Recently I’ve need a number of stories about the health benefits of a daily cold-shower. Anyone here follow that ritual?

I do. It's probably the best thing you can do for yourself that costs nothing. Im lucky enough to live where the cold water is COLD.

The health benefits are massive. Just ask those crazy people up north who roll in the snow and jump in ice water.

Have you looked at those refrigerated tubs that are coming out? They look awesome. And terrifying.

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Originally posted by DoctorSolo:
I do. It's probably the best thing you can do for yourself that costs nothing.<POST>

Willing to share the specifics? (Start warm then cold? Time?)

Have you noticed any specific benefits?

You know SOMEONE had to say it.....

I've wondered how cold the water has to be to get the benefits. Slightly less than lukewarm, close to freezing, or maybe in between? I try to take colder showers, but I'm just not sure if their cold enough. I don't want to freeze my ass off if it's not necessary.

As cold as you can stand it, colder even.

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Originally posted by Ronin1069:

quote:

Originally posted by DoctorSolo:
I do. It's probably the best thing you can do for yourself that costs nothing.<POST>

Willing to share the specifics? (Start warm then cold? Time?)

Have you noticed any specific benefits?

I end my usual hot shower by turning the knob to the coldest setting and I try to go as long as I can stand it. A couple of minutes under ice-cold water will set off a biological response that releases adrenaline and a host of anti-inflammatory and recovery hormones.

I get a rush out of it, and feel more alert and "sharp" throughout the day.

I have read a bit on the subject. It is known for anti inflammatory properties which I think we can all agree on. Everybody has used an ice pack on a sore or injured part. Then there is the claims of increased metabolic rates, the release of brain chemicals (endorphins?) to elevate your mood, physiological stuff like that.

I think the brain stuff and health benefits are somewhat murky. The science is iffy in that regard. Dunking into very cold water certainly has short term effects but whether that translates to long term lower blood pressure, better moods, increased metabolism, well the jury is still out on that.

This is a huge thing in the fitness industry. They are pushing it and it is a money maker for them. Of course you can do it at home for free.

I think the very fact that the majority of people doing it are fitness minded people cloud the actual results. Ie, you just got done with a heavy lift or exercise routine and plunge in, the argument is easily made that all those plunge benefits certainly started with the exercise itself. Perhaps it extends or adds on to the effect but like I said the science is supportive-ish on the matter.

It would be interesting for a non exerciser to monitor the factors and start a cold water routine. I'm definitely curious on the subject.

I used to deliver liquid nitrogen to cryotherapy treatment centers.
Sit in a chamber with your head exposed and they spray you with -100 degrees C vapor
for 2-4 minutes. I couldn't stand a cold shower let alone that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...01980s%20and%201990s.

In hot weather, yes. Not in cold weather.

Usually when something is all the rage no one does it in two years. I could see some anti inflammatory benefits if you can get it cold enough.

I did it for a while. Sort of training in case of societal collapse. I’m pretty sure the health benefits are dubious at best. Did no harm and provided no benefits. :shrug:

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Originally posted by arfmel:
In hot weather, yes. Not in cold weather.

Same. Right after doing yardwork in the heat of the summer, a cold shower feels great.

Any other time, I want it as hot as I can stand it.

I was at an oil & gas conference earlier this year and the keynote speaker was a retired Winter Olympic gold medalist. He's still an advisor to US Olympics so still has access to the top performance advisors, and declared the cold shower as one of the top 4 things a person could do for their mental health (i.e. it's not about cooling down after exercise or manual labor). Even though he's a busy CEO of a non-profit he starts every day with exercise (e.g. run) on an empty stomach, shower, cold shower as long as he can stand, and then breakfast.

He lived in Can-eh-duh so it was much easier for him. Here, once the heat hits the ground temperature gets to 80+ degrees and it's no longer a cold shower. I only got to try it a few weeks before Texas' heat hit.

That is the thing though. It is all anecdotal stuff for the most part not a lot of actual evidence. So when I hear about a focused Olympic athlete who runs a wildly successful business and still gets up early to exercise and is probably still in amazing shape the question is whether it's the chicken or the egg. Is the cold shower doing this to his head or is it all the other stuff, exercise, loving his job, being sharp and focused, etc.?

What I really want to know is what are the other 3 things because I'm not taking cold showers but there is hope the other 3 things are doable for me. lol

I do know that taking cool/cold showers after diving is protocol. Hot showers/hot tubs are a no no. I would not do a cold plunge, however. No need to shock my bod.

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Originally posted by irreverent:
I do know that taking cool/cold showers after diving is protocol. Hot showers/hot tubs are a no no.

While that's true for immediately jumping into a hot tub or hot shower straight from a dive, PADI and DAN recommend waiting a mere 30 minutes after diving before taking a hot shower or getting into a hot tub.

In most situations, it's going to take more than 30 minutes after you surface before you even make it into the shower. So at that point, taking a cold shower is unnecessary.

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Originally posted by 1s1k:
Usually when something is all the rage no one does it in two years. I could see some anti inflammatory benefits if you can get it cold enough.

I work with a fellow of Scandinavian descent, based in Minnesota, and this is not new to them at all.

Different strokes for sure, but I would say try it if you are curious, the price is right(if you live in a cooler climate). It SUCKS, but I feel really good afterwards. If there were no other benefits besides that, I'd still do it. For what it's worth.

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Originally posted by DoctorSolo:

It SUCKS, but I feel really good afterwards.

Kind of like banging your head against the wall. If feels really good, when you stop.

Well V Tail has a point. lol. It feels really good afterward is a bit of faint praise. Is there a lasting effect throughout the day? If you did everything else the same and skipped the shower do you notice that you feel worse throughout the day?

I am not busting any chops here but I am wildly dubious of ANYTHING the fitness industry trumpets. Yes I get that other people have done this for years prior to it becoming popular but the claims the fitness people say are pretty off the chart. My wife has been a fitness instructor for a large chunk of our married life and I have multiple gym owner friends so I have heard lots of "things" espoused over the years. Some were straight up nonsense, most had elements of good ideas sometimes taken to somewhat silly extremes.

Fitness is like fashion. If you are around long enough whatever you are doing/wearing will be back in style again eventually. My gym has the little wheel on a stick that I had as a kid as a toy for abdominal workouts. I'm not laughing though, that shit is real, it will kick your ass lol.

I am trying to figure out if this one is worth the effort. Feel good for an hour, not so much. Feel good, actual health benefits long term, absolutely.

Color me intrigued.

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:

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Originally posted by arfmel:
In hot weather, yes. Not in cold weather.

Same. Right after doing yardwork in the heat of the summer, a cold shower feels great.

Other big difference, at least for us in the south, is the inbound water is considerably warmer in July than January. Like you I've I've been sweating up a storm in summer will end up with shower on full cold. This month - hell no.