Here are three ways breathwork and cold exposure help you bounce back to life like magic in unique ways you may not have known.
Number 1: When you drink, the nervous system relaxes and swings to a more parasympathetic state. That shift causes a pendulum effect the next day, leaving you more sympathetic. As a result, you might feel like you're in an agitated state that is hard to shake off. However, some Wim Hof Method breathwork, including long exhales to slow and bring your heart rate down, is guaranteed to shift you back into a more relaxed state. (1) Plus, a little cold exposure can have a positive effect on your mood. (2)
Number 2: Alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate, and the following day, that pendulum effect constricts your blood vessels, which is most often the cause of headaches, not dehydration which is what most of us thought. When we do nearly any breathwork, we manipulate our heart rate, HRV, and blood circulation. Different breath tempos, breath holds, and some light muscle flexing will increase blood flow and potentially massage any constriction back to baseline. (1)
Number 3: Cold exposure does a beautiful job constricting the veins and capillaries that the body counters by a dilational leading to more blood in those areas. A cold shower or quick ice bath will boost your cardiovascular system helping to get it back to normal. (3)
Bonus: If you still have some of that sweet nectar nuzzling gently in your bloodstream, more adrenaline helps your body metabolize alcohol faster. Science has shown that we are now in control of our adrenaline to some extent. Fast breathing can increase it. Breath holds prolong the increase, and cold exposure adds to the boost. (4)
I hope this was useful for you. Hours, perhaps multiple days of research and testing, went into this.
Here are tons more details about the effects of alcohol if you're interested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS1pkKpILY
Cheers,
Miles
Resources:
(1) https://www.breath.fitness/science/the-impact-of-resonance-frequency-breathing-on-measures-of-heart-rate-variability%2C-blood-pressure%2C-and-mood
(2) https://www.breath.fitness/science/adapted-cold-shower-as-a-potential-treatment-for-depression
(3) https://www.breath.fitness/science/scientific-evidence-based-effects-of-hydrotherapy-on-various-systems-of-the-body
(4) https://www.breath.fitness/science/the-effects-of-cold-exposure-training-and-a-breathing-exercise-on-the-inflammatory-response-in-humans
