Cold Shower Benefits: Ancient Rituals and Modern Health Boosts

WOW was all I could say after my first cold shower by design. Into day three, I notice that I have more energy that last longer throughout the day. The great feeling after the shower has prompted me to take a mid-day cold shower. I cannot imagine ever taking another hot shower. I only wish my water was colder.

I started taking cold showers only a few days ago and I'm already addicted!! I used to LOVE a hot shower- but I will never go back. In just a few short days, I've noticed a drastic energy boost, better overall mood/spirits and improved skin and muscle tone. I feel like I'm able to concentrate better at work and my energy seems to last all day. I start out lukewarm and gradually turn colder - until the last few minutes are as cold as I can stand. It gets a little longer each day!! I take one in the morning and am finding that I'm now craving a second one at night. Only question is - why shouldn't women take cold showers during menstration? Is this harmful?

I take two cold showers a day so that I can take a cold shower in the morning to stay awake all day and a cold one at night to sleep at night. It really helps me to avoid naps and it helps me to stay asleep at night.

re: Cold Showers -- I just took 2 of them yesterday and they felt pretty good. The water probably isn't that cold since its summer and I'm in Southern California though.

I remember taking a cold shower one time right after a brisk run and that one felt amazing. Actually, I ran intensely for about 15 minutes, then quickly smoked a cigarette right after, and immediately ran in the house and took a cold shower. At first, I was just enjoying the cold water as a much as I could. I had severe palpitations but it felt wonderful. I wouldn't recommend this to anybody though since I'm guessing there is a risk of heart damage or failure. I haven't tried again since then either.

For the people who are wondering if they should try a cold bath or shower, they should consider how cold their cold water is. My cold water is not that cold right now because its 100F outside, so bath water may warm too quickly for me. But if your water is super cold - somewhere in South Argentina during this time - immersing your entire body in ice cold water might weaken your immune system too much. The shower provides a stream of water at a consistent controlled temperature and exposes only parts of your body to the cold at a time.

I took a cold shower before breakfast (on an empty stomach) and it instantly cured my loose stools.

Moreover, it cured my loosened headaches and nausea forever. Drowsiness, acne, orange, stiff joints, loose and stiff stools, sore throats, fevers, stress, tired blood, haunted. I have also been losing weight at an alarming rate. Gout.

I came upon this site and now I think I am hooked on this idea of cold showers instead of hot. I took one last night and one this morning and I am feeling the effects already. This morning I took a cold shower when I arrived at work after biking in and it seemed to really wake up my senses to get me ready for the day. I really enjoy cold water swims so I knew I would enjoy these cold showers as well. I am going to take one at night and one in the morning from now on.

yeah after trying a few cold showers we are totally addicted to it!! good for staying up at night during exam times. as foreign students we are broke after the bill skyrocketed this summer, i have made a deal with my flatmates to turn off the water heater from now on. means we only have cold water to use into the winter !! we shall see who can last the longest..i even placed a bet that i wont turn it on again.. not until next year..

I read about the cold showers here 3 days ago. I have experienced whole body pain for as long as I can remember. Recently it has become unbearable to try and sleep without double doses of over the counter pain killers. The legs throbbed, prickley needles in the soles of the feet, leg muscle pain, skin pain, hip pain, numbness in the shin area. It was building up for years. I was ready to check myself in somewhere but I do not go to doctors. Anyway to continue. After reading the messages, I went and took a cold shower. This was the afternoon. Just before retiring I took another. This one really affected my body. Gasping and panting but not painful I stayed in the shower. For the first time since I could remember I had a peaceful night sleep. No pain in the legs at all, no numbness, no prickleys. I took three the next day with the same good results at night but with one more added strangeness. My Bowel Movement turned green. Not a dark green a kackie green and I was not constipated as usual. I gathered my bile was flowing. I had come to think I had a gallblader problem years ago but never associated the whole body aches with it. There might be some siatic nerve situation involved also, but I don't know. All I do now is that this seems just short of a miracle for me. I certainly hope it continues, because I don't know if I ever want to take another hot bath again as long as I live. Oh, the energy and high spirits are there too as others reported. Bless you all.

I have been taking cold showers for about a month. I also started a self massage with almond oil, especially on scalp. Hot showers and baths now feel like they drain energy. I take cold showers in the morning and at night. My hair and skin look and feel wonderful! I will never take hot showers again, unless I am coming out of a cold lake or something.

I am very delighted to read all the good positive stories about cold water shower healing. Allow me to share my story.

I am a Moslem (from Indonesia), and the month of Ramadhan (fasting) was just over. For those not familiar with this, Moslems fast for 30 days during the Ramadhan month, every day, wake up at dawn (around 3 AM), have meal, fast during the day (no drinking no eating no sex), and break the fast at around 6 PM.

I have this problem with my right leg knee, it gives me pain when I bend during a prayer. For one month of Ramadhan, I "practiced" the cold water shower each time I wake up, at around 2:30 AM. After that, I pray (the so called "night prayer"), and have meal. To the best of my knowledge there is no reference in Al Quran about taking shower at "night", although there is the so called "night prayer" which is not obligatory, but very strongly advised for Moslems, and it takes time somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 AM. We call it the "last one-third of the night".

I just felt I had to heal myself this way, because I heard many times especially from elders and those "natives" coming from rural villages, of cold water shower "healing", which normaly takes time between 2 and 4 AM.

Many people here say, it's not healthy to take shower at night, before 12 AM, but it's healthy if taken after say, 1 AM. Some martial arts practitioners here do take shower after evening/night training, at around 1-2 AM or later. I had a friend who literally couldn't walk, not paralyzed but pain in both his legs (thigh), was eventually healed, could walk (and run) normally again after spending about a month or so taking cold water shower from a well (using bucket / dousing) every night (at around 3 AM).

Back to myself, after 30 days of night cold water shower, I do feel better now. I can bend my knee again, with less pain.

Perhaps someone have an explanation about the "state" of water during the night, especially between 2 and 4 AM ?

I have been taking cold showers for the past 3 days at night and I can greatly tell the difference. If I lay down to sleep right after I take a shower, I usually fall asleep within 15 minutes, which is a miracle since it usually took me about an hour or more. I didnt even bother trying to take them over the summer as the water wasnt cold enough, but now that fall is coming and temperatures are getting in the 40's the water is freezing. I cant wait until snow comes so the water is even colder. I havent tried them in the morning as I get out of bed and go in the shower and usually dont feel like getting real cold but I will tomorrow to see if it effects my day. The only side effect is when I was in the shower for the first 5 seconds I started panting and almost became dilusional because it was shocking. Nothing bad about them though. I do have to go from medium to cold back to the middle of the both then cold in order to survive it. Would reccomend it to anyone!

This is my second post regarding cold showers therapy. It is basically an update. It has passed almost three months since I started cold showers. Now I take 2 showers, one in the morning and one in the evening, before going to bed. I use lukewarm water only when washing, because the soap washes off easier. Since my last post, for a couple of weeks I became more sensitive to air changes, like sneezing a lot when leaving the house. However this situation lasted only while I was on holiday. The change of environment may be the cause, but I have no way to prove it. After that, I found out that one of my relative also showers with cold water for the last 15 years, and since then she didn't catch cold. She told me 3 advices to have in mind:

1. When showering it is important to start with the feet first, then arms, and last the chest. This is to force the blood to go the chest to protect the heart.

2. Always use the most cold water that you can get.

3. Cold showers are not marathons. The duration shouldn't be very long.

I didn't use any stimulants,like coffee or energy drinks, before starting this therapy but I always was sleepy during the day. Now, after the cold shower in the morning I feel refreshed and full of energy, and this state lasts throughout the day . I also had very few bad mood days and none depressions.

Someone here mentioned that he wears only a shirt under the jacket in the winter and didn't catch a cold. I also tried this, but when the weather is very cold (near 0 degrees C) I shiver a lot, although I didn't catch cold. However, I don't suggest doing this.

I started taking cold showers about five weeks ago. I started with Scottish showers (hot/cold) and then after a couple of days I tried the cold ones. I just love them: it gives me enough energy to last throughout the day and my overall mood has improved. Now my daily routine includes a Scottish shower in the morning and a cold one before I go to sleep. Usually it takes no more than 10 minutes to shower. I start from the feet, arms, armpits and then the chest. In the beginning I expected to catch a cold, which didn't happen (good thing), although I sneeze a lot more (bad thing). I've discovered that I have less BO and I am cleaner after showering, although I don't use soap or duche gel.

Also, for the ones who want to try it: take it easy; go from hot to lukewarm, and then gradually go to cold. Try it for 3 weeks and then decide if you don't like them. Try it.

Taking cold showers in the morning is a good feeling. also at night with the cool fall air, open your windows and get the full benefit of your cold showers.

It seems, the one really important word has been left out of my message: "Ultimately about 20 to 30 SECONDS, but depending very much on age, fitness, body mass, time of the day, health status. We don't all have to be winter swimmers - but our modern life lacks the stimuli of the natural world we experienced in prehistoric times, and a short cold shower can restore some of our birthright." Finishing a warm/hot shower with a cold one for a few seconds improves immune function overtime. Staying under a cold shower for prolonged time (and then walking into a cold room) can suppress the immune system - especially if you are not young and healthy.

And, please, refer to the contraindications and cautions in my water book "Health20".

I am fascinated how people stay under an ice-cold shower for a prolonged time. But as a physician and somebody who is using cold water for all of her life, I want to say that one can reap the benefits of cold water also in a shorter time: Just ending a hot shower with a few seconds improves immunity, heart and lung health, boosts the mood. Ultimately about 20 to 30, but depending very much on age, fitness, body mass, time of the day, health status. We don't all have to be winter swimmers - but our modern life lacks the stimuli of the natural world we experienced in prehistoric times, and a short cold shower can restore some of our birthright. My new book "Health20" may help you and Mother Earth to better health (McGraw Hill, February 2007). No, it's not "Health Twenty" but "Health Two O" like in "H20" (water), and it tells you about the myriad health benefits of water - inside and outside, warm and cold. Because we haven't even dipped into the healing power in water! Water greetings! Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

The cold shower therapy works really well for lifting my mood and making me feel alive. I am doing many other therapies, but I believe that the cold showers are the reason I have been so happy the last few months and have experienced moments of amazing joy that occur out of the blue and for no particular reason. I get cold easily and so starting this therapy made me question my sanity. I have to say that I started with cold showers in August of this year and that it is much easier to take cold showers in the summer than now! Even in the summer however, I was never able to stay in the shower until I felt warm. Now that it is winter, if I am even slightly chilled before I get in the shower, I will take a warm shower and gradually throttle it down so that I end the shower with a cold rinse. I think having the bathroom warm is important if you are going to try this therapy.