• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist

Cold Showers

But it's really pleasant when you switch from the freezing cold to hot!

On a hot summers day its the other way around for me.

I don't work there anymore but i have had to give up joinery because my back is that bad. i can lift up to 25kg boxes all day no problem, form is definately important, Squats are an important part of my workout :)

my back is better since i have stopped working there though its getting better not great but its better so ill be okay
 
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^ Hah, coincidentally, today I woke up around 12:00 decided, 'fuck a shower' and sprinted down to the ocean and jump in. Staye in a good 3 hours or so because it was so sunny and nice.

Feels sooooo amazingly good.

Wow. That sounds absolutely divine.


I definitely have been partaking in the cold shower routine daily... and let me tell you IT IS AMAZING. It's the best energy booster out there.
 
Absolutely! Freezing cold shower beats something like coffee hands down. Whilst coffee feels like a stimulation forcing itself on you to wake you up and requires consistent re-dosing to maintain the energy, which invariably dies out leaving the user weary and worse off than pre-stimulation, cold showers give a more balanced sense of vitality and rejuvenation as opposed to a stimulation. It's a much better and more useful feeling, with no comedown and no jitteriness.

I actually frequently cycle up into the depths of the Highlands, deep in the wilderness where there's a waterfall and natural pool....it's absolutely freezing, being at high altitude in Scotland..I'd love to know the temperature of it, it's seriously cold even in the height of summer. It's so refreshing though....such a beautiful area as well :) What a high....taking a flask of tea and diving in for 10 minutes then getting out and having a cup of tea and a joint with the surrounding woodland...lovely! Y'all would love it.:)...I need to get a camera soon!
 
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For those with slow circulation / Raynaud's: You don't have to take a frigid shower. Even if it's slightly cooler than Luke warm, you can still get that energy boost because your nervous system is getting a partial "shock" to warm up your body. Each of our bodies can only handle so much coldness. That threshold is lower in some of us than others.

Listen to your body. It knows when it's too cold and when it's just right.
 
Yeah I suppose i've been rather vague with temperature. Cold to some is warm to others....It need not be ABSOLUTELY FREEZING. 10 degrees C is demonstrated as much more effective than anything above that, this is what you're aiming for. For you yanks out there, that's 50 Fahrenheit. 10 degrees C isn't even cold to be honest.
If this temperature isn't good for you (again, listen to your body) then adjust it to your needs.

To measure the temperature, just get a cup of the water and shove a mercury thermometer in it.

I've started having ice baths now...first thing in the morning, running a cold bath and shoving ice in there aswell. This is more shocking at first, but you get used to it a lot easier and quicker than cold showers, which seem to be more "distressing", which I tihnk is due to the fact the water is striking your body and you aren't fully immersed which actually induces the core temp. thermal effect quicker. It becomes pleasant to sit in after a minute or so.
 
I guess a cold shower differs from location-to-location and season-to-season. I usually only take them after a hard all-nighter when I'm feeling terrible the next day, but still have to be coherent. It's like an instant, but unpleasant dose of a stimulant, probably due to the sheer shock of it. Notice how when you're in warm water, that eventually turns cold (overstaying your soak in a bath...), you don't get any of these benefits? A cold shower can be good after being in the sun on a very hot, humid day as well. But I'm a sissy, I can't even drag myself out of hot showers most of the time, due to fear of cold air. Surely thousands of years ago, when our primitive ancestors had to shower, the water wasn't heated conveniently. Maybe we're designed/evolved to have them now and then?
 
I rather get shot in the kneecap then take a cold shower.

That has got to be about the last sane thing I'd ever want to do. I like to relax in a warm shower before work not take a cold shower - the thought of it has me shaking at the moment. ._.
 
I guess a cold shower differs from location-to-location and season-to-season. I usually only take them after a hard all-nighter when I'm feeling terrible the next day, but still have to be coherent. It's like an instant, but unpleasant dose of a stimulant, probably due to the sheer shock of it. Notice how when you're in warm water, that eventually turns cold (overstaying your soak in a bath...), you don't get any of these benefits? A cold shower can be good after being in the sun on a very hot, humid day as well. But I'm a sissy, I can't even drag myself out of hot showers most of the time, due to fear of cold air. Surely thousands of years ago, when our primitive ancestors had to shower, the water wasn't heated conveniently. Maybe we're designed/evolved to have them now and then?

Absolutely. Read up on the benefits of Cryotherapy.

The science is both solid and intriguing. A mate of mine who prides himself (so much so that he is possibly the most arrogant person I've met in my entire life) on his "scientific cynicism" (it's a shame when we live in such a world that only data collected and studies conducted by men in white coats is viable, rendering everything else "hocus pocus" - life is comprised of more than we can begin to comprehend, things that only human experience and ancient anecdotes may allude to) doesn't believe in the benefits of Cold Water Therapy, which I find hilarious for several reasons:
1) The evidence is there, the individuals attesting to it is there, the studies are there, the ancient knowledge is there (Ishnaan Therapy - Ayurvedic practice around involving cold water therapy for spiritual vitality)
2) It's pretty much only because he doesn't have the grapes to do it and must refute it for this very reason.

I kinda went off on one there, so back to the topic at hand...
Nature will always provide us with what we need. This makes sense, because we have evolved over 200,000 years to adapt to our surroundings and utilise what is around us. Berries and nuts are two of the healthiest foodstuffs. They were easy to forage and fairly abundant. Our bodies adapted to utilising the components of these items. Chlorophyll in leafy greens, for example, is a great source of Vit K for us, where the chlorophyll is essentially the "blood" of the plant, absorbing the sunlight and executing that ingenious process we half-absorbed as we slept through boring Biology classes.
Now, I seriously need to stay on topic. Back to the thread...
Cold showering is especially fantastic for us as it flushes out the metabolic crap from our muscular cells. It enhances autoimmune function, which I can attest to as I used to be susceptible to colds, frequently picking up colds. Now, since beginning the cold shower regime, I haven't had the slightest sniffle, where everybody in my group of friends has done several times. That's absolutely enough evidence for me personally. I was ALWAYS the first to get the flu. Not any more! There is research to suggest that Cryotherapy increases the levels of glutathione in the body, which is a particularly powerful antioxidant.

For me, the most prominent and useful effect is the alleviation of anxiety, depression and the vitality gained. I, again, as an experiment, recently stopped the cold showers and only had hot showers, and in 3 days my mood was significantly lower, energy was minimal and I just didn't feel like I had the strength and courage to take on the day.

This isn't to say that warm showers and baths don't have their place. I still have the very occasional warm shower before bed to help relax me but only infrequently. I don't feel good after a warm shower at all. Makes me feel kinda weak and ill feeling.

It really reflects on your mood for the day, affecting your ability to endure and deal with stressful situations. It's all relative.
SO EVERYONE, GET IN THERE AND SHOW THAT SHOWER WHO'S BOSS! Scream it, do it now, scream "Ain't no shower the boss of me" and get the hell in there! You will thank yourself. Seriously.

I rather get shot in the kneecap then take a cold shower.

That has got to be about the last sane thing I'd ever want to do. I like to relax in a warm shower before work not take a cold shower - the thought of it has me shaking at the moment. ._.

Just leave your handbag at the door and get in there son

Just joking pal, I understand where you're coming from, I was the same, but seriously though...try it. Just once. Don't go intensely cold, you will just overly-shock yourself. Just go "cool to chilly". Not only will it not harm you, it will be surprisingly beneficial you will find. There are a plethora of benefits, both in-your-face and noticeable, and others more "under-the-radar".
"Yeah but it will be uncomfortable as hell" I hark ye cry.... but just try it pal. You may surprise yourself. After a good 30-60 seconds, it doesn't even bother you that much and you feel AMAZING after it.
 
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Just leave your handbag at the door and get in there son

Just joking pal, I understand where you're coming from, I was the same, but seriously though...try it. Just once. Don't go intensely cold, you will just overly-shock yourself. Just go "cool to chilly". Not only will it not harm you, it will be surprisingly beneficial you will find. There are a plethora of benefits, both in-your-face and noticeable, and others more "under-the-radar".
"Yeah but it will be uncomfortable as hell" I hark ye cry.... but just try it pal. You may surprise yourself. After a good 30-60 seconds, it doesn't even bother you that much and you feel AMAZING after it.

So it's like jumping into a bonfire? After 30 seconds you won't feel anything since you're nerves will all be destroyed lol. :P
 
Exactly. There are even more health benefits to jumping into a bonfire...in a matter of seconds you will completely kill off any cancerous tissue, you will lose all your body fat, you'll destroy all those nasty free radicals and it will completely kill off any virus living in you. It's great for making sure you never get a cold again.
 
I did this for a month or so back in 07 because spirit told me I was responsible for global warming. I've recently begun to turn down the temperature again. I start warm, wash warm... then end standing in it as cold as I can tolerate it, for as long as I can.
 
^ If you're mainly looking to reduce your impact on the environment, your best bet would be to use less water. Pretty easy by taking what I've heard dubbed a "military/navy shower": Get in, turn on water, get wet, turn off water, soap up everything, turn on water, rinse off, turn off water, get out. :P I did those for awhile in high school--It woke me up and significantly reduced our water bill. :D Been trying to go back to them, but I don't use soap every day, so for me, it's get in, get wet, scrub body, rinse, get out. Two, three minutes tops, unless I gotta wash my hair (every 3, 4 days--trying to get back into every 5, 6 but my hair's much too oily lately).
 
^ If you're mainly looking to reduce your impact on the environment, your best bet would be to use less water. Pretty easy by taking what I've heard dubbed a "military/navy shower": Get in, turn on water, get wet, turn off water, soap up everything, turn on water, rinse off, turn off water, get out. :P I did those for awhile in high school--It woke me up and significantly reduced our water bill. :D Been trying to go back to them, but I don't use soap every day, so for me, it's get in, get wet, scrub body, rinse, get out. Two, three minutes tops, unless I gotta wash my hair (every 3, 4 days--trying to get back into every 5, 6 but my hair's much too oily lately).

You ever tried totally ditching the 'poo AP?

My hair only got oily whenever I still used shampoo (and forgot for a day or two) as it seemed my hair tried desperately to get rid of all the excessive chemicals. Since ditching the shampoo I can happily say that I haven't had a single day of greasy hair since, and thats been a good several months now. My hair looks infinitely thicker, healthier and better all-round since ditching it.
 
You ever tried totally ditching the 'poo AP?

My hair only got oily whenever I still used shampoo (and forgot for a day or two) as it seemed my hair tried desperately to get rid of all the excessive chemicals. Since ditching the shampoo I can happily say that I haven't had a single day of greasy hair since, and thats been a good several months now. My hair looks infinitely thicker, healthier and better all-round since ditching it.
Yes, and it lasted abouuuut eight days until my scalp got so itchy I couldn't resist using shampoo. I use a more natural one, not a typical one. Hemp somethin' or other. Nature's Gate, maybe?
 
I might try that, but I never use soap... just baking soda, so constant water really seems to help.

I used to get the itchy scalp and dandruff after not using shampoo (every day until I showered again)... but not a flake since adjusting to a no soap/shampoo ... way... not to draw the discussion into this.

But as well, I notice my hair is better off over all, as well. Even appears thicker.
 
Yeah actually I just realised that I used to get a lot of dandruff when I used shampoo and conditioner but haven't had a single flake since stopping the use of it.

Yo AddictiveP, jst thought you might like to know that it actually took me nearly 14 days to stop getting the greasy hair and whatnot. After about 2 weeks, then my hair's natural cleansing system kicked in and I've never looked back. Though, if you feel you need to use something to wash it, you can make your own vinegar, olive oil and bicarbonate of soda wash which many say is more effective without any of the chemicals.
Though I noticed you're using one of those cleaner ones, free of parabens and sulphates aye? I can't really see an issue with them, though I'm not sure exactly what is in them, but still, if you're happy then i'm happy :)

And in keeping with the topic(!), twentysix, what exactly do you mean by "spirit told me I was responsible for global warming"? Good on you for cutting down the amount of hot water you use :). I'm gonna set you a wee challenge for the hell of it! Tomorrow morning, after you have eaten and had a hot tea or cup of coffee (food/tea can make a massive difference in your tolerance for the cold) just try and start with the water cold and do the entire thing under a cold shower. You don't need to go freeeezing, just try it cold - ie, not warm in any way. You know? Try it out, see how you get on...stay in it to the point where you are actually comfortable to stay there, don't just jump out or change it if you feel it's too cold, you'll never get any benefit that way and instead associate it with an intolerable discomfort that you hate! It really doesn't take long to get to the point where you find it comfortable enough to stay there, and that's the point where you really start feeling "YEAH!".....just see how you go with it, just the once and if you like it, then keep it up and try to get a bit colder (10 degrees celsius is recommended which isn't even that cold really) but if you hate it, then go back to what you prefer of course!

Take care
 
I love cold showers in the morning, wakes you up. It puts you in a good mood and sets the tone for my day! Hot showers make my skin peel, and makes my skin feel very rugged.
 
Cold showers are a good wiener reduction tool too! (If you think your wiener is too big)
Just kidding. I take cold showers often and love it. But I also love hot baths, and I've heard those can actually be bad for you. My Aunt died from MS years ago and she told me that it can lie dormant for a lifetime, but be triggered by things like prolonged exposure to heat. She had been hanging out in her hot time my entire life. Not sure if it's medically relevant, but cold showers are, in fact, awesome.
 
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