Laird Hamilton is an all-rounder. Hamilton is not only a well-known big wave surfer, but also an entrepreneur, author, trainer and superfood scientist. He’s also a fitness icon, and even at 59, he’s in peak fitness. As a trainer, Laird Hamilton has transformed the bodies of many high-profile clients, including music producer Rick Rubin.
Hamilton is also responsible for introducing XPT, or Extreme Performance Training, a program based on human adaptability. On one occasion, Benny Blanco and Matty Matheson visited Hamilton’s castle to experience Extreme Performance Training first hand. And that’s what happened to them.
Laird Hamilton and his secret of immortality
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When Benny and Matty visited the fitness mogul’s castle, they indulged in many activities. They worked out in the pool with weights, dove under ice-cold water and also went to the sauna. According to Hamilton, “If you do this three to five times a week, you reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia by 69%, and you reduce your risk of all-cause mortality, which means you can die any way you want.”
Laird Hamilton found some studies from Finland that suggested heat aided recovery and he has since incorporated heat therapy into his training. In his book Liferider, Hamilton expressed a desire to stay healthy so he could surf the waves as he grew older. To achieve this, Hamilton has incorporated saunas into its exercise program.
While he also uses ice therapy, for him heat therapy is the way to live longer. Laird practices thermal contrast, combining ultra-hot sauna therapy with cold pool immersion. Hamilton has come forward to discuss the benefits of this practice.
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Hamilton swears by sauna therapy
While ice therapy might sound more appealing at times, especially when fresh from a hot workout, Hamilton says the benefits of a sauna shouldn’t be ignored. “Of course we’re drawn to ice cream because it’s more comfortable. When you’ve been running around hotter than snot and feeling beat up, you say, “Yeah, stun me.” However, Hamilton soon learned that the hormones produced during heat therapy play a more important role in the body’s recovery.
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“All my boys and I went to the sauna for at least 15 minutes after training,” he said. He added: “Thermal regulation is the body’s most energy-intensive function. The ability to heat up and cool down the body is the most taxing on the body. So if you train in hot and cold, you can actually build that system and make that system stronger.” It seems like Hamilton has the formula to stay immortal.
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