Cold plunge 64 day challenge!! Day 1 of 64

Hey everyone, I'm a career firefighter with 20 years of experience. Over the last 10 years, I've been struggling with PTSD, chronic stress, adrenal fatigue, and insomnia. It's been a tough journey, but I'm here to share with you how I've been managing it.

One day, I came across a book called "The Way of the Iceman" by Wim Hof. I decided to give it a try and incorporate the secrets of breath control and cold training into my life. At first, I started doing the Wim Hof guided breathing exercise twice a day and finishing my hot showers with a few seconds of cold water, gradually increasing the time.

I started seeing slight improvements in my mood and sleep quality, so I decided to challenge myself to a 64-day challenge. In April of 2022, I transitioned to cold showers only and continued with the breathing exercise twice a day. After 15 days of cold showers, I started incorporating ice soaking of my feet, hands, and forearms, starting with just a few seconds and gradually increasing it to 3 minutes.

After completing the 64 days of breathing exercises, cold showers, and hand and foot ice soaks, I noticed significant improvements in my sleep, mood, inflammation, and stress management. Though I still have bad days, they have become shorter and less frequent.

I decided to take my journey further and try a 64-day cold water plunge. I looked at many systems, but they were all too expensive for my firefighter salary. Yesterday, while at Tractor Supply for chicken feed, I came across a 100-gallon water trough for $160. I figured it was worth a shot, worst case scenario, I'll turn it into a planter. I got it home, placed it on an old pallet, filled it up, and let the northeast weather take care of the rest overnight. This morning, the water was at 36 degrees, and the air temperature was 44 degrees. I managed to stay submerged up to my neck for 3 minutes. The first minute was tough, but I focused on my breathing, and before I knew it, the timer rang.

I'm excited to see where this journey leads me and to continue sharing my experience with all of you. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned for more updates on my journey towards healing and wellness.