts fearing a potential risk of a pandemic. China has seen the worst outbreak and the biggest death toll, though other nations including South Korea, Iran and Italy have had serious concerns about the spread of the virus. A lot is unknown about the virus as I research this, particularly in terms of understanding how many people have actually been infected and the exact threat the virus poses. The virus infects both animals and people and can cause illnesses of the respiratory tract, though important to understand at this point is it’s believed the virus is less fatal than previous high profile outbreaks, such as SARS and MERS. At the moment, it is believed to be more fatal than seasonal flu, though that is with the data we currently have and therefore the reality may not be quite so alarming.
It’s believed the virus spreads through the air as people talk, sneeze or cough, similar to how cold and flu spreads with many of the same actions needed to try and contain it, namely containing the spread by covering your nose and mouth and making sure you care for your hygiene, particularly regularly washing your hands. Improve The Immune System Probably the biggest reason people are looking to the Wim Hof method is that cold therapy and his breathing exercises have been known to help improve our immune system. In the case of cold therapy, cold water has been found to improve circulation by encouraging blood to surround our organs, which can then help combat various ailments and improve your overall health. The reason is that as cold water hits the body, it’s ability to get blood circulating leads the arteries to more efficiently pump blood, therefore boosting our overall heart health. It can also lower blood pressure as we relax, clear blocked arteries and improve our immune system, something I’ll cover in more detail in a moment, making us physically healthier in a number of respects.
However, it’s not just the cold therapy that works wonders, equally valuable and important are the breathing exercises, which help the body circulate blood flow and increase oxygen intake when done correctly. Control Auto Immune Response Research into the Wim Hof method has also found that the technique is beneficial in it’s control over the auto immune response, making us not only feel the effects of sickness less, but importantly improve our response to sickness to combat it more quickly and efficiently. One of the things found with the Wim Hof method is that it dampens the innate immune response, the response the body has to sickness that is often the cause that makes us feel unwell. By dampening the effects of the innate immune response, we actually feel less unwell while the body combats sickness, as the body inhibits the production of proteins that cause inflammation. While it might seem that this would slow down your physical recovery from sickness, the research found that while proteins were inhibited, white blood cells, which combats infection, actually increased in those who practiced the Wim Hof method, meaning they were also able to recover more quickly.
Again, I can’t state the importance of the breathing exercises in this process, as they directly influence how the body reacts to physical change and foreign bodies. Will The Wim Hof Method Stop Coronavirus To be as honest and open as possible, I can only say that I can’t guarantee the Wim Hof method is magically going to cure Coronavirus. Part of the reason for this is there is still a lot unknown about Coronavirus and all of possible effects it could have. While information is coming out extremely quickly with ongoing research, it’s not really common knowledge what is known at this point. However, what I can state is that the Wim Hof method will benefit to strengthen your immune system to help combat Coronavirus should you catch it, just as it would in fighting off a cold or flu. It’s benefits for our respiration system further strengthens our resolves to possibly fighting off the virus.
With this in mind, it’s fair to believe that the Wim Hof method will help us combat the Coronavirus. Equally important is to care for your wellbeing and health in general. Make sure to eat well, stay hydrated, sleep properly and care for your mental health, as all of these will contribute to your overall health and immunity. Also, please ensure to follow professional guidelines with regards to Coronavirus, not taking needless risks at this point in time. Hopefully this video is helpful in understandign how the Wim Hof method can help in relation to Coronavirus. Please remember I’ll be linking to Elizabeth Lucy’s channel where you can get a wealth of information on the virus itself. Please Like, Share and Subscribe as we help you live life on your terms. Don’t forget to hit the bell icon to ensure YouTube notifies you of the latest uploads. Thanks for watching..
