What Happens When You Take Cold Showers Everyday
After reading about a Melbourne man who took a cold shower every day to ward off Alzheimer's, I went down an online rabbit hole on the supposed benefits of taking an icy rinse.
There are plenty, according to Dr Google: improved energy, alertness, concentration, better circulation, weight loss, improved immune system, better moods, reduced inflammation, glowing skin and hair, and reduced muscle soreness after exercise, to name a few.
I also learnt about Wim Hof, an extreme athlete from the Netherlands who's earned himself the title "the Iceman" for his ability to withstand extreme cold temperatures.
He's kind of the poster boy for the cold-therapy culture, which for the most part, seems very male-centric.
While some research suggests cold therapy, or cryotherapy, dates back to ancient Egypt, the wellness movement that's been born from it, is still relatively new, and finding experts (who don't have a product to sell) to help explain or back up the claims isn't straightforward.
I thought I'd do my own, unscientific test, taking a cold shower every day for a month and documenting my progress and how I felt.
My peers reviewed the plan, and all came to the same conclusion: if I wanted to do this in the middle of winter, albeit a Brisbane winter, it was something I'd be doing alone.
So, with my sample size of one, I got started.
The goal
To be more energised, more alert, and less stressed. Oh, and glowing skin and hair would be great too.
The method
Instead of going on Hof's 10-week online "journey" for $US299, I instead read Aubrey Marcus' bestseller Own the Day, which echoes Hof's method and ideas.
Marcus describes himself as a human optimiser and unconventional fitness junkie.
The plan was to end my regular morning shower with at least 30 seconds under the cold while doing deep breathing exercises, or until I felt lightheaded (not a joke), and then gradually build up.
Hof reckons humans' ability to cope with discomfort or stress was bred out of us when we started adding things like clothes, housing, and heating to the mix.
The cold showers are supposed to be a way of exposing your body to acute stress — and the hormones that release because of it — to build a higher tolerance to that stress and enable your body to overcome it.
The prep
Before I got started, I checked in with my doctor — and if you're thinking of trying cold therapy of any kind, you should as well, because it's not safe for everyone.
This is particularly true if you have any underlying health conditions such as autoimmune diseases, heart rhythm issues or blood vessel disorders like Raynaud's disease or chilblains.
Hof's website also doesn't advise pregnant women to cold shower either.
It is also worth considering that a cold shower in a Brisbane winter is very different to one in Hobart.
So do your research before you crank the cold stuff.
Day 1
Thirty deep breaths? Try one big, panicked gasp for air.
Sorry, brain. We've got four more weeks of this.
I think I made it a whole 10 seconds until the cold was too much.
There was teeth chattering and goosebumps and I definitely noticed those stress hormones kick into gear.
End of week 1
Things improved over the week, but I never got past 10 seconds under the cold.
At this point, 30 seconds or more seems impossible.
In saying that, I've been enjoying the very real buzz at the end, which could be a few things, according to University of Queensland anatomy and physiology lecturer, Rodrigo Suarez.
Dr Suarez said whenever your body enters a cold environment there are a number of systems that get activated including the reticular activating system which controls sleep and arousal states.
"There are a number of neurons along the brainstem that would protect the rest of the brain, several neurotransmitters, the more important ones are adrenaline or noradrenaline … and that is linked to alertness, to actually being aware," he says.
This backs the claims that cold showers could contribute to greater alertness but Dr Suarez says they are not the only way to get this effect.
"I think it might have been a little bit over-hyped in the common perception of it, because something that would have a very similar effect would be to get up and run very quickly around your block," he says.
"That is already a very stimulating scenario that puts your body in a state of mind where you're more alert [and] your breathing gets affected."
End of week two
OK, I'm getting into this.
I'm still not getting past 20 seconds before the light-headedness kicks in, but as passing out isn't part of the plan, I'm not pushing it.
Regardless, I feel good at the end.
Dr Suarez says discomfort might have a role to play here.
"Because it is uncomfortable, there are a number of things that are happening in the body," he says.
"It becomes pleasurable [because you've] stopped undergoing that suffering."
"And there is release of opioids made by our bodies, such as enkephalins and endorphins, which are molecules that make you feel good."
End of week three
This week was a struggle. Surely it should get easier?
I think I managed a whole five seconds today and even that was more than I wanted.
Dr Suarez says to keep an eye on how you're feeling about the cold showers.
"If you're having fun and you're enjoying it, then it's all good," he says.
"But if you find that it's miserable and you're not understanding why you're doing it, then I would say stop doing it.
According to Hof, this is normal, as your body "revolts" against the new conditions you're introducing it to, but he says to "keep at it", and for the purpose of the experiment, I feel I have to.
End of week four
So, I kept at it and this week I reached 30 seconds a few times.
Essentially, it has taken me a month to get to the starting line of 30 seconds in the cold shower.
Just achieving this feat seemed to propel me into my days feeling more energised and in a better mood. It might be a placebo, but I'll take it.
But there are lots of ways someone might achieve a similar mindset of increased energy and improved outlook, like doing yoga, or knocking out a few laps at the pool first thing, says Dr Suarez.
And the aforementioned run around the block, which Dr Suarez says would actually be better for your muscles and breathing systems while also getting "the same high alert state".
But not all these alternatives will have the acute stress element, which is something to keep in mind if that's what you're after.
Conclusion
I didn't hate the experience, but I'm still wary of intense strongman culture that seems to surround this wellness trend (we didn't even touch on ice baths).
I'm not sure about the glowing skin and hair, but I did feel more energised and alert, at least at the start of the day.
While I haven't felt a major shift in stress levels (I mean, have you seen the news lately?) taking time to focus on my breathing — even for 30 seconds — can't hurt.
If anything, the experience reminded me of how much you can get out of plain old exercise, and it has motivated me to do more.
So I'll stick with cold showers for now — at least until saunas are back in vogue.
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What Happens When You Take Cold Showers Everyday
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/trying-cold-showers-benefits/100400534
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