Cold Shower Therapy
Health Benefits

Cold Shower Benefits: Ancient Rituals and Modern Health Boosts

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Best Sleep Ever
Posted by John (Virginia, USA) on 10/16/2007
★★★★★

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!


Fountain of Youth
Posted by Jennifer (Chicago, Illinois) on 08/15/2007
★★★★★

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?


Best Sleep Ever
Posted by Leon (Wichita, KS) on 08/11/2007
★★★★★

I like taking cold showers at night. It helps to sleep and I feel confident getting up in the morning. I encourage everybody to take a cold shower at night. It really helps with insomnia.


Fountain of Youth
Posted by Leon (Wichita, KS) on 07/28/2007
★★★★★

I started taking cold showers on July 23 and felt very confident and able to get thru one day with little sleep, but then I felt used to taking cold showers that I sleep better. My body is softer and my mind is clearer. I spoke with several people about it and they were surprised and couldn't do something like that.


Fountain of Youth
Posted by Craig (Fredericksburg, Virginia) on 06/28/2007
★★★★★

Cold showers have been working wonderfully for me. No longer do I feel sluggish in the morning. It gives me energy throughout the day and makes my body feel (and look) HEALTHY! I'd recommend them for anyone. It does take a little while to get used to it, but be brave and do it. One thing I like to do while being under the ice cold for a couple minutes is turn the knob to warm for a few seconds.

WARNING - This might make you giggle uncontrollably for a few seconds and feel semi-orgasmic! After doing cold showers, I don't get rashes, my hair and skin looks healthy and I feel energetic. Have fun with your cold showers, it really does change you for the better.


Fountain of Youth
Posted by Matt (Derby, UK) on 03/28/2007
★★★★★

Been taking cold showers for a few about two weeks, I'm finding i'm warm all day, when my friends say "ohh there's a bit of a chill in the air" Is there!!! , feeling good my muscles and skin feel toned like I've been to the gym, i sleep like a baby when i get in the bed after a cold shower, i get that massive shock n rush when i have one in the morning. i also feel more alert and am getting more sex drive and stronger erections.. ok, take cold showers, they are great fun....


Anxiety
Posted by Jared (Melbourne, Austrailia) on 10/06/2009

If you need to keep water cool, you could use an aquarium cooler in the bath. Its used to keep water temperature low for cold water fish.


Mood Enhancer
Posted by Daniel (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/12/2006
★★★★★

I'm a 16 yr old boy, whom my father is a health "freak", fruits all day and fresh salads in the evenings and last but not least COLD showers each night and morning. My dad finally convinced me to just try cold showers each morning to see if it would help me function during the day. AMAZINGLY, i'm hooked and love cold showers every morning and evening i have cold showers, this really helps me through my day. Right now i feel i cannot function without having a cold shower. This site also helped me into my first step in trying out a cold shower.


Beautiful Skin
Posted by Stan (Cleveland, OH) on 10/31/2006
★★★★★

Cold showers cured my dry skin and poor circulation. Wow! Just found this site after having tried this the past few weeks. Usually, I alternate between cold and hot -- always finishing my shower with at least 1 minute of ICE COLD water. My skin feels great when I get done. I feel energized, and often aroused after my shower! I'm totally hooked! TRY IT!!


Cold Shower Tips
Posted by Emrah (Turkey-Ankara) on 09/25/2006
★★★★★

For 3 months i've been taking cold showers once in a day. My dad taught me that if you keep some water in your mouth while taking cold shower, you will avoid the trembling. Cold showers helps you learn faster. Look after yourself, you super human being.


Fountain of Youth
Posted by Jameson (Costa Rica) on 05/30/2006
★★★★★

OMG, I feel like I've discovered the HOLY GRAIL! I'm taking 5 cold showers a day, sometimes 4. I didn't expect to be in the city again and have temporarily ended up in San Jose, Costa Rica, after having been in the country near Nicaragua for 3 months chillin' in nature. It's an armpit of a city and very noisy and my nervous system goes into overdrive in this kind of environment and I get rashes! Anyway, I know 5 cold showers might seems excessive but it totally calms me down, brings me to life, washes away a lot of the over stimulation feeling (which can drive a person mad with hyperactivity) and keeps the rashes down to ZERO! WOOHOO! Whenever I start to feel messed up, i just hop in the shower and zZIP, I've got a whole new body and outlook!


Eliminates Body Odor
Posted by B C (Willow, AK) on 02/04/2006
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Another factor that you may not realize is that cold showers reduce, if not stop, the vaporization of chlorinated water that is in most municipal water systems.

I have for years now taken luke warm showers at the start and after rinsing off soap I end the shower with a cold rinse. In the summer up here in the last frontier I bath in the creek behind my cabin with just the sand gravel from the bank while using baking soda for washing my hair. I have noticed that I have no B O even without any soaps or deodorants.


Invigorates Mind and Body
Posted by Cas (Windermere, FL) on 01/14/2006
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Cold Shower is the only type of shower there is!

I started taking cold showers in the mid eighties as a method of punishment for partying too much. One day, my Chinese landlord got fed up with the comings and goings out of my place and turned off my water heater. I figured that IF I did not confront him about it he would not gimme any lecture. So... I continued taking freezing showers and I LOVED IT!!! While in the shower I used to shout - I LOVE ICE COLD SHOWERS...

Many years and dollars later, I concluded that there is no question in my mind that it was one of the best discovers I ever made. Everyday I feel vibrant and alive.


Chronic Sinusitis
Posted by Sachin (Mumbai, India) on 12/23/2005
★★★★★

I never knew about Cold Water Therapy when I started taking cold water showers. It made me feel great. I also observed that the chronic sinusitis I have been suffering from (because of which I used to sneeze 20-30 times every morning) gradually disappeared since the day I started taking cold water showers. It is then that, just out of curiosity, I searched the net to know if there are others who have experienced the same effects of cold water and here I am. Now I know that there is a therapy dedicated to Cold Water and there are a bunch of other crazy guys who have been practicing it. This motivates me to continue with it and spread this information.


Helps Bipolar Depression
Posted by Trevor (Cambridge, NY) on 08/04/2005
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My hot water tank malfunctioned recently so I had to take cold showers. At first I dreaded the idea but have since found that tepid showers invigorate my spirit and lighten my mood. I'm bipolar and have crushing depressive episodes. Believe me when I say that I feel my cold showers mitigate the effects of my dark moods and project a feeling of well being and joy throughout my whole body and mind!


Best Sleep Ever
Posted by Deepak (Valencia, Spain) on 07/15/2005
★★★★★

I have been taking cold showers since the last two years(summer and cold winters), the feeling is simply unbelievable. After the shower, you have so much of energy injected into you keeping you fit till the end of the day and at night another shower before you sleep, giving you the best of sleep throughout the night, which i would like to recommend to everybody that this is one the most effective and cheapest investment towards health. There is nothing like being healthy.


Invigorates Mind and Body
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 08/29/2020 533 posts

I've tried this but wasn't aware that it got easier so didn't pursue it. I don't actually "bathe" - like with soap - anymore but I am SOOOO going to do this with what is basically just a "rain" shower! And it makes sense because, obviously, there aren't many hot water sources in nature, lol, and will definitely report back! Unless I'm more of a wuss than I think I am. Thanks to Sid and all you other bubbas!! SWAK



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