The Next Challenge

12 Reasons To Shower Cold

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by

Tim Moss
in

Taking the cold water plunge (Photo: David Tett)

  1. It wakes you up and leaves you feeling invigorated
  2. It saves power
  3. All the best people do.
  4. It gets your blood pumping which carries all sorts of health benefits
  5. Warm ones will then feel like a real treat.
  6. It’ll toughen you up so you can do more outdoor swimming
  7. It saves time (it might feel great but you ain’t gonna be in there for quarter of an hour!)
  8. When you come out of a hot shower the air always feel cold and you grab straight for your towel to warm yourself. Emerge from a cold shower and you will feel like superman.
  9. Many argue that it is good for aching muscles post-exercise.
  10. It’s a little daily test of your mettle. Your body will always rail against it but you need it’s mind over matter to get you into that cold flow.
  11. The endorphin release feels good.
  12. …really good.

Comments

8 responses to “12 Reasons To Shower Cold”

  1. Anna avatar
    Anna

    I am trying to get into this. How long does it take -staying under the cold shower- for endorphin to kick in?:)

    Reply
  2. Anna avatar
    Anna

    so I tried this today, didn’t time myself but it takes at least 1 minute to stop feeling the cold shock disturbing, and then about 3-4 minutes to start feeling comfortable with the runing cold water still… and endorphines for me kicked around 6 or 9 minutes and hours later (now) I still feel very invigorated :D

    but it was also funny, the only shower with just cold water (the rest have only hot water) in my local swimming pool, is next to the door, hence anyone coming in got a sprinkle of cold ‘wasser’ on them, a girl even yelled… one out of ten showers offers ‘kaltwasser’, so not my problem thats its situated THERE ,ahah

    Reply
  3. Claire avatar
    Claire

    Just don’t try shaving your legs in a cold shower – you cut the tops off all the goosebumps without realising it. Messy.

    Reply
  4. Chris Wilkins avatar
    Chris Wilkins

    Cold showers, like cold water swimming, are another of a multitude of great ways to combat the soft, easy life that many of us have adopted. A soft life is neither challenging for our amazing bodies and minds, nor is it satisfying. The mental challenge that was mentioned in point 10 is, for me, the rub of it. Combine a mental challenge with a physical one, and you have a recipe for a satisfying life. Not and easy life, but certanly a good life!
    I live 1km from a 750m length dam, and swim all year round. I cheat in winter and wear a wetsuit! My swims are not long, but they are regular.

    Reply
  5. marco avatar
    marco

    I love point #8 and point # 10.
    This is February 2013 and today I had a 15 minutes swim in the sea and it felt absolutely beautiful! Water temp is about 9C here in Venice Italy so it isn’t even that bad after all but people still look at me as if I am a little crazy.

    Every time I swim in the sea in winter my spirit thanks me for the rest of the day and I WANT to go do it again the day after.
    I made myself a home made hot water bottle containing 2 litres of hot water and when I come out of the sea I rinse my feet from the sand and drink a little to get some warmth inside, i can then take my time drying and dressing.
    Swim on!

    Reply
  6. peter avatar
    peter

    since 3 years I swim in the north sea only during winter time , temp goes down from 16 cel to min 4 cel in January/Feb
    some times i feel so high that at 1 am i am still awake!
    in winter some times hard and your hands and fingers can not move and feet are cold but it is all worh it and the feeling afterwards is just great

    Reply
  7. D.Armstrong avatar
    D.Armstrong

    We had a spell of awful hot and humid here in Hawaii. It seemed like the only relief even if just for a little while was to get in our unheated pool. Well, I became addicted. And afterwards I shower in the outdoor shower which is really cold and then I feel like I could take on the world and all the cranky people in it!

    Reply
    1. Tim Moss avatar
      Tim Moss

      Excellent. Great to find another convert!

      Reply

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