Singer Ziggy Alberts on Why He Swears By The Wim Hoff Method - Men's Health Magazine Australia

Singer Ziggy Alberts on Why He Swears By The Wim Hoff Method

Plus his general approach to fitness.

Born on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Ziggy Alberts is a pretty chill guy. Sure, that’s what you might assume of a Aussie musician born in the Sunshine State, but for Ziggy, it’s so much more than a stereotype.

After looking into dentistry and engineering – “no creative stuff,” he tells Triple J, his parents gave the budding dentist a guitar as a graduation gift. “I wasn’t planning to be a musician, so I was like ‘Thanks for this present but…’ They said, ‘maybe it’s time to explore songwriting, and it’s just gone from there.”
Alberts picked up a guitar in 2011 and began busking down the East Coast of Australia. In 2012, he released his first self-released EP titled Feels Like Home. Shortly after, he co-founded his own record label Commonfolk Records.

Now, at age 27, Ziggy’s grassroots story and conscious living ethos have propelled him into a career as one of Australia’s leading independent artists. He plays to sold-out tours across the globe and has captured the hearts and minds of his growing following.

So what has kept him so zen – or should we say, chill? His holistic approach to health, and a variety of therapies to keep his mind and body aligned, he tells us over email “My live performance and songs are just not the same without me being in relatively good mental and physical health. Even at the best of times, touring can really challenge this aspect of my health. Some of the biggest challenges whilst on the road are getting quality sleep, along with doing the most intense energy transfer with a crowd at midnight – most nights!” He explains. “I also like to encourage others to do the best they can for themselves, their community, and the planet, so if I don’t walk that path my words become empty. I think it’s pretty amazing that my job allows me to live out my dreams.”

Here are some of the wellness regimes he swears by:

He prioritises balance

My approach is pretty simple – to remain pain-free and functional in my day-to-day. At the moment, it’s doing smaller amounts more regularly – getting balanced,” explains Ziggy. “I think we are, as a society, inclined to go to extremes, but realistically, we don’t need to be the most flexible or the strongest or the fastest. None of those things is indicative of balance. I find that when my body is in balance, I can do my activities pain-free, and that is awesome!”

He has tried a bunch of different disciplines

I’ve explored a few different types of therapies. I’ve tried Bikram yoga, Vinyasa yoga, Yin yoga and most recently Ashtanga yoga (thanks to my partner, Joana who has taught me a lot – being a yoga teacher herself). I also do a lot of holistic physiotherapy, breath work and cold exposure with the Wim Hof method, as well as hiking, song writing and ocean time! I try to make a conscious effort to be in the water every day possible and that has had a huge impact on my mental health.

The Wim Hoff method is his go-to

“I was drawn, first and foremost, to how through this method, you could positively influence your immune system. It is a pretty amazing shift to see your involvement in immunity as “passive” vs “active”. Whenever I am not feeling 100%, I put aside extra time for the Wim Hoff Method (WHM) and the results speak for themselves. Once I stopped touring, I had the time and a place to set up a freezer in my home. The physical and mental benefits for me have been next level! That was over a year ago, and I’ve never looked back

“I think the most important thing is to ease into it. I haven’t been doing the cold exposure lately, and when I get back into the freezer, I’ll only do 3-5 minutes at first. That is more than enough. I’ve always approached it with the mindset that I don’t want to “get put off” by pushing myself too far. The WHM is not about pushing through per say; it’s about learning to relax and let the cold be of benefit to you!”

Meditation is key

The more you practice both, the more you realise they are basically the same thing – one active, one passive. Meditation and yoga are extremely important to me; there is times when I neglect them in my weekly routine, and I notice it big time. I don’t know how I’d manage without it!

This year Ziggy launched his first published work through Commonfolk Publishing, a collection of poems fittingly named, brainwaves. The book is available for purchase via Ziggy’s website www.ziggyalberts.com and via online bookstores.

Throughout August, September & October this year Ziggy will be touring across regional Australia to promote his new album, searching for freedom. This music tour will coincide with a book tour which will offer his audience a chance to meet with Ziggy in a series of intimate book launch events to discuss his exciting new work. Tickets for the book launch events can be purchased via www.ziggyalberts.com Bookings are essential, and places are limited. 

By Nikolina Ilic

Nikolina is the former Digital Editor at Men's Health Australia, responsible for all things social media and .com. A lover of boxing, she has written for Women's Health, esquire, GQ and Vogue magazine.

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