Cold exposure: Hands in an ice bucket

Recently I have discussed the numerous potential benefits of regular cold exposure. I have shown you how to start taking a cold shower every day. For those of you more daring people wanting to experience the benefits of cold exposure, I have shown you whole body cryotherapy, spending up to three minutes in a tank exposure to very cold air.

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In this video, I show you another method of regular cold exposure you can try at home. It is one suggested by Wim Hof, better known as the “Ice Man.” I show you my first experience putting my hands in a bucket of ice water for two minutes and offer my thoughts on how you could use this and other cold treatments in an effort to improve your health.

Always talk to your doctor before trying this or any health treatment. If you are interested in cold exposure, try it and see how it works for you.

[DrDavidGeier]

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[hollyphelps]

I just started doing this for my raynauds (cold hands) & it seems counterintuitive; my hands will get warm about 10-15 minutes AFTER I soak for 1-2 mins. It's been really helpful!!!! Starting to end showers with cool-cold water for 15-30 seconds!

[joepatroni]

I work in fisheries off the coast of Greenland. My hands are in freezing saltwater 5-6hrs a day...this is good therapy. However, there are many, many nerve endings in the fingers and hands. It makes sense that they would be one of the most difficult parts of the body to train for cold exposure. In fact, I find full body in ice exposure to be much easier! (Try putting your elbow in the water after your hands have been in and see for yourself -that its much simpler...)

[CC-gefo]

Put hands in ice water for 2 mins.
It’ll be painful.
Do it daily.
It will improve.
After some time, it feels warm.

[cgraysonsmith]

I had to laugh, because you reacted to this the exact way I did; it almost makes me feel nauseous, and two minutes is an eternity...I have Raynaud's syndrome, and I am doing the Wim Hof method everyday. Doing this once a day for a week now, it has improved the cold issues with my left hand, but the right is still more susceptible to the Raynaud's effect, i.e. fingers turning bone white, and being uncomfortable. I suggest everyone give it a try, and breathe deeply when you do it. It's another way to challenge your body to adapt!

[donnawebster]

I love open water swimming here in NC..I am now continuing into the winter months for the first time and am in 47 degrees for an hour each time I go...I can tell you that my mood is better..feel very energized the rest of the day once I get out.

[ilovemyhorses]

I did this and I took it out at five minutes because I was bored. Within two minutes the water became nice. No lie I’m a bit freaked out

[universesixhit]

Managed 3 minutes tonight with my hands constantly swirling and they were numb by the end but it felt good enduring the pain and being at ease.

[jeremymullan]

I used to blow my ankle out two times a year skateboarding and I would have 5 gallon buckets filled up to my knee. Now that shit hurt.

[portiasnyder]

Im going to try this lol 😆 I already been doing cold showers for 2 monthes love them so much 💓

[runcoach]

I did the hand ice plunge, yesterday. OMG. I was not able to go the full two minutes BUT, I did not do the breathing. Will do, today. Ask for a couple times a day. No way. I will do it once a day until I can do this.

[daryl]

In order to feel the heat in the water, you most do the breathing method. When you are holding the breathing fucus on making your heart nit slower, and bloodflow.

[jamiecee]

Don't know. But right now I could do that. It's so hot. Plus without air unit not working well.

[bloomtips]

Your skin is glowing so Plzzzz tell me your skin care routine 🥺

[joesmith]

If you know you have Raynaud’s, peripheral neuropathy or peripheral vascular disease I would talk to your doctor before trying this and be very, very cautious.

[unknowngod]

I discovered this today washing the dishes then I watched this vid to see if my theory is true

[alal]

Yep, done this one many TIMES< however I am revisiting it now with your video because I have arthritis from diet that formed in my left hand...so I will now be able to use this for one of it's intended purposes. I have done hands and feet at same time also....yet often it's just easy to do one or the other...
Here is an interesting fact...when I used to do it with the three sets of breathing what would happen would be that the ice would feel like steam/electricity alternatively...and that was just like really cool, it's one of the more neat things about this, how your body can't tell the different between hot/cold when you do this with the breathing after a few sets, and the feeling is really hard to describe.

[TheBibleListener]

I take full body ice baths for 15mins at a time, I love it so much.

[maiasolaris]

omg i did this for the first time today, painful i couldn't hold for 2 min only 1 min, it was like needles on my hand, but i will repeat it every day to see how it works, it's horrible have cold hands and feet every day (Raynaud's syndrome), good luck to everyone trying this!

[арлэнютуб]

would this be good for preventing carpal tunnel?