Cold Shower Benefits: Ancient Rituals and Modern Health Boosts

I have been taking cold showers for several years. I started taking them when I would shave in the shower with very hot water and then I would get too hot that I would turn the water completely cold and leave it on for the remainder of my shower. I find that it takes my headaches away and gives me more energy. When I go to hot climates like Florida I find it disappointing to take a shower because they don't have very cold water. I never knew there were any benefits to it until now, but if you try it you will find that you get used to it very quickly. Try it -- you won't be sorry!

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 somehow sensed that hot water was making me spend a lot of time in the shower. So I decided to have cold water shower, but I found it very difficult as I started showering but felt great by the end of the shower. As opposed to a hot water shower which feels great at the beginning and made me dull and drowsy by the time I stepped out, cold water felt scary and chilly in the beginning but got better and better, and made me feel fresh and energetic by the end of the shower.

I was looking for some info on cold water therapy a few months ago and I found this web page. Everyone's comments have helped me a lot. Let me add my 2 cents:

The most challenging part of the cold-water shower is the initial part of the shower, i.e. the first 10-30 secs. A few things that have helped me either some or all of the following:

1. Doing some mild exercise like skipping, jogging or push-ups just before taking the cold shower.
2. As mentioned about massaging the body with almond oil before taking shower.
3. Dancing in the shower while taking shower!
4. Starting with normal or luke warm water.

A cold shower causes a sudden increase in heart rate and breathing rate. So if we increase our heart rate and breathing by some mild exercise like the ones mentioned above, it really prepares us for the cold shower, and makes it pleasant throughout.

I start with a blast of moderately cold water and run it all over my body from head to toe as someone has mentioned. Then when I reach the feet, I make it colder. Then back to head, colder... Then I repeat a mantra 10 times keeping the water at head level. Back to torso and feet....repeat. Wow, that was cool.
Enjoy!

I believe by taking cold showers, you will live longer. This is because warm to hot water will age your cells, and by taking a cold shower it will improve your cells and make you look and feel great. I am 18/Male and everyone says that I look great, I don't think it's because of taking cold showers. But taking cold showers does play a role in looking good. The best way to look great is to workout and don't worry about over training. I was a gymnast for 6 years and I worked out for 3 hours everyday. Now that's over training to some people, but to me that's not over training because there is no such thing as over training. Your body needs as much exercise as it can get. I have studied about Bruce Lee and he worked out constantly everyday. He was strong, good looking and healthy, until he took too many supplements and it killed him. That 3 hours of working out everyday helped me to burn a lot of calories, that would of turned in to fat if I didn't workout.

First of all, thanks to all folk's feedback. After I read all articles, I have started taking cold shower for almost six months. My health is getting much better each day. It really works. My allergies & headaches are gone. The temp that I take in the winter is 8 C & 12 C in the summer. Normally, I shower cold water to front & back for two minutes, before I get out of the bath room. I hope my experience can help.

Best wishes to all of you.

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 decided to finish every normal 'hot shower' with a blast of totally cold water, after reading a book by an old healer by the name of Jethro Kloss. Anyway, I am a bad asthmatic, and used to get sick around 6 times per year. When I got sick it really affected my chest, with huge amounts of mucous, and real bad asthma.

Now I rarely get sick (it boosts the immune system as well as circulation), and if I do it's usually just a mildly sore throat. I wish I could better explain the massive difference this has made. Even if you feel sickness coming on, a cold shower will often stop it in its tracks.

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.

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'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

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 used to sell books door to door, and it is required that everyone of the 100,000+ students in the sales force wake up at 6 am and take a cold shower. This is done religiously and even though we all worked 80+ hours a week, this activity is actually considered one of the hardest to do. Everyone takes a cold shower in the morning, and it is interesting to note that people who stop performing this activity usually quit the job.

I started taking cold showers (very cold) about a month ago due to high gas bills. I have also done some research on the topic and have found that many cultures from India to Russia have practiced this for hundreds of years. Russian boxers do this for toughing up the skin before a fight and as the topic above Indians have been practicing this for health benefits mental and physical. The most dramatic benefit I have found is sense of smell. I never realized how smelly hot water is. Also after taking a warm shower, you smell as if you didn't clean yourself an hour later. Start taking cold showers help yourself and the environment!

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 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.