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Daredevil, yogi, madman, Iceman – Wim Hof has been called all of these things and more. His eponymous Wim Hof Method boasts thousands of followers worldwide (and the number is growing), and combines breathing techniques, cold exposure and mindset techniques with physical exercise – techniques that the Dutch-born Hof has been developing for the past 30 years.
It may sound simple, but the Wim Hof Method promises profound effects: increased energy, better sleep, heightened focus and determination, improved sports performance, reduced stress levels, greater cold tolerance, faster recovery and enhanced creativity. Cold exposure can offer benefits, such as the build-up of brown fat – which turns food into body heat – as well as reduced inflammation and the production of endorphins.
“The Wim Hof method is simple, effective and accessible,” explains Hof. “It has proven to go to the deepest level of our physiology – to our primordial physiology. From there, one learns to think differently of oneself, and to breathe more into life.”
Hof himself holds 26 world records – he’s climbed Mount Everest in nothing but shorts, run full marathons in the desert with no water, and has been submerged in ice for almost two hours.
“You’re tapping into foundational systems and mechanisms within the body related to alkalinity, adrenaline, cell biology and metabolic processes in the deepest sense,” says Hof. He explains that practising the breathing techniques exercises the cardiovascular system, alkalises the blood and activates the adrenal axis – all of which help reset the body to its natural state.
“The cold trains the vascular system and taps into deeper parts of the brain when done in a mindful, controlled manner, which makes the body’s mechanisms aware of your will,” explains Hof. “A deep sense of control emerges from there.”
Scientists have studied him, and he’s been shown to be able to tap into his autonomous nervous system at will, and with that, to activate his immune system – something they didn’t know was possible. “It’s like finding a ballroom in your own house – unexpected,” says Hof.
In October, Hof spoke at the Global Wellness Summit in Florida, and gave a demonstration of his breathing techniques. He says the demand is there to implement his Method in spas with the right education; already there is a Wim Hof Method Academy, and a growing list of certified instructors worldwide. “We have to come up with the right programme – a professional platform for instructors related to the wellness industry, and make it happen on a much wider scale,” he says. “This would open up a new dimension in the wellness industry, where the spas provide much more than wellness alone, moving into self-awareness and hands-on prevention techniques related to stress and disease.”
And he says therapists are a natural fit for working with the Method. “They have great affinity with people and existing knowledge of the heat and cold,” he says. Additionally, spas often have the facilities already to offer workshops in the Method – cold water experiences and spaces for breathing exercises, such as relaxation lounges. But he’d like to see spas do more with cold therapy.
“We in the wellness industry should create facilities to go into the cold water, with the right knowledge of both how to approach the cold and what the benefits are for the participant,” says Hof. “Wellness is becoming a great way to prevent the consequences of our daily stress and modern lifestyles. Prevention of diseases – both mental and physical – is a great new route to enter on. The Wim Hof Method would be able to create a new dimension in the wellness industry – actually, we are doing it as we speak.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Anne Semonin
Katherine Connolly, newly appointed global
director of retail and spa operations at Anne
Semonin, discusses her plans for the brand
Promotional feature: Thalion
Thalion is the first company to develop highly
specialised mineral therapies for clients, says
training manager Sophie Alemany
Research: Finishing touch
A new study shows that massage can
help muscle re-growth after an injury –
even when applied to the opposite limb
Daredevil, yogi, madman, Iceman – Wim Hof has been called all of these things and more. His eponymous Wim Hof Method boasts thousands of followers worldwide (and the number is growing), and combines breathing techniques, cold exposure and mindset techniques with physical exercise – techniques that the Dutch-born Hof has been developing for the past 30 years.
It may sound simple, but the Wim Hof Method promises profound effects: increased energy, better sleep, heightened focus and determination, improved sports performance, reduced stress levels, greater cold tolerance, faster recovery and enhanced creativity. Cold exposure can offer benefits, such as the build-up of brown fat – which turns food into body heat – as well as reduced inflammation and the production of endorphins.
“The Wim Hof method is simple, effective and accessible,” explains Hof. “It has proven to go to the deepest level of our physiology – to our primordial physiology. From there, one learns to think differently of oneself, and to breathe more into life.”
Hof himself holds 26 world records – he’s climbed Mount Everest in nothing but shorts, run full marathons in the desert with no water, and has been submerged in ice for almost two hours.
“You’re tapping into foundational systems and mechanisms within the body related to alkalinity, adrenaline, cell biology and metabolic processes in the deepest sense,” says Hof. He explains that practising the breathing techniques exercises the cardiovascular system, alkalises the blood and activates the adrenal axis – all of which help reset the body to its natural state.
“The cold trains the vascular system and taps into deeper parts of the brain when done in a mindful, controlled manner, which makes the body’s mechanisms aware of your will,” explains Hof. “A deep sense of control emerges from there.”
Scientists have studied him, and he’s been shown to be able to tap into his autonomous nervous system at will, and with that, to activate his immune system – something they didn’t know was possible. “It’s like finding a ballroom in your own house – unexpected,” says Hof.
In October, Hof spoke at the Global Wellness Summit in Florida, and gave a demonstration of his breathing techniques. He says the demand is there to implement his Method in spas with the right education; already there is a Wim Hof Method Academy, and a growing list of certified instructors worldwide. “We have to come up with the right programme – a professional platform for instructors related to the wellness industry, and make it happen on a much wider scale,” he says. “This would open up a new dimension in the wellness industry, where the spas provide much more than wellness alone, moving into self-awareness and hands-on prevention techniques related to stress and disease.”
And he says therapists are a natural fit for working with the Method. “They have great affinity with people and existing knowledge of the heat and cold,” he says. Additionally, spas often have the facilities already to offer workshops in the Method – cold water experiences and spaces for breathing exercises, such as relaxation lounges. But he’d like to see spas do more with cold therapy.
“We in the wellness industry should create facilities to go into the cold water, with the right knowledge of both how to approach the cold and what the benefits are for the participant,” says Hof. “Wellness is becoming a great way to prevent the consequences of our daily stress and modern lifestyles. Prevention of diseases – both mental and physical – is a great new route to enter on. The Wim Hof Method would be able to create a new dimension in the wellness industry – actually, we are doing it as we speak.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Promotional feature: Anne Semonin
Katherine Connolly, newly appointed global
director of retail and spa operations at Anne
Semonin, discusses her plans for the brand
Promotional feature: Thalion
Thalion is the first company to develop highly
specialised mineral therapies for clients, says
training manager Sophie Alemany
Research: Finishing touch
A new study shows that massage can
help muscle re-growth after an injury –
even when applied to the opposite limb
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
