Cold Shower Benefits: Ancient Rituals and Modern Health Boosts

i am so happy that i literally stumbled across this web site. i have been a "polar bear," for the past seven years and it is the the greatest day each year. Not only do you get to raise money for a great cause, the Special Olympics, you get to jump into the icy cold Atlantic, 38F this year, and what a charge you get. i live right near the beach and i try to get up there as much as possible, especially in the winter. When i go i like to take a few handfuls of water and rub them on my face and head if it is not bitterly cold out. The feeling of the ice cold water on my face head and in my beard is amazing. i always believed that there was healing properties in the ocean, but i never knew that was such great benefits from cold shower therapy. i can't wait to start. Thank you so much.

I take a hot-cold shower 7 times as recommended by Dr. Schultz.

At first I thought this was excessive but it wasn't at all. Moreover, it encouraged me to involve myself in taking cold showers at all.

I found after 3 hot-colds that my body tolerated the cold much easier and by the time I got to the 7th time, I was able to endure the cold shower easily. The results are remarkable as it easily brings me out of depression and brings good cheer and optimism to my heart. Moreover, my energy levels are high and I can then take my exercise routine with no difficulty whatsoever.

There are too many good points about this discipline and I would encourage anyone to undertake this to do. If it is winter time and you feel really chilled out then it may be better to really arm up your body with a very warm shower until you feel enough strength for the first cold shower. And, it may be tough so do it for only a few seconds if you feel your body is weak. Then hot again until you feel strong enough to do the cold again for a few seconds. If after the third time you find it is chilling your body too much then I would not continue.

However, there is a distinction between a healthy body that can endure and enjoy the hot-cold routine and someone who may have a chill that has weakened the body so it is best to start the hot-cold routine during the summer or when you are feeling well rather than start it when you are tired, feel weak and lacking energy. Moreover, people who exercise have better circulation and can naturally enjoy the difference. I

have tried taking only a cold shower but my feeling is that there is a distinction and that the hot-cold may have an extra edge on getting a better circulation and it will certainly encourage non-participants in getting involved. If anyone has other thoughts or info on this I would be glad to receive their input.

After three years of hot-cold showers in the evenings and cold-cold showers in the mornings, the only regret I have is visiting locations where the water just doesn't get cold enough... I've found no other remedy that awakens such innate energy and realigns my ability to focus and concentrate.

I have been taking cold showers for 2 years and have found them to invigorate both my mind and body. I had heard that the Russians did a study demonstrating that alternating hot & cold showers could boost recovery rates by 20%. So, I started taking them after work-outs. It seems to boost mine. Additionally, I have noticed my skin to be much better. Fortunately, the water in NYC gets really cold. Presently, I am living in London for a while and I only have a bath tub, so after a warm bath, I get out and refill the tub with ice cold water and then submerge myself. This method really works well. Glad to see that others are just as crazy as me.

Cold showers have increased my mentality to greater heights. My grades have sky-rocketed since I began four weeks ago. I guess it stimulates the mind by creating an irregular natural sensation, so making it regular works wonders both mentally and physically.

I ALWAYS take a cold shower first thing in the morning (before my 10 mile, cross country, bare-chested, run, and another one immediately afterwards. These are invigorating and extremely healthy. I have been told this by the doctor who gives me two thorough medical examinations per year.

I've been taking cold showers for a year, the results have been tremendous. I don't take any vitamins, no herbs or supplemental vitamins and I haven't been sick once B''H. Any time I have a stomach ache or injury I feel the healing system in my body working more efficiently, helping me to heal quicker. After a really cold shower, and I have taken some cold ones, I feel invigorated and excited about life. Some in NYC where the water gets really cold or in the mountains in northern Israel where the water is absolutely chilling. I was laughing it was so cold. But I feel great, I trust my body and my immune system, I have confidence in my body's ability to heal itself. I feel my internal systems are functioning at their potential. Though, I have to admit, it is hard to motivate to go into a cold shower, but every time afterwards I say to myself it's so worth it. I tried to explain to my parents, okay big mistake, and they thought I was crazy, they're right. I hear the Seal song in my head, "we're never gonna survive, unless we are a little crazy". Get in there! justin

Well, I guess I will be the first woman to say how great it feels to be having cold showers first thing in the morning.. My dad who is studying naturopathy began about 2 months ago to have cold showers in the morning then went back to bed for 10 mins for his body to warm up!! I have been doing the same for 3 weeks and I feel mentally more alert, with more energy and the funny thing is that when ever I feel a little bit hot, my body is craving to have another cold shower.. my complexion is looking so healthy and I don't have to use moisturizers any more.. I recommend for other women to try this. You will benefit so much from it.. so go for girls give ur self that cold shower!

I have a freezing cold shower twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, which I've added to my already extremely vigorous exercise routine, as well as sleeping in the nude, and I can't even begin to extol their virtues by saying how wonderful they are.

Although I have not been using cold showers to treat specific ailments, I have been finding that in spite of an incredibly limited amount of sleep lately (3-5 hrs a night), the cold showers in the mornings have helped to revive my senses, increase blood circulation, and increase clarity and concentration(I only wish I had the opportunity to take one in the afternoon!). I did not know that cold showers were advised against during menstruation but that explains my intense aversion to them at this time and I won't be trying to endure that experience again. I have used cold showers at the end of very warm showers for about ten years now fairly consistently, however, I have switched to only cold showers in the morning under the direction of my yoga teacher trainer, and have noted that I feel I am gaining more benefits from the cold as opposed to the hot-cold routine.

I recently discovered the wonders of hot-cold showers only 3 weeks ago, having read about it in a book about rejuvenation which highly recommend the practice. Despite being in my thirties I thought it's never too early to start preventative measures, and decided to try it out despite a great deal of aversion to the idea. Boy, am I glad I did. It's the single best thing I do every day for my health, energy, looks and state of mind. Nothing, and I mean nothing produces results like this almost instantaneously. After my shower I feel so happy, I'm almost dancing with joy, whatever state I was in before getting in.

My skin glows (I only realized this when people kept on complimenting me); and I feel full of beans and raring to go - the absolute opposite to how I normally feel in the mornings ! I'd always defined myself as "not a morning person". Well that's no longer true! I start with a hot shower whilst washing then switch to cold for 15 seconds then hot, and repeat twice. I don't think I could cope with getting into a cold shower during the winter, though I will try it out in summer.

I have been taking cold showers for 4 months and can't believe how good I feel when I get out. My friends & family have commented on how bizarre it is, but I just feel so much better. I appreciate knowing that I'm not the only one on this planet doing it.

In the summer of '81, while working at Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, I was faced with what I thought was an unbearable situation. The hot water heater went out in the dorms. This meant, of course, that we had to take cold showers--and I mean COLD, since the water source was Swiftcurrent Lake, which couldn't have been more than 38 degrees.

Well, on my initial encounter with the hyperborean liquid, I turned eighteen shades of blue. But, oddly enough, I (and my coworkers in the dorm) got used to it; in fact, we grew to like it. It felt incredible to vigorously rub down after the shower, looking out at the snow-capped peaks through an open window. I felt like the Fates had suddenly whispered to me a great secret. A week later, when the hot water system was fixed, I kept up with the Spartan regimen, and have maintained the habit since.

For 23 years I have not been able to sit for more than 2 minutes and when I sleep at night I get terrible muscle leg cramps attack at night from 1 to 10 per month. The 3 lower disc in low back are badly degenerated. I discovered 3 weeks ago if I take a cold shower between 11:00 to 4:00 during the day I eliminated the terrible leg muscle cramps at night. The sitting problem is not resolved; however, the ligaments in the lower back do improve after the cold shower. I have tried ice pack therapy but does not work like ice cold shower therapy to eliminate leg cramps at night.

I was introduced to cold showers by a forceful boyfriend who absolutely insisted that they'd be good for me. I was suffering from a lack of energy and couldn't motivate myself to do anything, with the result that my studies were suffering badly. At first I was very reluctant to stand under cold water for 15 minutes and he more or less had to hold me under the shower. I'm so glad he did. I now have more energy, more motivation, my skin and hair glow, and my apetite has reduced with the added benefit that I'm now 10lb lighter.

I normally take one cold shower when I wake up (washing my hair as well as my body) and then a second cold shower (without washing my hair) before I go to bed. I know haven't had a hot/warm shower for over four years.