5 Simple Steps To Cure Your Hangover In Just 20 Minutes, According To Wim Hof

Waking up with a hangover is the worst, especially when all the cures and remedies fail to make you feel any better. And since studies have shown that hangovers in fact do get worse with age, it can seem that the worst is yet to come. While there is little scientific research on how to cure a hangover, Dutch fitness guru Wim “The Iceman” Hof claims to have figured out the best way to banish nausea and relieve those pounding headaches.

Who Is Wim Hof And What Is His Method?

The secret? It’s all in the breath. For decades, 62-year-old Hof has been famous for his specialised breathing technique known as The Wim Hof Method. It’s a scientifically proven technique that reduces inflammatory proteins which also boosts the adrenal system, a useful tool considering inflammatory proteins such as cytokines tend to cause the most common hangover symptoms. What’s more, the Guinness record-breaking athlete promises that his method will help you get rid of that pesky hangover in just 20 minutes. By using Hof’s breathing method, you can increase blood oxygenation and flow to the vital organs, which reduces all feelings of grogginess.

Using his own mind-body methods, Hof has achieved the impossible and defied the law of science by running a marathon across the Namibian desert without a drop of water, and scaling Mount Everest in just a pair of shorts thanks to his use of controlled hyperventilation to “increase oxygen levels” and “self-regulate the nervous system”. His technique is also used to reduce stress and anxiety, and is popular among celebrities such as Miranda Kerr and Kourtney Kardashian.

Now, he’s bringing his unique techniques to the masses in a six-part series called Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof, which is set to air on BBC One this spring. The show will see the athlete train eight celebrities, including rapper Professor Green and sports TV presenter and gymnast Gabby Logan, to help them complete a series of radical challenges in sub-zero temperatures.

Want to try out the Wim Hof Method yourself? Read on to find out how to reduce your hangover by using a simple breathing technique.

How To Do Wim Hof’s Breathing Technique

Step 1: Get Comfortable

First things first, it’s important to make sure you are sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. When you are ready to start, take 30 full breaths using either your nose or mouth. Make sure you are starting from your core and moving up through the lungs.

Step 2: Power Breaths

Next, you need to take 60 fast breaths, which is also known as a power breath. It might also feel like hyperventilation, but you have to focus and make sure the breath is coming from your belly, rather than high up in the chest. After 60 breaths, take a nice big breath and hold it for 15 seconds.

Step 3: The Hold

After the 30 breaths, exhale fully and then hold your breath for 60 seconds. One minute is a long time, but you’ll have a lovely amount of oxygenated blood flowing through you after all those deep breaths beforehand.

Step 4: The Recovery

When the minute is up, you can take 15 seconds to breathe normally and recover. Now you need to go back to the start and begin another round of 30 full breaths. You should repeat the exercise no more than three times in total.

Step 5: Relax

Once completely, slowly start to move your body and get into child’s pose until your breathing returns to normal. You should feel like you’re meditating at the end and feel relaxed.

If that’s all a bit too intimidating, you can begin with Wim Hof’s free guided practise session to help you get more comfortable with breath control. By the time you have another hangover, you’ll be more than ready to give this hack a try.