Winter Forest Bathing 

Deep Breathing Explained

Good health is rooted in the fact that our species throughout history changed 100% of the air out of their lungs many times per day. This was accomplished by working in the fields, walking or moving 90% of our waking time, pitching hay onto wagons, firewooding with axes and saws long before the advent of chain saws, ditch digging (by hand) around fields for drainage, and many other aspects of typical farm life before the advent of city life. 

Another aspect of deep breathing comes from the pre-farming eras, going back to the Neanderthals and so-called "Cave Man" eras. The cave man didn't farm. He hunted and gathered to survive. Therefore he  was often running, either chasing a deer or fleeing from a dangerous animal. By nature of this movement he renewed his oxygen supply 100% many times per day.

By contrast, today's person spends much time sitting. They're either driving, sitting at a desk, sitting in a restaurant or at dinner table, sitting on the couch after work, or sitting for some other reason. Today's person, according to tests, does not change 100% of the air from their lungs not even once a day, but rather wakes up in the morning with 30% of yesterday's air still in their lungs. 

Knowing that oxygen is nature's antibiotic, this needs to be taken seriously. 

Cold Therapy Explained

"Cold Therapy" is a relatively new phrase coming from Europe to describe the benefits derived from being in the cold. One of their findings is that being outside in cold weather bolsters the immune system tremendously.

There are many other benefits to being outside in the winter. For one thing, it's natural. At no time in history did homo sapiens in the northern hemisphere live in comfy, heat-regulated enclosures. 

Just like weather changes affect trees, plants, animal fur growth, bird migrations, and more, weather changes affect the human body as well. In other words, if you sit in a heated enclosure all winter you're missing out on all the benefits nature is throwing at you just outside the double-pane windows. And you get a cold when you finally go outside.

You don't have to chop a hole in the ice and go swimming to achieve cold therapy. Being outside and inhaling cold air is very beneficial. 

Exercise Explained (as if we need to...)

Farmers around the world didn't have to go to the spa every day. The "spa" was right outside their door. Loading hay required a lot of physical strength, as well as firewooding for the winter, plowing fields, harnessing horses, clearing fields, plus too many other projects to list here. 

Muscles rise, or sink, to the occasion. For instance, weight lifters muscles become stronger through training every day. But the moment the training stops the muscles begin reverting to normal because they're "not needed anymore." This is true of everything. For instance, trumpet players, violin, guitar, et al players quickly lose their embouchures, finger calluses, or whatever it takes to play their instruments when they stop playing. Practicing is really nothing more than muscle training.  

The people in the picture have strong muscles for slinging heavy hay on top of wagons. They have different strong muscles for chopping firewood, and so on for every chore they perform. If a normal person would attempt to do what they do, we'd all fail after a short time at work. 

Unless a person exercises, their muscles are only good enough to walk to the car in the morning, walk to the office from the parking garage, and sit down in the office chair. After that the muscles feel they've done their job.