Athletic Performance | Wim Hof Method

I’m Janneke van der Meulen

I’m a professional athlete

I first saw Wim on television

I saw him talk about how he utilized nature to effortlessly get himself back into peak condition

And how he manages to help others bring out the best in themselves with relative ease

I thought this was fascinating; very interesting

So I attended a few workshops and experienced what adding surplus oxygen to the body does to you

Some really cold races require that you lie still in wind and rain for up to half an hour

Before I had come across this method, I would start some races with numb hands and feet

And they wouldn’t get warm until halfway through the race

Whereas now I can start with warm hands and feet right off the bat

This is a significant advantage

I remember, after the very first session I had to cry for a minute

I was in my own little universe

And then this dissipated and I became really happy and really clear and refreshed

This was a really unique experience which made me think ‘whoa, something profound has occurred’

On a good day I can do 20 push-ups, without any stimulus

Then when we had done those breathing exercises I could do 40

Being a professional athlete, this immediately makes me go “whoa…

…On a random Sunday afternoon I can double the amount of push-ups by focussing on my breath”

Obviously this gets me really excited

It makes me think “wow this is really something that can get me gains”

You accumulate a lot of lactate

By actively adding oxygen I’m just thoroughly preparing my body

Because it now has a lot of oxygen

And your muscles simply don’t acidify as quickly

That’s almost the linchpin of professional sports

If you can go 100 meters farther than your opponent before your muscles acidify, that can determine the outcome of a race

As a professional athlete you’re always looking to be more efficient; to gain an edge

I’ve been rowing for almost 9 years now so improving race times is all about making tiny adjustments

My mission is to get people to utilize nature to make themselves stronger, healthier and more fit

And this is definitely one of those things that brings you closer to nature, and to what Wim calls your ‘inner fire’

Your body is laboring every day to make you stronger, healthier, and more fit

It’s always trying to help you recover and trying to get you to start your day in optimal condition

And if you facilitate this and start collaborating with it

By occasionally up-regulating your breathing

By occasionally seeking out the cold

These become valuable additions