After 30 days of cold showers, most individuals report feeling more alert, having more energy, having healthier skin and hair, improved mental health and resilience, improved circulation, and more.
But the research that exists shows some positive results. In one clinical study, participants who took daily cold showers for several months reported decreased depression symptoms. Additional research suggests that cold water may boost your mood and decrease anxiety.
Taking cold showers for a week may improve blood circulation, energy, immunity, and skin health, while reducing muscle soreness and inflammation.
If you have any heart issues, it's best to talk to your doctor before starting cold showers. It's also possible to overdo the cold. "If the water temperature is too cold, below 10°C, and you take a long shower, you can get hypothermia.
The easiest route is to ease into the cold
That's where that signature shock to the system – those catecholamines again – start to work their magic. It took me a few weeks to get that point, but once you're mentally prepared for the shock of entry, it's amazing how quickly you can get used to the cold.
Keep it short: When first trying cold showers, aim to spend no more than 30 seconds under the cold water. You can increase the time as your body adapts. Ease in: Instead of jumping into a cold shower, start with the water warm, then gradually adjust the temperature downwards.
Cold exposure helps boost metabolism and fat burning, but the effects of a cold shower are minimal. Sure, a cold shower might help you burn a few more extra calories and keep you more alert, but it is not a long term, effective solution for weight loss.
Lukewarm water is advisable to wash your face with, but cold water has its benefits, too. Cold water tightens the appearance of your skin, so it may make you look renewed and refreshed. It also helps boost your circulation, which can help give your skin a healthier appearance, albeit temporarily.
While warm bathing might cause a slight melatonin spike, ice bathing causes an even greater one. This is because scientists believe that melatonin production is stimulated not when the body heats up, but when it cools down.
What Is The Challenge? Take a cold shower each morning for a minimum of 30-seconds for 7-days. Ideally, the water will be around 60°F (15°C) or less.
According to a study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, taking cold showers for two to three minutes, once or twice a day (preceded by a five-minute 'adjustment period' of slowly cooling water) could help to relieve symptoms of depression.
May Boost Your Mood
Past research reveals that submerging your body in cold water increases dopamine concentrations by 250 percent. Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone because of the key role it plays in regulating mood, per the Cleveland Clinic.
After 30 days of cold showers, most individuals report feeling more alert, having more energy, having healthier skin and hair, improved mental health and resilience, improved circulation, and more. From my viewpoint, I noticed an increase in morning alertness every single day.
Beneficial for your hair
Finishing a shower with a cold blast can help lock moisture in your hair, while also tightening your hair follicles, meaning reduced hair loss. Additionally, cold water helps to close hair cuticles, which enables the hair to reflect light resulting in a high shine.
As well as flushing your muscles of toxins, making your post-workout shower a cold one also tricks your brain into making a speedier recovery. Cold water immersion effectively reduced muscle soreness and accelerated fatigue recovery, according to a meta analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology.
Care is needed. Having a cold shower can be a bit of a shock. As mentioned above, it also stimulates the flight-or-fight response which increases heart rate and blood pressure. This can have a negative effect for those with heart disease as it could precipitate a heart attack or heart-rhythm irregularities.
Using cold showers (cold water immersion, or CWI, in research), long-term, will attenuate the anabolic signaling that occurs in muscles2 through the reduction of inflammation. I.e., you will decrease your ability to build a maximum amount of muscle, which directly contradicts the goal of building muscle.
Cold showers might not improve sleep because of cold water's stimulating properties. Cold water immersion raises levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. View Source . Cortisol is involved in boosting alertness levels, and consequently, cortisol levels.
At the end of your shower, simply blast yourself with cold water for 30 seconds, followed by hot water for 30 seconds, and then finish with cold water for a final 30 seconds.
Try starting your day with a cold shower for up to 2 minutes, reap the benefits see how good you will feel from the dopamine effect and it's all for free.
One study showed significant and prolonged increases in dopamine when people were in cool (60°F) water for about an hour up to their neck, with their head above water. Other studies describe significant increases in epinephrine from just 20 seconds in very cold water (~40°F).