Cold Shock, Warm Glow: A Ritual in Neurochemistry
🏝️ BREAKING: Cold Water Therapy on Fair Isle - The Ultimate Remote Island Wellness Experience • Wim Hof Method meets Britain's Most Remote Island • Population: 45 people • Burn body fat without exercising! • Aberdeen Terrier Skyelark living her best Shetland life • Six years of Fair Isle adventures 🌊 ❄️
Fair Isle
Cold Water Therapy & Britain's Most Remote Island Adventure
🎧 Listen to Our Fair Isle Rural Traditions Journey
"We didn't wake up this morning, we came to."
"Burning body fat without exercising! Put me in coach."
Set in the middle of the North Atlantic, 38km (23mi) from Shetland and 43km (27mi) from Orkney, Fair Isle is as far away from civilization as it's possible to get in the British Isles. Measuring barely five kilometers across and two kilometers wide, the island is home to a tiny permanent population of just 45 people. In fact, it's the most remote inhabited place in the UK.
The Primal Blueprint: Cold Water Therapy on Fair Isle
Conditioning my brain and my body to accept, endure and embrace cold water immersion may be challenging, but the health benefits in both the short- and long-run are well worth it. Here is my story:
I was thinking how our overheated Scottie dog Skyelark extended her tongue to generate an evaporative cooling effect in the South Carolina Summer heat. Then, Bam: I googled it---that's how they stay cool. It's called cold thermogenesis.
So here I am in the sub Arctic circle, on Britain's most remote inhabited island, Fair Isle, with all this cold water. Suddenly Wim Hof, The Iceman gets pushed to my news feed...
I was thinking how our overheated Scottie dog Skyelark extended her tongue to generate an evaporative cooling effect in the South Carolina Summer heat. Then, Bam: I googled it---that's how they stay cool. It's called cold thermogenesis.
So here I am in the sub Arctic circle, on Britain's most remote inhabited island, Fair Isle, with all this cold water. Suddenly Wim Hof, The Iceman gets pushed to my news feed...
"OVER TIME, WE AS HUMANS HAVE DEVELOPED A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATURE AND WE'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT OUR INNER POWER. THIS IS THE ABILITY OF OUR BODY TO ADAPT TO EXTREME TEMPERATURE AND SURVIVE WITHIN OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. THE WIM HOF METHOD IS BASED ON THIS PRINCIPLE."
🫁 Breathing
Controlled breathing techniques to prepare the body for cold exposure and maximize the benefits of cold therapy.
❄️ Cold Therapy
Progressive cold water immersion to activate brown fat tissue and boost metabolism naturally.
💪 Commitment
Dedication to the practice and pushing through mental barriers to achieve physical transformation.
If it's physical, it's therapy. Try it.
Cold Water Therapy Benefits Summary
- Possibly the most talked about benefit of cold exposure, fat loss can occur without any exercise!
- Humans have stores of active brown fat tissue (BAT). BAT can essentially turn calories from food into heat
- Studies show that cold exposure increases BAT activity which leads to increased calorie expenditure = increased fat loss
- Cold exposure increases shivering and nonshivering thermogenesis
- These processes both increase calorie expenditure
- Increased levels of adiponectin, a protein that increases fat burning
I immediately began this science project: the first two outings, with baby steps, waist deep, then fully submerged for the recommended 15 minutes... which is where I am at to date.
I have to say it is a work in progress but I like the results. I lost body fat and gained lean muscle mass and I feel good hours afterwards. It's invigorating to say the least, and rejuvenating to say the most.
It is common for professional athletes such as marathon runners, triathletes, and football players to jump into a tub of ice water after an intense race or game. If sitting is the new smoking, then what about we digital nomads and remote workers who sit alot in front of our computer screens. Could we benefit from this CWI intervention? I say yes, and furthermore, it has sparked additional creativity in my practice as an Instructional Designer.
OUTDOORS is IN, the IN to my sane.
I have to say it is a work in progress but I like the results. I lost body fat and gained lean muscle mass and I feel good hours afterwards. It's invigorating to say the least, and rejuvenating to say the most.
It is common for professional athletes such as marathon runners, triathletes, and football players to jump into a tub of ice water after an intense race or game. If sitting is the new smoking, then what about we digital nomads and remote workers who sit alot in front of our computer screens. Could we benefit from this CWI intervention? I say yes, and furthermore, it has sparked additional creativity in my practice as an Instructional Designer.
OUTDOORS is IN, the IN to my sane.
Our Fair Isle Cold Water Journey
Early Morning Departure
We began our journey in the pre-dawn hours, knowing that reaching Fair Isle requires careful planning and perfect timing with weather conditions.
Discovery of Cold Thermogenesis
Watching our dog Skyelark cope with heat led to the revelation about cold therapy - from South Carolina heat to Fair Isle's cold waters.
First Cold Water Immersion
Baby steps into the cold North Atlantic waters - waist deep first, building up courage for full immersion.
15-Minute Sessions
Achieving the recommended 15-minute cold water therapy sessions, experiencing the invigorating and rejuvenating effects.
The Transformation
Lost body fat, gained lean muscle mass, increased creativity - proving that "OUTDOORS is IN, the IN to my sane."
Meanwhile, Our Aberdeen Terrier Skyelark: Living Her Best Life
Our Aberdeen terrier Skyelark, born in Charleston, South Carolina, and being raised on a Shetland farm, is living her best life on Fair Isle, perfectly adapted to this remote island lifestyle.
📸 Follow Skyelark's Island Adventures
Background: Fair Isle and The Shepherd Lifestyle
A background piece on Fair Isle and the shepherd lifestyle we are living - experiencing the authentic crofting way of life on Britain's most remote inhabited island.
The Testimonials: You Must Experience Cold Water Immersion to GET IT
It's hard to describe the process. You must undergo the Cold Water Immersion to GET IT. Here are our personal testimonials and experiences.
📸 Cold Water Immersion Testimonials
A Little Nostalgia: Six Years Ago - The Findon Sheep Fair
Six years ago today September 12, 2013, Sarah and I had a fascination for the crofting lifestyle and attended the Findon Sheep Fair. This was where our journey to understanding rural traditions began.