GWINN, Mich. (WZMQ) – The cold season is finally here and that may put an end to lake traditions, but the cold may bring more benefits than we realize. There are over 4 thousand inland lakes and around 1700 miles of Great Lake shoreline. For some people, the summer is the time to take advantage of them, while others see the benefits year-round.
Tim Mann is the founder of Train the Brain, a performance company hosting workshops in cold immersion therapy around the country. He commented that even the toughest limits can be elevated. “I got hooked on the method after being hit by a drunk driver while I was parked on the side of the Highway, that put me into a coma, fractured 11 bones, and was in a tough spot in my life had PTSD, emergent mood disorder, and some substance abuse issues, came across the Wim Hof Method and fell in love with it and found a lot of benefit and thought man I should share this with other people,” said Mann.
Rehearsing a daily cold exposure and breath work, Mann has been able to diminish most of the pain that he once experienced daily to very minimal. Even though cold water, exercise, and even intermittent fasting can be surprising and sometimes taxing to the body, Mann said it’s still important to practice. “Hormetic stressors what you describe you know these short-term stressors these acute stressors are healthy for the mind and body,” continued Mann.
Cold immersion builds a lot of mental focus and strength, but the body gets a boost of dopamine and adrenaline as well giving you natural energy. “That affects your mood and energy for like 6-8 hours so those are neurotransmitters that give you tons of energy and boost your mood,” continued Mann.
“No it’s not as bad as you think it’s gonna be get in and the first ten seconds are kinda tough but then after that the two minutes is up before you know it,” commented Cold Immersion Participant Ross Larson.
Train the Brain will be hosting another workshop covering benefits and demonstrating Cold Exposure Therapy on January 6th. For more information on Train the Brain and how you can take full advantage of cold immersion, click here.