wim
hof

Breathing and cold-exposure teacher · “the Iceman”

9 steps · last checked 18 oct 2026

up with the sun, no alarm, a full breathing session, coffee, a lake or ice bath, dumbbells in the garden, and one meal a day around 4 or 5pm.

his day in his own words from an October 2025 interview, at 66.

the stack · at a glance

what wim uses.

stack as of oct 2025

2 items

food · what he has described

morningafter breathing
coffee
no breakfast.
1·’25
his one meal4–5 pm
real food
“I avoid anything with chemicals. I don’t follow strict diets.”
1·’25

the routine · 9 steps

morning

With the sun
Wakes with the light, no alarm
“I usually wake up with the sun. No alarm, no wearable. Just nature.”
sleep light
First thing
A full breathing session
deep, rhythmic breathing, then holds after the exhale: “I can go minutes without breathing after exhalation.”
focus energy
After breathing
Coffee
“From there, I usually make a coffee and move into my physical routine.”
energy
~5 am when it’s cold
Into a lake or his ice bath
in the Netherlands or anywhere cold he’s outside in the dark at 5am, in a lake or his ice bath. Sometimes he swims across the lake in midwinter.
cold & heat recovery
After the cold
Dumbbells in the garden
he’s trained this way for decades, then stretches: “I’m 66 and still flexible enough to do the splits.”
fitness
Morning
Set an intention
“Today I will live to the fullest. I will be strong, happy and healthy, no matter what comes.”
focus

day

4–5 pm
One meal a day
no breakfast; one meal around 4 or 5pm, of real food with nothing artificial. He fasts longer when he needs a reset.
nutrition

evening

night

Bedtime
Cold shower or breathing if sleep won’t come
most nights he falls asleep naturally. He avoids phones and screens, and uses no trackers or sleep apps.
sleep cold & heat

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