Also benefits featured in this video: -It wakes you up -Makes warm things more enjoyable -Makes not being in pain more enjoyable -Water covers your tears Non-benefits NOT featured in this video, (but obvious) include; -Hard nips (benefit or not, you decide). -Cold shrunken peen (not a benefit, unless...nevermind) Other Non-Benefits featured in this video -Soap doesn't come off as well
Thank you for your effort, scientist. I now know it will be useless to try! So i won't thanks to you. Now if someone says it gives you x to z grocery list of benefits i'll call on their bullsht.
I've been at it for a couple months now, after my morning exercises. I started because it's already way too hot, and hot showers leave me miserable. Honestly, I've grown to love them. They're incredibly refreshing and, coupled with a shot of espresso, leave me mentally ready to take on the day. That said, once winter rolls around, I'll likely be taking a hiatus.
I’m not sure about all the health claims, but for me, taking a cold shower really wakes me up, makes me feel invigorated, and helps me feel calmer in the day. That’s worth it to me
I just took a cold shower for the first time, and... I really liked it. At first it felt like torture, but once I managed to wet my whole body and started shampooing my hair, it really did feel great. Refreshing. It's been an hour, and I still feel invigorated. I'm definitely going to continue with cold showers
@@amalielk Been doing it for months it soo good for your body. End of storie... This idot yet another american selling himself for nothing wa a Twaat....
Me too! It brings so much stress, pressure and anxiety when I get caught up in trying to be perfectly optimized, that it sort of have the opposite effect. O.o
I stood forward lookout when we cruised the North Atlantic (Forestall, late 70s). The cold shower actually felt warm, almost hot, after standing watch for 4 hours. ❄🧊🏒⛸🍧❄❄
The reason it can be good for depression is essentially it’s a hard grounding technique. For people with depression, anxiety, one problem they face is detachment from reality. In other words they are lost in their own head and perception and everything outside of that is dull and blurred essentially. A frozen shower attempts to focus the person on reality and real sensation for a period. It sounds trivial to someone who’s not isolated however for people who can go for months without ever really feeling like they are in reality, these few minutes (also why people self harm) is real to them. It also helps if they focus on something radiant and detailed like a flower and really try and focus on it. As I said these few minutes although unpleasant in most cases is actually a relief for them.
@@httohot Cold showers won’t cure mental health. I was just describing the reasoning why they can be viewed as such. It’s not torture, it’s just uncomfortable enough that your body has a physiological response and it draws focus away. As I said what might seem like torture to a mentally healthy person is a reprieve for others. An interesting experiment can shed light on this :- regular people put in a sensory deprivation room with nothing but an electric buzzer that gives them a shock, will on average press it multiple times within an hour period just because it’s more stimulating than nothing at all. That’s essentially the separation of some people who experience depression.
Sounds good on paper, but doesnt work that way. Source: Am a bundle of stress and anxiety while also am depressed (I am diagnosed with it as well and trying my darnest to fix it) Tried for a while and it did nothing. The only result I got was hating my own shower even more.
@@bilibull1 Perhaps for you, For many others it’s an effective technique to ground themselves. You might have mild depression or a different perception of it. This technique is best for rapid anxiety, health anxiety which is acute not chronic or chronic depression. Acute depression for instance can be short term, and a cold shower isn’t going to be much more than a cold shower. For someone who’s been numb for years, repressed and feels isolated from everything however it can be beneficial. Each person and situation is different, and generalising isn’t usually a good idea. I was shedding light on some reasons.
I'm on day 14 of my cold shower 30 day challenge; I'm not sure about the health benefits, but I've already seen a significant difference in my decisions making. The first two days, I would just jump into the shower and wash as quickly as I could to escape the cold(Not an ideal way to face fears), and I realized that I was doing it all wrong, and here is how I now do it: first, I would have a short conversation with myself, letting my brain know and fully understand my intentions, e.g., while in the shower, I would tell my brain that okay so here's what going to happen, in the next 3 seconds I will be turning this bad boy on, and just after that I dont think twice about it and just do it, while the cold water is flowing on me I try my best to be calm as possible this played a significant role in remaining patient and calm whenever I encounter a task that feels bigger than me. I've also discovered that when my brain realizes that this person isn't going to stop the shower, my sensation shifts from disliking the cold shower to liking it (This has so far thought me that some decisions we fear to make, or things we are scared to do might be things we like in future). I've also found that my body warms up the water approximately 60 seconds into the shower, and the water grows warmer, especially in cold weather (This showed me that my body can endure anything its the mind that needs convincing). There is a lot I could say about my current 14-day cold shower regimen, which has been quite beneficial in my life.
Glad to hear this from a young man. Im trying to make my son try this, because he has an angerproblem, wich I think he could be helped from by taking cold showers every day.
@@BuckingHorse-Bull My method is to take the shower head and put it to my neck - just like when you get a shiver that runs quickly down your spine, it makes your whole body turn the same cold temp instantaneously. When there's no warm part of your body that focuses your attention on the cold parts, you acclimate to the cold very very quickly and the "painful" part of the process is significantly reduced.
I’ve taken a cold shower every morning for the last 18 months. I even turn the boiler off to ensure the water is as cold as I can get it. I consider it a stress test, knowing that once it’s behind me I dealt with the most difficult thing I will have to deal with that day. It gives me an immense clarity of thought which helps me with any issues I may have.
Cool, I figured out exactly the same benefit for me. It´s amazing, no more warm showers for me :) Additionally, I feel like after doing sport, the cold is less brutal because it seems like the body is kind of heated up from within. I must say, I really enjoy my cold showers in the morning and the benefits are great^ ^
Turn the boiler off !duh! Of course!! I have been havinv an issue with my shower starting to get luke warm after a min or so no matter low i tried to turn the thermostat. Now i know what to do - you are a legend🙏 lol. ❤
@Alexander Terry I appreciate that viewpoint! I live in North Florida and have gone cold for 20+ months now. I do realize that my water is not nearly as cold as someone who lives much further north, but all in all it hasn't been too bad after all
Been doing it for 6+ months. The first 30 secs are still tough but after that it just feels amazing. Skin/complexion is better and it relieves sore muscles nearly instantly. Also feels like a free adrenaline shot.
hot showers make me sweat right out of the shower, so I like to turn it cold at the end - makes me feel cleaner since I am not sweaty. Also wakes me up pretty good.
I have an anxiety disorder and a cold shower is my secret weapon. The shock of the water, the mammalian dive reflex slowing the heart. I can take my runaway anxiety or a panic attack and crash it with a wreaking ball of cold water. Is it fun? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Watching this video makes me want to try as a sort of active meditation thing. I'm pretty bad at meditating because I can't sit with my thoughts, but body scanning and the likes work well. Cold showers may be a way to force myself into daily meditations. Who can say. Still sounds horrible.
The back is the worst. After 3 years of showering cold I still occasionally tense up when it hits my back but it's only for a few seconds before I climatise. Even if the claimed benefits are all bs there are a few definite benefits. Less resources wasted heating your water, showers are generally shorter so less water used and on days when you do decide to take a luxurious, hot shower or bath you appreciate it SO much more. Although I've had other perceived benefits the 2 biggest things I've gained from cold showers is greater control over my reactions and my happiness isn't as reliant on my situation. If you can turn on an ice cold shower and not react when the water hits you and you can step out of that shower without it negatively affecting your mood it can be incredibly empowering. I suppose it's like a form of forced meditation.
@Craig Bryant - Do you take cold showers all the time aside from occasional luxury hot ones? I really like the idea of the psychological benefits it could bring. Do you practice stoicism in addition to the cold showers? After watching this vid I was like, “nope” but your comment makes me want to try this haha.
I'm amazed you can do this. I took cold showers after hurricane hit our area and power went down. We we got water back it was cold of course because we didn't have power. Was grateful for water. It being cold was still rough.
Craig Bryant I'm in the same situation. I've been doing it for a bit over 5 years at this point and for me it's deeply empowering and meditative! Idk about any physiological benefits but the psychological ones are enough for me. It's still difficult to deal with the first few seconds of cold water every time but the actual shower is really refreshing and motivating
I do it too and my boyfriend hates the cold shower, but yes, it’s sooo relaxing and meditative. It’s a reminder that just because something is uncomfortable, doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you or hurts you in any way. Plus if it’s SUPER cold, you kind of have to breathe deeply to put up with it and get past the initial shock. Which is relaxing and a nice practice in mind over matter.
I've been doing cold showers for a week or so now. No fever, no stress, much more relaxed and get this, having a new born baby and hardly sleeping, I work during the day but never felt tired. Cold showers are AWESOME and beneficial!
I laugh after a cold shower almost every time. Thats how I know it improves my mood. also when im sick, im not as sick as I used to be. less body aches. more energy, jolt in the morning is the dopamine. its subtle but the studies are there and proven.
@@steve87jsame! And I thought the same while watching this video. He’s very entertaining but mistaken about the lack of scientific data. Cold exposure has been studied extensively. Andrew Huberman has covered it in a few different videos worth checking out.
“Challenges break up the monotony of life.” This is such a great insight from this challenge. It really hit different for me because I hate cold showers myself and can’t do extremes because of some medical conditions. I was vicariously feeling your pain.
That showering montage was maybe the most casually hilarious thing you've released in the past couple years. I love the improvised and unscripted bits of your videos so much.
Took me about 2 months to get used to it. Skin was wonderful, definitely did wake me up. I actually looked forward to it after a while. Problem is, living in the Midwest, when October rolled around cold became MORE COLD. And one warm shower later I decided "Yeah I'm finished."
I basically do this, but every year. Cold shower in spring and summer, hot showers in autumn and winter. I find it much more efficient than coffee for waking up, and the effect last for hours. But when it's really cold, it's not worth it anymore.
Tryed it and stuck with it for about year and a half. Felt good to actualy firce yourself to do something that your mind tells you not do to. Like bungee jumping every day. But after that one day, i, was like why am i doing this again and swiched to normal, showers again. But it did help me so now i can jump into freezing water and do it no problem
I also live in the Midwest, but I have only ever taken a break from cold showers after I got used to taking them with the most chilling temperature setting twice. The first time was when I was couchsurfing in Europe from Feb. through May 2018. The water was too cold during an "unexpectedly" freezing winter and I was losing weight too rapidly from all the biking already, so I switched to cool water as warm water led me to sweat. Had I been doing Wim Hof breathing when I was traveling, it would have been manageable. The second time was when I had developed anxiety and insomnia after my dad died. Cold showers agitated me too much, and the cold stress was no longer in a hormetic range. When I found yoga nidra, Self-Enquiry, and related meditation techniques that allowed me to relax and restore my sleep and let the anxiety dissolve, I was again able to rebuild my tolerance to cold showers. My skin is better and softer, I feel energized and refreshed after the cold shower, and my sleep and meditation practices are deeper right after a bone-chillingly cold shower. I love taking them.
Maybe you can take a cold shower less minutes, like 1 minute 30 seconds, or 2 minutes. If the water it's so cold not necessarily needs a lot of time in there.
the only thing I noticed when I was having a cold finish at the end of a shower that I became a lot more resilient to the cold.... supposedly taking cold showers trains your brain to be able to choose the uncomfortable more easily, making it easier for you to go for the hard and not the easy route if need be
@@stevenbridges I've been taking them everyday since I was born and only on rare occasion is it ever uncomfortable. They feel better than warm shower s
Yeah idk about cold showers, but I control my breathing in cold weather. Tensing up makes it way worse. Just focus on your breathing and hopefully don’t die of hypothermia. But jokes aside, breathing definitely makes it better.
@@kochevar99 I've not looked into it, but supposedly a study found that monks who practice "hot yoga" are actually generating heat with their breath muscles or something, but they aren't able to maintain that for very long unless they also practice their meditation.
I’ve been doing it for several months now, and I can honestly say that it’s been extremely helpful. Granted, I am neurodivergent and deal with high anxiety and manic depressive episodes. The daily cold shower for 1-1.5 min has caused a significant improvement in my abilities to regulate my emotional spikes and quickly bring me back to the present during moments of high anxiety
@@balanalexandru8776 You're actually wrong, it's an umbrella term for various diagnoses related to the brain structure such as adhd and autism. I know it's hard to understand abstract concepts but we have a fancy word for that "low functioning". Don't worry, we won't judge you.
“I don’t feel exhausted any more. I feel angry”. “Well I got stabbed in the face every day and after about 3 months I started to like it”. I laughed so hard at both of those. This video has made my day. Thank you.
I've been taking cold shower for about 10 years now , not by choice , in my country getting hot water is super expensive so we just got used to it. But it doesn't make me feel like a superhuman compared to people who take hot showers. I'm just as tired and sleepy as they are 😂
I once stayed in a hotel in China Lake, California for several days. Barren wasteland of a place with a huge military facility. No such thing as cold water there. Hot showers whether you want it or not.
When I first stayed at a hotel in Turkey I was surprised with the fact that their water heaters worked from sun batteries. And in the morning there's almost no hot water. That was rough for me 😅
@@rfldss89 Haiti , and even our internet sucks , funny story I was working with a Russian on a project and we where talking about where we were from. Once I was done describing where I live she literally said: wow... and I thought Russia was bad 😂😂
I love your honest review of cold showers. I’ve been taking them for over 2 1/2 years. I’m one of the crazies that converted an ice chest into taking cold baths…. Wim Hof method changed my morning routine probably for life. Your perspective and energy are refreshing. I love the honesty even though we differ on the effects of cold training. I’m going to follow your channel from here on out. You’re absolutely right. we don’t need to optimize everything in our life. But we should push our comfort zone. Big-time respect.
I‘d say jump right in - turn the water off while soaping up, it makes it easier. After a while the hot water feels „wrong“… Just alone the accomplishment will get you through the first days, feeling really proud of yourself for that kind of willpower, And think about the money you‘ll save to just do that instead of the money famous people spend on ice chambers 😂 It does seem to come with a lot of health benefits though … but, don’t believe me, just find out for yourself! Good luck 🍀 😊
I have been taking cold showers for the last 15 months. Some changes/benefits that I have observed are: - Lowers stress - Keeps me more active through out the day - Increases the blood flow to the head which helps in hair growth. It takes long time to observe the results. Based on some researches, hot water is not good for hair especially if you have thin hair. This is one of the main reason that motivated me for having cold showers. Cold water increases blood flow to the head. - Didn't get sick - Stopped sweating after the shower. Like some of them mentioned in the comments, I sweat after taking hot shower. Taking cold showers after a workout does really helps.
I do sea swimming, surfing and turn the water cold after a hot shower. I have anxiety, so I get a lot of tension in my body. I find cold water really refresh and after it’s like someone has pushed a reset button. It’s helped my mental and physical health. I find cold water easier to handle when you warm your body up with a few exercises beforehand and really focus on your breathing when in the water.
So my body is tense most of the time so I would love to find something that helps that. The only cold water option I have is the shower. Do you just do it for a few seconds at the end or longer? Do you find the effects last for a while? Wish I could swim in the ocean daily. I would imagine that would have all sorts of great benefits for your anxiety.
Used to do this in the Army for years because they didn't have heaters. The trick is to hold some water in your mouth so the body doesn't feel that cold
@@kombijr and the national guard tops the Marines, shit i honestly believe the Army gives the Marines their equipment and the Marines give the Army national guard theirs.
The main benefit to cold showers is that it wakes you up in the morning. They don't even have to be that cold either, a few degrees colder than normal is going to help wake you up quickly and get you on the path to going to a good sleep in the evening.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade I've found that a 3-4 song dance party in the morning does the same thing without the added grumpiness of the cold. To each their own!
@@onglogman See, the difference between that and starting your day a cold shower is that in one you go from a hot place to a cold place and immediately back to a hot place, and in the other you don't know if you will ever be warm again. ;)
@@onglogman cold water after sauna is different. Since you're overheated, you don't even feel the water to be that cold. But you feel that the muscles that relaxed in the sauna literally shrink in the sudden cold, and it's like having a full body massage in a few seconds. And it's splendid. Taking cold showers is just pain.
cold showers for the last 7 years. i love it. wakes you up and for me has helped me to tolerate cold air temps much better. my joints ache less since i also do ice tubs.
To be fair, I found that after the first 15 seconds my body acclimated to the temperature and it was no longer an issue. I have tried explaining this to a couple of people and usually get blank stares back...
I'm on cold showers for a year...my chrons is in remission, my muscles are lean,it energizes me, my blood work is excellent,after 10 years of suffering and pain from chronic desease cold showers gave me back my life...I'm addicted now and had to take a cold shower everyday like a junkie need drugs...once a week I immerse in ice water, and will be doing that for rest of my life
I've been doing cold shower for a couple years now. I'll warm it up just slightly in the winter, but it's still usually well under 100 degrees. I have fibromyalgia, and cold showers have done wonders to help reduce swelling and sort of... "snap" my nerves back into place and calm them down. Plus, the heavy breathing caused by the shock of cold really helps circulate blood (I'm assuming) and wake me up. It took some time to get used to it, but now I can slip under without thinking. Jump in! Just like in a pool, if you hesitate it makes it worse! P.S. it helps to just hold still and wait until your body adjusts. "Zen" through it. It really helps to wait until your breathing regulates. Also: Back up into it. The back is the hardest. You got this!
I think cold showers in the summer are worse because your body starts producing heat so when you get out your body is in heat up mode. I like to take lukewarm showers in the summer because my body gets into cool down mode but it doesn’t add too much heat either
The water temperature of a cold shower varies substantially depending on where you live. A Canadian wintertime cold-water shower is much tougher than a Florida summertime "cold" shower.
in UK and there is a significant difference I have noticed between winter cold water temp and summer cold water temp! I started in the summer and when it hit winter I couldn't believe how much colder it was at first!
As the father of Stoicism have said: "Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible.". If you learn how good your life is, you will value the present and not want for a possible future.
There is always something to be said for "embracing the suck..." Life isn't always going to be unicorns and snack cakes, and being mentally able to maintain during those times is a useful skill to have.
It's so funny that this came on my recommendations. I'm taking cold showers everyday for a month right now. I do it because it builds mental toughness, and is a great training tool. But it severely increases my mood after and I'm super happy and proud of myself. It's a great way to teach yourself "I CAN" instead of "I CAN'T". haha
It's not funny it's something to worry about. I was asked what my least favorite type of music was once. The remote picked up my response and had middle eastern music in the very next ad. Never once before has that happened except following that conversation. Me and the roommated decided to talk about Rhianna a whole bunch following the incident and youtube through autoplay taunted us with "Cause I Got High" by Afroman. True story.
Cold showers makes you shower more efficiently and quickly than hot showers lol. Also, the feeling of taking on minor discomfort gives a certain sense of confidence.
Right. I remember trying to take a cold shower in Florida to relieve a sunburn. Had it all the way to cold and only slightly cooler than my regular showers lol
Here cold water is colder in winter than in summer. I use a hair dryer so I do cold water the last two minutes to cool off so I don't get hot drying hair. Yeah in winter the water is pretty unbearable fully cold, not bad right now. I can put it on fully cold now. Days are in upper 80s.
I've done cold showers for 4 years and I'm in Canada. Ground temperature doesn't matter, its about gradually adapting yourself so it's not a big deal anymore, just like when you workout and after multiple years lifting the amount you lifted at the beginning feels like literally nothing.
When I was lil we didn't have hot water at home so I learned this: feet go first. One at a time. All The way to The hip. Then arms, one at a time. Chest, head, back. Going head first looks crazy to me! Now my muscle memory does it everytime, cold water or not.
yes voluntarily seems to add a bit more umph to it in SOME ways as you have a choice...yet however you get in there, it CAN be beneficial with the right mindset. People pay big money for those cryochambers these days in sports medicine...and this is a free version...yet you also want to watch extremism...so your method of acclimating is a good case in point for the moderate side!
The temp of my cold water during the winter is MUCH colder than the summer. I take most of my shower in hot water, then during the final 5 minutes turn it all the way cold...invigorating!
The Wim Hof method is easier. You start by 30 seconds after your hot shower and work up to 3 minutes by adding 15 seconds every week. A month later I’m able to take an entirely cold shower and I felt refreshed.
Absolutely agree! It's now over a year of cold showers for me. I spent some months obsessing over what the water temperature was and bought a good quality thermometer. In winter the tap water was as low as 7oC (44oF), in summer it can be as high as 19oC (66oF). River swimming, or sea swimming once per week, sometimes more often, with temps as low as 4oC. I have (fingers crossed it lasts) cured my long standing depression. Off meds for a while now and still going strong. I find with warm showers I have to turn the temp down to tepid or feels too hot.
Yeah this is kinda how I did it. But im increasing like a minute every day. Started with 30 seconds a few days ago and im up to like 6 minutes today. I figure I'll be taking entirely cold showers in a week or two. This with wim hof breathing 3 times daily is working wonders for my depression since getting sober from heroin 6 months ago.
@@AnCapCat That is brilliant news and sounds like fantastic progress. I didn't mention in my comment, but I am 7 years clean and sober this December. This has been an important part of strengthening my sobriety - like Bill Wilson (AA Big Book author) said, the next frontier when we are clean and sober is 'emotional sobriety'. The resilience that cold water swimming/showers has given me has been so much better than any therapy or meds.
Had to do this for 10 months while overseas in a developing country. Result: I never learned to like it. However, I did learn to only shower 2 or 3 times a week
@@fdagpigj I'm very glad I'm not the only one. Another thing is that I don't shampoo as often, so my hair and scalp is actually healthier. I DO shower and shampoo whenever I actually get dirty, mind you. I used to work in a grimy job, a semi trailer mechanic, which involved dust and grease and and various kinds of smoke, etc., so when I did that, I couldn't skip days. But when I was on vacation, or was laid off (the industry was very volatile), or after I became disabled, the need just was never there. So... fewer showers. And my scalp appreciates it, plus I am saving a lot of water. I even got into the habit of turning off the water when lathering a large area, or when conditioning (though I combine those two things: condition, then lather, then rinse all at one time). Anyway, I am surprised that there's not a ton of people calling you gross or filthy or whatever, here. Any time I've mentioned these facts, I often get called all kinds of things, from porcine terms to smelly terms to just gross terms. ~shrug~ Oh well, no one can ever tell if it's a shower day or not, when they're near me, so apparently it doesn't change things, LOL!
We did this once for two months, not willingly but because a roommate didn’t pay the gas bill and they cut off us off. I think those two months were filled with all the other roommates cursing out the one in charge of the gas bill. Hahah. We were humbled when a friend of ours from a less fortunate country was over and we explained to him about the cold shower situation. He replied with “in my country there is no hot water, most of my life was cold showers”. We never complained again being the spoiled asses we are.
I've travelled to places like Colombia, for instance, where everywhere it was "no hot showers". BUT the water was warmer due to the climate. I've also stayed at a hostel in Derry, N. Ireland in November and they had no hot water. Biiiiiig Difference!
I just now started (three days ago) to go to cold showers and cut back on coffee. I think you saved my life! Thank you! My wife has been on Noom for several months and is almost to her ideal weight! She is so excited and not one cold shower!
Some tricks I've used ever since Wim Hoff popped into my radar: 1. Start warm. Shower normally, then switch to cold to wash off the soap. 2. How cold? As cold as you can have it. 3. It's not meant to be easy 4. Stand there and take it. The water is cold, and it hurts, but you're still there, and you're fine. How is this possible? 5. It's possible because you can do it. Stand there and do it. 6. After a while you start getting warm. 7. After a few days, you can't take warm showers anymore, cause they're uncomfortable. 8. Have fun
Great tips! I have been doing this for over a year now and definitely don't enjoy hot showers anymore. I have luke warm showers followed by cold. Then at least once a week I swim in the river or the sea - even in January (I recommend neoprene gloves and socks because your hands and feet will sting like a bitch after you've been in freezing water.)
How cold are the showers of you guys? I've never had water coming out of the pipe that was so cold that it hurt. I have to go to a mountain stream for that.
What a journey. Watching him go from, "Wow this is pretty terrible" to "I can tell this is going to be terrible but I'm committed", to "I wish I hadn't committed to this".
I think an important thing to point out is that not everyone’s “cold” water is the same temperature. Depending on where you live, the seasonal changes, and the source of the water (surface water or ground water wells) cold tap water temps can vary from around 35 to 75 degrees. That makes a HUGE difference. Who knows, maybe all the people that swear by cold showers live in those areas with warmer tap water…
Same, here in Transylvania, Romania, the cold water is ice cold even in the Summer days. No need to keep water in the refrigerator for a cold glass of water in a hot sunny day. Actually, I prefer to drink warm water ‘cause the cold water from the tap is too cold. So, I don’t see myself taking a shower only with that cold water. I can end my hot shower with cold but, that’s the most I can do, and not letting cold water to touch my head but, only my body.
what a lot of people seem to be missing is you don't need to go ice cold and also no need to do it all at once, start warm then ease into it, i usually wait until i get used to the lower temperature then go lower again, not because of any health advice, i just hate hot showers and get sweaty right after so the cold feels great to me and keeps me nice and fresh for a while while also giving me energy.
I’ve been doing the “end my shower with 1-2 minutes of cold. I started because o shower at night and I hear lowering your core temperature before bed helps you sleep deeper. I start warm for the hair washing then gradually get colder. I sleep well -kinda like if you have a hard cry before bed you sleep deeper.
hey, Anna :) so i think you might have it backward. and correct me if i'm wrong, please, cuz i'm kinda still trying to figure it out. (did you hear this from Dr Matthew Walker? that's who i heard it from. awesome book: Why We Sleep). so, according to Matt Walker, yes "lowering your core temperature before bed helps you sleep deeper" BUT the way to induce that is by helping your extremities get warm! because when your extremities are warm (including your head--like with a lightweight beanie), your body is like "oh, ok. we don't need to keep all the central heating focused on our core, we can open the vents elsewhere" and THAT"S how our core temp drops a bit. whereas, when we take a cold shower, our body is like "oh dang! we got a situation here! close all the vents everywhere except the core where we have our vital organs! hurry!" and then our extremities go cold and our core warms up :) so that's my take on it based on what i heard him say in an interview; but it's such a weird logic that i can totally be mixed up about it.
I live in a tropical country where most households do not have water heaters for showers, for obvious reasons. I have yet to see life changing results from 30 years of cold showers. Or drinking over 5 liters of water per day, either.
Out of curiosity, what country are you from? I live in Brazil, which is pretty hot most of the time, but I've never heard of a shower that isn't equipped with some kind of heating system.
If you’re in a tropical country, the water won’t be *that* cold. And, if you’ve always done it, how would you notice any life-changing results? You have nothing to compare it with.
Well cold showers are entirely different in different areas. For example, a cold shower in Florida in the Summer it's like taking a lukewarm shower. However, a cold shower in the Summer in Washington State where the water comes from melted water, it is crazy cold (and forget in the Spring where it is literally frigid).
the day I realized that a "cold shower" could just be a luke-warm or room temp shower was a huge win for me. Granted, I was looking to shower in very hot weather, not actively try to take a "cold shower" but I honestly think that's the way to go when you need to take a cold shower. Relative cold
and lukewarm is the best option for skin and hair maintenance as well. I was forced by a broken heating system to only shower in lukewarm and you suddenly realize just how much hot water dries your skin out and really irritates the scalp. Cold can be too much of a shock for pores, lukewarm is the way to go
Cold showers made me feel so energetic for the whole day, more focused and overall sharper. Fascinating how so many things affect people in different ways.
ooh, I've done the Wim Hof breathing technique before and found benefits to it (mainly an adrenaline rush, which has helped with anxiety) - I would definitely watch a challenge video where you do it every day when waking up or before exercising
No, I don't think so. Not entirely anyway. Here in Sweden it's pretty popular to splash around in frozen lakes and roll around naked in the snow, often (but not always) combining it with lethally hot saunas. It's tradition in many places. It's the same in Finland and part(?) of Russia. It sounds weird, but...we also eat fermented and pickled fish, so...I guess we're kinda weird up here.
I've done cold showers for 4 years and am a huge advocate of them. I'm also a Canadian living in fairly intermediate to cold af in the winters temperature.
I live in a hot climate so 25C is about right. I only tale cold/cool baths and showers. Only in winter do I actually let the water get warm. Everyone says I have gorgeous skin so I think that benefit is true. Cool water and moisturizer everyday.
When I was trying this out I happened to be in Canada for a wedding (mine as it turns out :p) and I tried to withstand the full cold of the shower in our hotel. I could not, even as someone who lived in Minnesota. It was stupid cold. Made my vision blurry and my head feel weird.
I’ve taken a year of cold showers straight with no hot/mild showers in between. In all honestly it wasn’t too hard to get used to. The thing that I did notice is that I was almost never sick at all during this time period when before hand I was having serious coughing every couple months. I would recommend working out before the shower to not be as cold (especially in the winter).
If you are in the process of trying to gain muscle I have seen some people say it's bad for gains. (to take a cold shower right after training) I don't know if it's true but you might want to check it.
@@mishuhishu94 Check Andrew Huberman on Lex Fridman talking about sauna benefits for muscle gain. I think cold is not recommended when you're trying to gain muscle.
I honestly find cold Showers comforting. There's just something about standing under ice cold water and having my breath be taken away that just relaxes me
I read that if you suffer from body acne, just do a cold rinse at the end of every shower (like 30 seconds). For me, it was a gamechanger. Significant results in just a few days.
cutting out animal products from youre diet can also help,the fats and other shit in the products can cause outbreaks aswel,just saying its upto you if you do it.
and don't forget cutting out vegetable products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out grain products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out fruit products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out funghi products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
I take cold shower sometimes. The benefit that I noticed was that cold during winter was much easier to bear (I've heard a claim, that cold shower improves metabolism so it transforms fat into heat a bit better, so that might explain it). Other than that, the feeling afterwards is pleasant. Also showers are faster and you spend less water. The only disadvantage that I really noticed was the fact that once the shock was so severe that I clenched my jaw so hard that I cracked one of my teeth fillings.
as far as i know, if you're not getting the shallow breathing/hyperventilating thing, and then working through that, you're not getting the anti-depressive effects. That temperature shock response and adaptation is what triggers the anti-depressive effects.
The main actual benefit of cold showers is psychological. By intentionally putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation and sticking through it every day it gives you confidence to deal with other uncomfortable situations life throws at you. It's like practice for dealing with discomfort. Also, it's been actually proven it benefits the cardiovascular system, it's like an exercise for your blood vessels.
I've been doing cold showers for almost 4 years, and i would say that by far the biggest benefit is way better immune system. Haven't been sick even once since started cold showers.
The comedic value in this video is ridiculously underrated! Thank you for the good laughs! Like and subscribed! Oh and I only take a coldish shower when the hot water runs out.
The secret is that cold showers are the most satisfying after you've been overheated, like after moving into your new apartment and your stupid roommate didn't actually pack any of their stuff leading up to that day.
I've been taking cold showers for 10 years, maybe more. I can't really remember at this point it's been so long. I do occasionally take a hot shower if I'm already cold in the winter. It does get easier though. The best is what I call my morning "trifecta". Morning jog, followed by a cold shower, followed by coffee. No breakfast till lunch.
I feel like you didn't engage properly with the shower, the attempt at meditation was the best one. The wim hof method is probably the best guide because it teaches you to regulate your breath while engaging with the cold. I find that starting with the face for a couple seconds is the best entry and then allowing the water to run on your back for a while acclimates you the best. I feel a strong sense of euphoria right after the shower and an overall stronger spirit and sense of discipline in life in general. That being said, I agree that it is rough and ever since I did a couple months of it I stopped taking full cold showers. I still always finish my hot showers with at least 30 seconds of full-on cold water as a reminder and to regulate my body temperature before I get out, I get a little rush but nowhere near the one from a full cold shower. It's a good habit, but it is tough and trying on the will, there comes a point where you don't want to go through it everyday so you ease up. I think the secret lies in not rejecting it completely to be able to preserve the mindset that empowers you to brave the cold.
This is exactly how I handled it. In my reply, I mentioned many similar things! I had to "Zen" through it, regulate my breathing, and train myself to go through the regular motions while experiencing cold. I don't know if this is true, but I'd like to think that doing this helped me apply similar methods to my anxiety and that I am able to overcome it a little better now.
I think it is absolutely key to immerse your face in this water, and to do so for a fairly long period. A quick duck in and out with your head will not do it.
@@DemstarAus Prestigious universities have actually invited him in to test his health regiments to which he's accepted. Turns out the things he advocates work exceptionally well for him because he has a few genetic traits that amplify the benefits. For example, he has an exceptionally high amount of brown fat in his body. Something like 12% compared to average adults which have something like 3%. That 12% brown fat is similar to the amount infants have at birth. That's just one trait. To the extent that he's 'crazy', his behavior is due to living with a body that quite outside the norm in terms of healthiness and rejuevenation.
@@DemstarAus he is but that's not a bad thing. After all, it has led him to develop a method that has helped many people to better cope with their problems and a crazy world. Unfortunately, it is so that much of what even vaguely smells of spirituality is perceived by many from the outset as bull shit. While it is considered by others it immediately as the solution to all their problems. He himself has often enough emphasized that he has not the slightest interest in being a guru. I also tend to believe that, he doesn't seem to have the character for it. He has worked closely with scientists to prove his claims and seems to be quite aware of the influence and abuse potential this brings.
I remember watching Wim Hof and deciding I would take cold showers for at least a week. The main takeaway I got from that experience was a greater appreciation for warm water. Haven’t taken a cold shower since.
Thanks for the vid, was entertaining. One thing though, your supposed breath and breath deeply. It looked like you just tense up and never get into the the breathing. My body warms up after 15-20 secs and the water doesn’t feel cold or uncomfortable anymore. That being said, it isn’t for everyone and there are other ways to reap the same benefits.
Check out Wim Hof aka the Iceman. I finish showers with 2 minutes of cold, and the key for me is breathing through it. Check him out! I even did a 2 minute ice bath which when done safely is great, and in some ways easier than the cold shower. The Ice Man Rules!
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems - epictetus. This really sums up cold showering for me, I just think to myself there is no other option, I make my own fear about this cold shower, afterwards I'm always content.
my fear was that it would be cold and unpleasant, it happened and it was cold and unpleasant, and then afterwards I think 'man, I wish I had just taken a hot shower, because that was cold and unpleasant'. I do have mental heath issues so getting myself to shower is hard enough even without the added challenges, so different strokes for different folks I guess lol
@ Rocknall - your answer is almost the perfect stoic Exemplar response. @Jerzius is quoting Epictetus, a famous stoic philosopher. You're perfectly demonstrating the point with your comment. By having expectations which are different from the reality, you find yourself disappointed. This is all that quote means. If you instead, actively try to focus on the positives and not give yourself certain expectations, you will have an overall more positive experience & memories. Focussing on the imagined bad that only resulted from the unmet expectations in your mind, can only lead to more suffering. If you mentally wish it was a hot shower every single time you know you're going to step into a cold shower, instead of accepting the reality of the situation, it's not going to be a good time. I think that was WW's only real flaw in this study to me.
@@Syndicate888 Wonderfully stated. Cold showers function as a physically harmless (potentially beneficial) training method to strengthen the individual's character and lessen the individual's anxieties. The inherent repetitive nature of showering means that, basically every day, the individual will practice facing discomfort and embracing/overlooking it for a few minutes. That pays great dividends over time.
I grew up in an old victorian home where my shower was always room temp and in the winter ice cold. The house was always cold year round. A cold bathroom walking into a cold shower was my norm. I never had a cold nor did my family. We were basically really healthy. Our skin was so nice people would ask my parents about their skin. My conclusion, hot water and water in general is terrible for the skin and I always took fast showers. Also add that the bathroom had a window and since the house was so old I would sometimes feel a draft in the middle of the winter (snow outside) after stepping out of the cold shower into the cold bathroom. Fun times. Oh and add the floors were always ice cold. There is a special kind of feeling being cold, wet and stepping on a cold floor while an outside breeze hits your body. I think the key was that everything was cold.
I put my heater in the bathroom with me and take a warm one at first to clean, exfoliate, etc. Then afterwards, I just embrace the cold shower and it's super invigorating! The heater helps a lot cause it doesn't interfere with the cold shower, but helps for when you get out.
"I don't feel exhausted anymore..."
"I feel angry"
What a mood
So the proven benefits of cold showers are Anger and Sadness. I gotta give this a try!
LOL
sounds like a good deal to me :D anger and sadness for free? sign me up
My method is to read something about politics. I think it's more effective.
Lol I have those already so don't need a cold shower
Also benefits featured in this video:
-It wakes you up
-Makes warm things more enjoyable
-Makes not being in pain more enjoyable
-Water covers your tears
Non-benefits NOT featured in this video, (but obvious) include;
-Hard nips (benefit or not, you decide).
-Cold shrunken peen (not a benefit, unless...nevermind)
Other Non-Benefits featured in this video
-Soap doesn't come off as well
did it for around 3 months only cold shower. Dang. the effect was: I got grumpy right in the beginning of the day.
Not for you but for me was Right On.
Thank you for your effort, scientist.
I now know it will be useless to try! So i won't thanks to you.
Now if someone says it gives you x to z grocery list of benefits i'll call on their bullsht.
Of course it would be horrible your shower isn't inviting (no offence).
I've been at it for a couple months now, after my morning exercises. I started because it's already way too hot, and hot showers leave me miserable. Honestly, I've grown to love them. They're incredibly refreshing and, coupled with a shot of espresso, leave me mentally ready to take on the day. That said, once winter rolls around, I'll likely be taking a hiatus.
@@schonkigplavuis8850 i ease into the cold showers and now i really enjoy it, everyday i take one
I’m not sure about all the health claims, but for me, taking a cold shower really wakes me up, makes me feel invigorated, and helps me feel calmer in the day. That’s worth it to me
I just took a cold shower for the first time, and... I really liked it. At first it felt like torture, but once I managed to wet my whole body and started shampooing my hair, it really did feel great. Refreshing. It's been an hour, and I still feel invigorated. I'm definitely going to continue with cold showers
Sounds like health benefits
@@amalielk Been doing it for months it soo good for your body. End of storie... This idot yet another american selling himself for nothing wa a Twaat....
@@amalielk sometimes it helps to shower your body first then your head. Because the head is like a temperature probe. Keep it warm. Body stays warm
Agreed ^
"We don't always have to be constantly optimizing every single thing in our lives, sometimes comfort is nice too." Thanks, I needed to hear this.
Oi, solteira?
same
Same!
Me too! It brings so much stress, pressure and anxiety when I get caught up in trying to be perfectly optimized, that it sort of have the opposite effect. O.o
True
In the Navy, we just referred to this as a "shower".
Truth. I still shower in under five-minutes.
It is better to do it cold, or to blister your skin off?
Because those were my options in the navy.
@@jonsimpson6240 As my father always said: Better be a red lobster, than a blue ball.
@@xSkittlesxNewbx maybe. I always prefer the cold.
I stood forward lookout when we cruised the North Atlantic (Forestall, late 70s). The cold shower actually felt warm, almost hot, after standing watch for 4 hours. ❄🧊🏒⛸🍧❄❄
The reason it can be good for depression is essentially it’s a hard grounding technique. For people with depression, anxiety, one problem they face is detachment from reality. In other words they are lost in their own head and perception and everything outside of that is dull and blurred essentially. A frozen shower attempts to focus the person on reality and real sensation for a period. It sounds trivial to someone who’s not isolated however for people who can go for months without ever really feeling like they are in reality, these few minutes (also why people self harm) is real to them. It also helps if they focus on something radiant and detailed like a flower and really try and focus on it. As I said these few minutes although unpleasant in most cases is actually a relief for them.
Sound about right...feeling is from the inside then out, not the other way around.
Man I would seek anti depressants and therapy long before I ever would torture myself with daily cold showers.
@@httohot Cold showers won’t cure mental health. I was just describing the reasoning why they can be viewed as such. It’s not torture, it’s just uncomfortable enough that your body has a physiological response and it draws focus away. As I said what might seem like torture to a mentally healthy person is a reprieve for others.
An interesting experiment can shed light on this :- regular people put in a sensory deprivation room with nothing but an electric buzzer that gives them a shock, will on average press it multiple times within an hour period just because it’s more stimulating than nothing at all.
That’s essentially the separation of some people who experience depression.
Sounds good on paper, but doesnt work that way.
Source: Am a bundle of stress and anxiety while also am depressed (I am diagnosed with it as well and trying my darnest to fix it)
Tried for a while and it did nothing. The only result I got was hating my own shower even more.
@@bilibull1 Perhaps for you, For many others it’s an effective technique to ground themselves.
You might have mild depression or a different perception of it.
This technique is best for rapid anxiety, health anxiety which is acute not chronic or chronic depression.
Acute depression for instance can be short term, and a cold shower isn’t going to be much more than a cold shower. For someone who’s been numb for years, repressed and feels isolated from everything however it can be beneficial.
Each person and situation is different, and generalising isn’t usually a good idea. I was shedding light on some reasons.
I'm on day 14 of my cold shower 30 day challenge; I'm not sure about the health benefits, but I've already seen a significant difference in my decisions making. The first two days, I would just jump into the shower and wash as quickly as I could to escape the cold(Not an ideal way to face fears), and I realized that I was doing it all wrong, and here is how I now do it: first, I would have a short conversation with myself, letting my brain know and fully understand my intentions, e.g., while in the shower, I would tell my brain that okay so here's what going to happen, in the next 3 seconds I will be turning this bad boy on, and just after that I dont think twice about it and just do it, while the cold water is flowing on me I try my best to be calm as possible this played a significant role in remaining patient and calm whenever I encounter a task that feels bigger than me. I've also discovered that when my brain realizes that this person isn't going to stop the shower, my sensation shifts from disliking the cold shower to liking it (This has so far thought me that some decisions we fear to make, or things we are scared to do might be things we like in future). I've also found that my body warms up the water approximately 60 seconds into the shower, and the water grows warmer, especially in cold weather (This showed me that my body can endure anything its the mind that needs convincing). There is a lot I could say about my current 14-day cold shower regimen, which has been quite beneficial in my life.
Glad to hear this from a young man. Im trying to make my son try this, because he has an angerproblem, wich I think he could be helped from by taking cold showers every day.
sometimes it helps to shower your body first then your head. Because the head is like a temperature probe. Keep it warm. Body stays warm
Healing crystals are a great benefit
@@BuckingHorse-Bull My method is to take the shower head and put it to my neck - just like when you get a shiver that runs quickly down your spine, it makes your whole body turn the same cold temp instantaneously. When there's no warm part of your body that focuses your attention on the cold parts, you acclimate to the cold very very quickly and the "painful" part of the process is significantly reduced.
@@DaveLynchWriterthat's a really good idea.
Are you noticing any health or other benefits from taking cold showers as opposed to warm?
Reason 3 for doing this: showing off the great progress after over a year of working out
Yeah, you look great, Craig!
"it's like when you're getting POKED with a STICK, it makes getting NOT poked with a stick sooooo much nicer." 🤣
Read this comment just as he said that lol
I’ve taken a cold shower every morning for the last 18 months. I even turn the boiler off to ensure the water is as cold as I can get it. I consider it a stress test, knowing that once it’s behind me I dealt with the most difficult thing I will have to deal with that day. It gives me an immense clarity of thought which helps me with any issues I may have.
Cool, I figured out exactly the same benefit for me. It´s amazing, no more warm showers for me :) Additionally, I feel like after doing sport, the cold is less brutal because it seems like the body is kind of heated up from within.
I must say, I really enjoy my cold showers in the morning and the benefits are great^ ^
This is hilarious in the best way. The day only gets better.
Sounds like a placebo
Turn the boiler off !duh! Of course!! I have been havinv an issue with my shower starting to get luke warm after a min or so no matter low i tried to turn the thermostat. Now i know what to do - you are a legend🙏 lol. ❤
@Alexander Terry I appreciate that viewpoint! I live in North Florida and have gone cold for 20+ months now. I do realize that my water is not nearly as cold as someone who lives much further north, but all in all it hasn't been too bad after all
Been doing it for 6+ months. The first 30 secs are still tough but after that it just feels amazing. Skin/complexion is better and it relieves sore muscles nearly instantly. Also feels like a free adrenaline shot.
hot showers make me sweat right out of the shower, so I like to turn it cold at the end - makes me feel cleaner since I am not sweaty. Also wakes me up pretty good.
I do the hot cold one, 1 minutes hot, 1 minute cold, 1 minute warm, 2 minutes cold
This is a thing... if I have a shower (or a bath) before going to bed, I'm far too warm. I'm literally glowing from the heat I've absorbed.
@@JZGreengo Must live on Earth!
I came here to say just that basically. Though I'm bald and I notice its particularly bad on my head. The cold after rinse helps to keep clean
My wife got me in the habit of doing this, i find it very refreshing and it really helps with my sore muscles
I have an anxiety disorder and a cold shower is my secret weapon. The shock of the water, the mammalian dive reflex slowing the heart. I can take my runaway anxiety or a panic attack and crash it with a wreaking ball of cold water. Is it fun? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Cold showers would increase my anxiety 😂
Do you take them as your regular shower? Or only when you need to address your anxiety?
Watching this video makes me want to try as a sort of active meditation thing. I'm pretty bad at meditating because I can't sit with my thoughts, but body scanning and the likes work well. Cold showers may be a way to force myself into daily meditations. Who can say. Still sounds horrible.
If I get anxious I also use this method, really helps me.
@@heatherstock4491 when needed. Which is regular basis if I’m having a time. Haha
The back is the worst. After 3 years of showering cold I still occasionally tense up when it hits my back but it's only for a few seconds before I climatise. Even if the claimed benefits are all bs there are a few definite benefits. Less resources wasted heating your water, showers are generally shorter so less water used and on days when you do decide to take a luxurious, hot shower or bath you appreciate it SO much more.
Although I've had other perceived benefits the 2 biggest things I've gained from cold showers is greater control over my reactions and my happiness isn't as reliant on my situation. If you can turn on an ice cold shower and not react when the water hits you and you can step out of that shower without it negatively affecting your mood it can be incredibly empowering.
I suppose it's like a form of forced meditation.
@Craig Bryant - Do you take cold showers all the time aside from occasional luxury hot ones?
I really like the idea of the psychological benefits it could bring. Do you practice stoicism in addition to the cold showers?
After watching this vid I was like, “nope” but your comment makes me want to try this haha.
This is exactly what it does for me and I believe it is the reason why it's beneficial!
I'm amazed you can do this. I took cold showers after hurricane hit our area and power went down. We we got water back it was cold of course because we didn't have power. Was grateful for water. It being cold was still rough.
Craig Bryant I'm in the same situation. I've been doing it for a bit over 5 years at this point and for me it's deeply empowering and meditative! Idk about any physiological benefits but the psychological ones are enough for me. It's still difficult to deal with the first few seconds of cold water every time but the actual shower is really refreshing and motivating
I do it too and my boyfriend hates the cold shower, but yes, it’s sooo relaxing and meditative. It’s a reminder that just because something is uncomfortable, doesn’t mean that it’s bad for you or hurts you in any way. Plus if it’s SUPER cold, you kind of have to breathe deeply to put up with it and get past the initial shock. Which is relaxing and a nice practice in mind over matter.
I've been doing cold showers for a week or so now. No fever, no stress, much more relaxed and get this, having a new born baby and hardly sleeping, I work during the day but never felt tired. Cold showers are AWESOME and beneficial!
I laugh after a cold shower almost every time. Thats how I know it improves my mood. also when im sick, im not as sick as I used to be. less body aches. more energy, jolt in the morning is the dopamine. its subtle but the studies are there and proven.
@@steve87j Right on man.☺️
@@steve87jsame! And I thought the same while watching this video. He’s very entertaining but mistaken about the lack of scientific data. Cold exposure has been studied extensively. Andrew Huberman has covered it in a few different videos worth checking out.
“Challenges break up the monotony of life.” This is such a great insight from this challenge. It really hit different for me because I hate cold showers myself and can’t do extremes because of some medical conditions. I was vicariously feeling your pain.
That showering montage was maybe the most casually hilarious thing you've released in the past couple years. I love the improvised and unscripted bits of your videos so much.
This is weird......
@@fellen1 I DONT TRUST EITHER OF YOU
@@fellen1 THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE
@@brianrussell1397 Well how old are you..?
Took me about 2 months to get used to it. Skin was wonderful, definitely did wake me up. I actually looked forward to it after a while. Problem is, living in the Midwest, when October rolled around cold became MORE COLD. And one warm shower later I decided "Yeah I'm finished."
I basically do this, but every year. Cold shower in spring and summer, hot showers in autumn and winter. I find it much more efficient than coffee for waking up, and the effect last for hours. But when it's really cold, it's not worth it anymore.
Tryed it and stuck with it for about year and a half. Felt good to actualy firce yourself to do something that your mind tells you not do to. Like bungee jumping every day. But after that one day, i, was like why am i doing this again and swiched to normal, showers again. But it did help me so now i can jump into freezing water and do it no problem
I also live in the Midwest, but I have only ever taken a break from cold showers after I got used to taking them with the most chilling temperature setting twice.
The first time was when I was couchsurfing in Europe from Feb. through May 2018. The water was too cold during an "unexpectedly" freezing winter and I was losing weight too rapidly from all the biking already, so I switched to cool water as warm water led me to sweat. Had I been doing Wim Hof breathing when I was traveling, it would have been manageable.
The second time was when I had developed anxiety and insomnia after my dad died. Cold showers agitated me too much, and the cold stress was no longer in a hormetic range. When I found yoga nidra, Self-Enquiry, and related meditation techniques that allowed me to relax and restore my sleep and let the anxiety dissolve, I was again able to rebuild my tolerance to cold showers.
My skin is better and softer, I feel energized and refreshed after the cold shower, and my sleep and meditation practices are deeper right after a bone-chillingly cold shower. I love taking them.
Maybe you can take a cold shower less minutes, like 1 minute 30 seconds, or 2 minutes. If the water it's so cold not necessarily needs a lot of time in there.
😂🤣😂
the only thing I noticed when I was having a cold finish at the end of a shower that I became a lot more resilient to the cold....
supposedly taking cold showers trains your brain to be able to choose the uncomfortable more easily, making it easier for you to go for the hard and not the easy route if need be
Me and my housemates tried this at Uni. Every time someone showered we’d just hear screaming. I think you handled it well Craig 😂
I don't get it? Why is everyone so afraid of cold showers?
@@alexthompson8977 They're cold.
@@alexthompson8977 They hurt.
@@stevenbridges I've been taking them everyday since I was born and only on rare occasion is it ever uncomfortable. They feel better than warm shower s
At uni? Lmao
One thing that makes cold showers easier: relax. If the muscles are tensed, it's much worse. Deep slow breathing helps too.
Yeah idk about cold showers, but I control my breathing in cold weather. Tensing up makes it way worse. Just focus on your breathing and hopefully don’t die of hypothermia. But jokes aside, breathing definitely makes it better.
@@kochevar99 I've not looked into it, but supposedly a study found that monks who practice "hot yoga" are actually generating heat with their breath muscles or something, but they aren't able to maintain that for very long unless they also practice their meditation.
its hard to feel depressed or anxious when your body is trying to survive freezing cold showers, always pulls me right out of it.
exactly, also after a cold shower I feel like I can take on just about any challenge
That's really what I get from it too
I am going to give it a try the nex time i am feeling down.
@@CaffeinatedOctane let us know how it goes! (Spoiler: it’s not fun, but it does the same for me as Drew Cobarrubias mentioned.
I’ve been doing it for several months now, and I can honestly say that it’s been extremely helpful. Granted, I am neurodivergent and deal with high anxiety and manic depressive episodes. The daily cold shower for 1-1.5 min has caused a significant improvement in my abilities to regulate my emotional spikes and quickly bring me back to the present during moments of high anxiety
What is “neurodivergent”?
@@scarbo2229 it's just a fancy word for being shy
@@balanalexandru8776 That's called introversion.
Thanks for this. I always like to hear things from the chronic anxiety perspective... it's the only one I have, really. Wooo.
@@balanalexandru8776 You're actually wrong, it's an umbrella term for various diagnoses related to the brain structure such as adhd and autism. I know it's hard to understand abstract concepts but we have a fancy word for that "low functioning". Don't worry, we won't judge you.
“I don’t feel exhausted any more. I feel angry”. “Well I got stabbed in the face every day and after about 3 months I started to like it”. I laughed so hard at both of those. This video has made my day. Thank you.
I couldn’t stop laughing!!
Benefit of running early in the morning and then taking a cold shower:
*Now it is unlikely for the day to get any worse.*
LMAOOO
I love that outlook 🤣
Best comment kekw
The mark of a very sick toxic society we live in now... I wonder what extremes we will go to as life gets even harder....
Yep, exactly
I've been taking cold shower for about 10 years now , not by choice , in my country getting hot water is super expensive so we just got used to it. But it doesn't make me feel like a superhuman compared to people who take hot showers. I'm just as tired and sleepy as they are 😂
I once stayed in a hotel in China Lake, California for several days. Barren wasteland of a place with a huge military facility. No such thing as cold water there. Hot showers whether you want it or not.
Damn, if you dont mind me asking, where do you that you have decent access to the internet but cant afford a hot shower?👀
When I first stayed at a hotel in Turkey I was surprised with the fact that their water heaters worked from sun batteries. And in the morning there's almost no hot water. That was rough for me 😅
@@rfldss89 Haiti , and even our internet sucks , funny story I was working with a Russian on a project and we where talking about where we were from. Once I was done describing where I live she literally said: wow... and I thought Russia was bad 😂😂
@@mixxf Just wanted to say that you are handsome
I love your honest review of cold showers. I’ve been taking them for over 2 1/2 years. I’m one of the crazies that converted an ice chest into taking cold baths…. Wim Hof method changed my morning routine probably for life. Your perspective and energy are refreshing. I love the honesty even though we differ on the effects of cold training. I’m going to follow your channel from here on out. You’re absolutely right. we don’t need to optimize everything in our life. But we should push our comfort zone. Big-time respect.
Out of curiosity, do you keep your chest freezer bath outside or indoors somewhere?
Benefits of a cold shower:
1)save energy on not heating water
2)save water because you're not sticking around for as long
You get it.
3. Wakes you up
4. Doesn't hurt skin and hair since warm water tends to try them out
@@youraveragepasser-by7367 cold water dries out your skin and hair as well, it's just happening a bit slower tho
i actually stay.
i.e., it's an environmentalist hustle.
I’ve wanted to try this for so long but I have absolutely no willpower whatsoever haha
Ok what I've been doing is slowly changing my hot showers a bit colder at the end then slowly I start spending more of my shower in the cold
I‘d say jump right in - turn the water off while soaping up, it makes it easier.
After a while the hot water feels „wrong“…
Just alone the accomplishment will get you through the first days, feeling really proud of yourself for that kind of willpower,
And think about the money you‘ll save to just do that instead of the money famous people spend on ice chambers 😂
It does seem to come with a lot of health benefits though … but, don’t believe me, just find out for yourself! Good luck 🍀 😊
I blast lava water till I’m un comf (which takes a while... I’m a monster.) then I’ll turn it to cold water and sit under it for bit- oddly soothing
You are quite the struggler Scott
Now you definitely don't need to because Craig has suffered on your behalf.
When you were punching the cold I was really hoping an eagle would show up..
Me too
I have been taking cold showers for the last 15 months. Some changes/benefits that I have observed are:
- Lowers stress
- Keeps me more active through out the day
- Increases the blood flow to the head which helps in hair growth. It takes long time to observe the results. Based on some researches, hot water is not good for hair especially if you have thin hair. This is one of the main reason that motivated me for having cold showers. Cold water increases blood flow to the head.
- Didn't get sick
- Stopped sweating after the shower. Like some of them mentioned in the comments, I sweat after taking hot shower.
Taking cold showers after a workout does really helps.
Bruh, look at wim hofs hair, I don't think cold water has any benefits for hair growth
Did it improve your hair growth?
@@nitinsharma-hg2kz Yes.
@@manojamrutharaj9071 Nice, At what age u started taking cold shower?.Would like to give it a shot if age is not that big a barrier for hair growth.
@@sheddontaylor5098 😆😂🤣
I do sea swimming, surfing and turn the water cold after a hot shower. I have anxiety, so I get a lot of tension in my body. I find cold water really refresh and after it’s like someone has pushed a reset button. It’s helped my mental and physical health. I find cold water easier to handle when you warm your body up with a few exercises beforehand and really focus on your breathing when in the water.
So my body is tense most of the time so I would love to find something that helps that. The only cold water option I have is the shower. Do you just do it for a few seconds at the end or longer? Do you find the effects last for a while? Wish I could swim in the ocean daily. I would imagine that would have all sorts of great benefits for your anxiety.
Used to do this in the Army for years because they didn't have heaters. The trick is to hold some water in your mouth so the body doesn't feel that cold
which country's army is too poor to hire a plumber to install 6 water heaters for a barrack?
@@joelpichette the marines top the army in cheapness any day
@@kombijr and the national guard tops the Marines, shit i honestly believe the Army gives the Marines their equipment and the Marines give the Army national guard theirs.
Wow thanks for the tip
@@kombijr third word country?
I tried cold showers for 30 days a couple years ago and discovered that if my life is shorter without cold showers, I don't actually mind that much.
The main benefit to cold showers is that it wakes you up in the morning. They don't even have to be that cold either, a few degrees colder than normal is going to help wake you up quickly and get you on the path to going to a good sleep in the evening.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade I've found that a 3-4 song dance party in the morning does the same thing without the added grumpiness of the cold. To each their own!
@@NinaNiskanen appatently jumping into a frozen lake after a sauna is good for you... But in still not gonna try lol
@@onglogman See, the difference between that and starting your day a cold shower is that in one you go from a hot place to a cold place and immediately back to a hot place, and in the other you don't know if you will ever be warm again. ;)
@@onglogman cold water after sauna is different. Since you're overheated, you don't even feel the water to be that cold. But you feel that the muscles that relaxed in the sauna literally shrink in the sudden cold, and it's like having a full body massage in a few seconds. And it's splendid. Taking cold showers is just pain.
cold showers for the last 7 years. i love it. wakes you up and for me has helped me to tolerate cold air temps much better. my joints ache less since i also do ice tubs.
Watching this video as I'm taking a beautiful hot shower. Not because I need one, I showered 3 hours ago, but because to show superiority
and to waste water and energy apparently
Yes flex your dominance
Hahaha
@@nirgunawish You cannot get jokes. Please get a spine and a thicker skin. Thanks
@@nirgunawish oh we love slurs 😜
I hate stepping into the shower, but once I'm in, I hate stepping out again 😂
I can relate. But I also can't walk out of my house without a shower either.
Same
If you try this method, it'll be the reverse haha
I thoroughly enjoy stepping out of a cold shower
To be fair, I found that after the first 15 seconds my body acclimated to the temperature and it was no longer an issue. I have tried explaining this to a couple of people and usually get blank stares back...
You actually mentioned one of my favourite benefits: Afterwards it feels like you can take on anything
for real.
I'm on cold showers for a year...my chrons is in remission, my muscles are lean,it energizes me, my blood work is excellent,after 10 years of suffering and pain from chronic desease cold showers gave me back my life...I'm addicted now and had to take a cold shower everyday like a junkie need drugs...once a week I immerse in ice water, and will be doing that for rest of my life
if you put yourself in a harmless yet uncomfortable position early, your perception of the rest of the day improves by comparason.
I've been doing cold shower for a couple years now. I'll warm it up just slightly in the winter, but it's still usually well under 100 degrees. I have fibromyalgia, and cold showers have done wonders to help reduce swelling and sort of... "snap" my nerves back into place and calm them down. Plus, the heavy breathing caused by the shock of cold really helps circulate blood (I'm assuming) and wake me up. It took some time to get used to it, but now I can slip under without thinking. Jump in! Just like in a pool, if you hesitate it makes it worse!
P.S. it helps to just hold still and wait until your body adjusts. "Zen" through it. It really helps to wait until your breathing regulates. Also: Back up into it. The back is the hardest. You got this!
Cold shower in summer = oh yes!
Cold shower in winter = frick no, you insane?
This^
I actually find it’s worse in summer. I think I’m in less of a toughness groove in summer.
I think cold showers in the summer are worse because your body starts producing heat so when you get out your body is in heat up mode. I like to take lukewarm showers in the summer because my body gets into cool down mode but it doesn’t add too much heat either
The water temperature of a cold shower varies substantially depending on where you live. A Canadian wintertime cold-water shower is much tougher than a Florida summertime "cold" shower.
in UK and there is a significant difference I have noticed between winter cold water temp and summer cold water temp! I started in the summer and when it hit winter I couldn't believe how much colder it was at first!
I was thinking about that, like does Wheezy have city water? I have a well... it's pretty dang cold. lol
As the father of Stoicism have said: "Steel your sensibilities, so that life shall hurt you as little as possible.". If you learn how good your life is, you will value the present and not want for a possible future.
Another great stoic wrote that he should not sleep with boys, truer words weren't spoken, keep grinding my g.
@@kristiant96 xD
@@kristiant96 🤣🤣🤣
There is always something to be said for "embracing the suck..." Life isn't always going to be unicorns and snack cakes, and being mentally able to maintain during those times is a useful skill to have.
"and not want for a possible future." So its confirmed, cold showers sap your will to live
“Sometimes comfort is nice too…” Truer words have never been spoken
It's so funny that this came on my recommendations. I'm taking cold showers everyday for a month right now. I do it because it builds mental toughness, and is a great training tool. But it severely increases my mood after and I'm super happy and proud of myself. It's a great way to teach yourself "I CAN" instead of "I CAN'T". haha
Lmao yes
I felt like doing swuats until I couldn't, and this was the first day that I took a cold shower.
It's not funny it's something to worry about. I was asked what my least favorite type of music was once. The remote picked up my response and had middle eastern music in the very next ad. Never once before has that happened except following that conversation. Me and the roommated decided to talk about Rhianna a whole bunch following the incident and youtube through autoplay taunted us with "Cause I Got High" by Afroman. True story.
Your device heard you talking about it and recommended it to you. It's not a coincidence.
Same
Cold showers makes you shower more efficiently and quickly than hot showers lol. Also, the feeling of taking on minor discomfort gives a certain sense of confidence.
“Does that sound fun?”
“No!”
🤣
Ground water temp plays a big role! Back in Austin I take “cold” showers in the summer that are like 75-80° and very tolerable
100%. Winter in San Diego, showers feel pretty chilly, but during the summer, it feels like an outdoor swimming pool.
Right. I remember trying to take a cold shower in Florida to relieve a sunburn. Had it all the way to cold and only slightly cooler than my regular showers lol
Agree, I wouldn't want to do this challenge in Alaska. I'm in Baja, easy, peasy, here.
Here cold water is colder in winter than in summer. I use a hair dryer so I do cold water the last two minutes to cool off so I don't get hot drying hair. Yeah in winter the water is pretty unbearable fully cold, not bad right now. I can put it on fully cold now. Days are in upper 80s.
I've done cold showers for 4 years and I'm in Canada. Ground temperature doesn't matter, its about gradually adapting yourself so it's not a big deal anymore, just like when you workout and after multiple years lifting the amount you lifted at the beginning feels like literally nothing.
When I was lil we didn't have hot water at home so I learned this: feet go first. One at a time. All The way to The hip. Then arms, one at a time. Chest, head, back. Going head first looks crazy to me! Now my muscle memory does it everytime, cold water or not.
This makes sense. It's like going into the water at the beach.
This is exactly the routine. I skip legs though and start with the arms...
yes voluntarily seems to add a bit more umph to it in SOME ways as you have a choice...yet however you get in there, it CAN be beneficial with the right mindset. People pay big money for those cryochambers these days in sports medicine...and this is a free version...yet you also want to watch extremism...so your method of acclimating is a good case in point for the moderate side!
I say just jump in
@@Ravishrex1 jump in if you need to wake up in a pinch but OMG The pain! Lol
The temp of my cold water during the winter is MUCH colder than the summer.
I take most of my shower in hot water, then during the final 5 minutes turn it all the way cold...invigorating!
You are like the Jesus of cold showers, you already paid the price for us!
😀😀🙌😂
Yes, I accept his sacrifice and will not belittle it by doing this myself.
"Pick up your shower and follow me."
The Wim Hof method is easier. You start by 30 seconds after your hot shower and work up to 3 minutes by adding 15 seconds every week. A month later I’m able to take an entirely cold shower and I felt refreshed.
I had to start with 10 seconds. Added 5 seconds per week till 30 seconds, then added 10 seconds per week after that.
Absolutely agree! It's now over a year of cold showers for me. I spent some months obsessing over what the water temperature was and bought a good quality thermometer. In winter the tap water was as low as 7oC (44oF), in summer it can be as high as 19oC (66oF). River swimming, or sea swimming once per week, sometimes more often, with temps as low as 4oC. I have (fingers crossed it lasts) cured my long standing depression. Off meds for a while now and still going strong. I find with warm showers I have to turn the temp down to tepid or feels too hot.
Oh I didnt know. It is what I suggested ITT.
Yeah this is kinda how I did it. But im increasing like a minute every day. Started with 30 seconds a few days ago and im up to like 6 minutes today. I figure I'll be taking entirely cold showers in a week or two. This with wim hof breathing 3 times daily is working wonders for my depression since getting sober from heroin 6 months ago.
@@AnCapCat That is brilliant news and sounds like fantastic progress. I didn't mention in my comment, but I am 7 years clean and sober this December. This has been an important part of strengthening my sobriety - like Bill Wilson (AA Big Book author) said, the next frontier when we are clean and sober is 'emotional sobriety'. The resilience that cold water swimming/showers has given me has been so much better than any therapy or meds.
Had to do this for 10 months while overseas in a developing country.
Result: I never learned to like it. However, I did learn to only shower 2 or 3 times a week
I don't live in a developing country but I grew up showering twice a week and never saw a reason to change it. Just seems like a waste of water.
@@fdagpigj I'm very glad I'm not the only one. Another thing is that I don't shampoo as often, so my hair and scalp is actually healthier.
I DO shower and shampoo whenever I actually get dirty, mind you. I used to work in a grimy job, a semi trailer mechanic, which involved dust and grease and and various kinds of smoke, etc., so when I did that, I couldn't skip days. But when I was on vacation, or was laid off (the industry was very volatile), or after I became disabled, the need just was never there.
So... fewer showers. And my scalp appreciates it, plus I am saving a lot of water. I even got into the habit of turning off the water when lathering a large area, or when conditioning (though I combine those two things: condition, then lather, then rinse all at one time).
Anyway, I am surprised that there's not a ton of people calling you gross or filthy or whatever, here. Any time I've mentioned these facts, I often get called all kinds of things, from porcine terms to smelly terms to just gross terms. ~shrug~ Oh well, no one can ever tell if it's a shower day or not, when they're near me, so apparently it doesn't change things, LOL!
@@fdagpigj as long as you trim armpit hair, use antiperspirant and use a bidet, its fine.
2-3 times a week? I need to shower every day due to the weather. Even then it's so humid that I'll start sweating right after showering
Yup. That's exactly how I'd go about it.
Love how I feel after a cold shower! Energized and focused.
We did this once for two months, not willingly but because a roommate didn’t pay the gas bill and they cut off us off. I think those two months were filled with all the other roommates cursing out the one in charge of the gas bill. Hahah. We were humbled when a friend of ours from a less fortunate country was over and we explained to him about the cold shower situation. He replied with “in my country there is no hot water, most of my life was cold showers”. We never complained again being the spoiled asses we are.
I've travelled to places like Colombia, for instance, where everywhere it was "no hot showers". BUT the water was warmer due to the climate. I've also stayed at a hostel in Derry, N. Ireland in November and they had no hot water. Biiiiiig Difference!
@@phatmonkey11 exactly, i live in Canada, and the simple act of different seasons here can make the experience very similar!
Feeling good after the showers:
- hot/warm shower for 2 minutes
- cold shower for 20 seconds
Do this 2 times and feel great. It's like a little sauna.
no its not
imagine somebody saying to you: "I would take a cold shower for you"
true dedication.
That is love. Or, psychosis...
Actually, there is a song in Portuguese that says "I would take cold showers in the winter for you" Por você by Barão Vermelho
I just now started (three days ago) to go to cold showers and cut back on coffee. I think you saved my life! Thank you!
My wife has been on Noom for several months and is almost to her ideal weight! She is so excited and not one cold shower!
Some tricks I've used ever since Wim Hoff popped into my radar:
1. Start warm. Shower normally, then switch to cold to wash off the soap.
2. How cold? As cold as you can have it.
3. It's not meant to be easy
4. Stand there and take it. The water is cold, and it hurts, but you're still there, and you're fine. How is this possible?
5. It's possible because you can do it. Stand there and do it.
6. After a while you start getting warm.
7. After a few days, you can't take warm showers anymore, cause they're uncomfortable.
8. Have fun
Haven’t got to the “can’t take warm” yet⛄️five weeks now so much better physically mentally 😤not meant to be easy👌🏾👍🏾
ITT I suggest doing it by parts, cold on your limbs, etc.
Great tips! I have been doing this for over a year now and definitely don't enjoy hot showers anymore. I have luke warm showers followed by cold. Then at least once a week I swim in the river or the sea - even in January (I recommend neoprene gloves and socks because your hands and feet will sting like a bitch after you've been in freezing water.)
Yep, I literally can't shower hot anymore, it feels like it burns. I used to shower so hot ny skin was red. Cold showers makes me save water too.
How cold are the showers of you guys?
I've never had water coming out of the pipe that was so cold that it hurt. I have to go to a mountain stream for that.
Frequently overcoming small challenges will help a great deal with overcoming big challenges when they arise
What a journey. Watching him go from, "Wow this is pretty terrible" to "I can tell this is going to be terrible but I'm committed", to "I wish I hadn't committed to this".
I think an important thing to point out is that not everyone’s “cold” water is the same temperature. Depending on where you live, the seasonal changes, and the source of the water (surface water or ground water wells) cold tap water temps can vary from around 35 to 75 degrees. That makes a HUGE difference. Who knows, maybe all the people that swear by cold showers live in those areas with warmer tap water…
Thinking the same thing. I live in New England and it's COLD!
Yeah here in Scotland, the cold water is pretty much ice
Some adrenaline rush though
Same, here in Transylvania, Romania, the cold water is ice cold even in the Summer days. No need to keep water in the refrigerator for a cold glass of water in a hot sunny day. Actually, I prefer to drink warm water ‘cause the cold water from the tap is too cold.
So, I don’t see myself taking a shower only with that cold water.
I can end my hot shower with cold but, that’s the most I can do, and not letting cold water to touch my head but, only my body.
My cold shower is about 10 to 15 celsius.
Still love it
what a lot of people seem to be missing is you don't need to go ice cold and also no need to do it all at once, start warm then ease into it, i usually wait until i get used to the lower temperature then go lower again, not because of any health advice, i just hate hot showers and get sweaty right after so the cold feels great to me and keeps me nice and fresh for a while while also giving me energy.
It's funny because as someone who's only had cold showers most of her life, his reaction is exactly the same as me whenever i take hot showers
I’ve been doing the “end my shower with 1-2 minutes of cold. I started because o shower at night and I hear lowering your core temperature before bed helps you sleep deeper. I start warm for the hair washing then gradually get colder. I sleep well -kinda like if you have a hard cry before bed you sleep deeper.
I don't know about sleeping deeper, but the cold helps induce sleep.
Your core body temp can't really move away from 36°c.
I do this too. I think you can get the benefits of both? Plus, cold showers are more bearable when you get there after a really warm one :)
hey, Anna :) so i think you might have it backward. and correct me if i'm wrong, please, cuz i'm kinda still trying to figure it out. (did you hear this from Dr Matthew Walker? that's who i heard it from. awesome book: Why We Sleep).
so, according to Matt Walker, yes "lowering your core temperature before bed helps you sleep deeper" BUT the way to induce that is by helping your extremities get warm! because when your extremities are warm (including your head--like with a lightweight beanie), your body is like "oh, ok. we don't need to keep all the central heating focused on our core, we can open the vents elsewhere" and THAT"S how our core temp drops a bit. whereas, when we take a cold shower, our body is like "oh dang! we got a situation here! close all the vents everywhere except the core where we have our vital organs! hurry!" and then our extremities go cold and our core warms up :)
so that's my take on it based on what i heard him say in an interview; but it's such a weird logic that i can totally be mixed up about it.
i mentioned a beanie for the head (or like a sleeping cap like in old cartoons), but also socks on your feet, and gloves on your hands.
You have to relax and breathe.. missed Wim Hof in this video !!!
I live in a tropical country where most households do not have water heaters for showers, for obvious reasons. I have yet to see life changing results from 30 years of cold showers. Or drinking over 5 liters of water per day, either.
Out of curiosity, what country are you from? I live in Brazil, which is pretty hot most of the time, but I've never heard of a shower that isn't equipped with some kind of heating system.
If you’re in a tropical country, the water won’t be *that* cold. And, if you’ve always done it, how would you notice any life-changing results? You have nothing to compare it with.
I've taken cold showers in tropical places and its not the same. It just becomes. Nice way to cool off.
From the caribbean and the water definitely isn't as cold as in Europe 🥺
Well cold showers are entirely different in different areas. For example, a cold shower in Florida in the Summer it's like taking a lukewarm shower.
However, a cold shower in the Summer in Washington State where the water comes from melted water, it is crazy cold (and forget in the Spring where it is literally frigid).
the day I realized that a "cold shower" could just be a luke-warm or room temp shower was a huge win for me. Granted, I was looking to shower in very hot weather, not actively try to take a "cold shower" but I honestly think that's the way to go when you need to take a cold shower. Relative cold
and lukewarm is the best option for skin and hair maintenance as well. I was forced by a broken heating system to only shower in lukewarm and you suddenly realize just how much hot water dries your skin out and really irritates the scalp. Cold can be too much of a shock for pores, lukewarm is the way to go
Cold showers made me feel so energetic for the whole day, more focused and overall sharper. Fascinating how so many things affect people in different ways.
Humans are odd.
I’m pleased that you watch this channel Damon 😂
I see by your profile picture you are a cold shower guy
Instantly fell in love with this guy, love his perspective and transparency!
He should actually be in a tv show or movie.
ooh, I've done the Wim Hof breathing technique before and found benefits to it (mainly an adrenaline rush, which has helped with anxiety) - I would definitely watch a challenge video where you do it every day when waking up or before exercising
yes! i second this.
I wonder if the people recommending cold showers live hot climates where cold water in the shower can be 25C+ in the day time.
No, I don't think so. Not entirely anyway. Here in Sweden it's pretty popular to splash around in frozen lakes and roll around naked in the snow, often (but not always) combining it with lethally hot saunas. It's tradition in many places. It's the same in Finland and part(?) of Russia. It sounds weird, but...we also eat fermented and pickled fish, so...I guess we're kinda weird up here.
I've done cold showers for 4 years and am a huge advocate of them. I'm also a Canadian living in fairly intermediate to cold af in the winters temperature.
I live in a hot climate so 25C is about right. I only tale cold/cool baths and showers. Only in winter do I actually let the water get warm. Everyone says I have gorgeous skin so I think that benefit is true. Cool water and moisturizer everyday.
It makes more sense to do it in cold climates as it gives you adaptation to the environment
When I was trying this out I happened to be in Canada for a wedding (mine as it turns out :p) and I tried to withstand the full cold of the shower in our hotel. I could not, even as someone who lived in Minnesota. It was stupid cold. Made my vision blurry and my head feel weird.
I’ve taken a year of cold showers straight with no hot/mild showers in between. In all honestly it wasn’t too hard to get used to. The thing that I did notice is that I was almost never sick at all during this time period when before hand I was having serious coughing every couple months. I would recommend working out before the shower to not be as cold (especially in the winter).
Highly agree with you! I have the same effect and the same propositions! (I have taken shower for a year in the mornings the same style as you)
If you are in the process of trying to gain muscle I have seen some people say it's bad for gains. (to take a cold shower right after training)
I don't know if it's true but you might want to check it.
I never get sick as well - with warm showers -
Knock on wood -
bc I have a positive attitude & won't let myself get sick !
Seriously
@@mishuhishu94 Check Andrew Huberman on Lex Fridman talking about sauna benefits for muscle gain. I think cold is not recommended when you're trying to gain muscle.
@@fox_mulder24 will check it thanks :)
I honestly find cold Showers comforting. There's just something about standing under ice cold water and having my breath be taken away that just relaxes me
“Will I continue after this? Time will tell... me no. That I won’t.” XD
I read that if you suffer from body acne, just do a cold rinse at the end of every shower (like 30 seconds). For me, it was a gamechanger. Significant results in just a few days.
cutting out animal products from youre diet can also help,the fats and other shit in the products can cause outbreaks aswel,just saying its upto you if you do it.
and don't forget cutting out vegetable products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out grain products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out fruit products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
And don't forget cutting out funghi products from your diet can also help, the proteins and other shit in them can cause outbreaks as well, just saying it is up to you if you do it.
I take cold shower sometimes. The benefit that I noticed was that cold during winter was much easier to bear (I've heard a claim, that cold shower improves metabolism so it transforms fat into heat a bit better, so that might explain it). Other than that, the feeling afterwards is pleasant. Also showers are faster and you spend less water. The only disadvantage that I really noticed was the fact that once the shock was so severe that I clenched my jaw so hard that I cracked one of my teeth fillings.
as far as i know, if you're not getting the shallow breathing/hyperventilating thing, and then working through that, you're not getting the anti-depressive effects. That temperature shock response and adaptation is what triggers the anti-depressive effects.
“I feel very awake. Kind of angry.”
The main actual benefit of cold showers is psychological. By intentionally putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation and sticking through it every day it gives you confidence to deal with other uncomfortable situations life throws at you. It's like practice for dealing with discomfort. Also, it's been actually proven it benefits the cardiovascular system, it's like an exercise for your blood vessels.
I've been doing cold showers for almost 4 years, and i would say that by far the biggest benefit is way better immune system. Haven't been sick even once since started cold showers.
@@sylphiafox yes. I'm in for 3 years and noticed the same benefit
"I can't believe I'm only halfway through this" - me, regarding life
After the first half it just gets increasingly worse too lol
The comedic value in this video is ridiculously underrated! Thank you for the good laughs! Like and subscribed! Oh and I only take a coldish shower when the hot water runs out.
Not gonna lie, since you're such a positive dude, it was incredibly cathartic to watch you just purely hate something. I finally could empathize 🤣🤣🤣
The secret is that cold showers are the most satisfying after you've been overheated, like after moving into your new apartment and your stupid roommate didn't actually pack any of their stuff leading up to that day.
that's a very specific metaphor...
"It's fun to watch me suffer."
Someone do a wellness check on Craig.
I thought it was written Greg...
I've been taking cold showers for 10 years, maybe more. I can't really remember at this point it's been so long. I do occasionally take a hot shower if I'm already cold in the winter. It does get easier though. The best is what I call my morning "trifecta". Morning jog, followed by a cold shower, followed by coffee. No breakfast till lunch.
Did anyone else’s fee like crying with joy when he got to take the warm shower?
10:03 Oh yeah
My whole body felt relieved. I didnt know it made me so tense until he warmed the water. Aaaaahhhhh
I feel like you didn't engage properly with the shower, the attempt at meditation was the best one. The wim hof method is probably the best guide because it teaches you to regulate your breath while engaging with the cold. I find that starting with the face for a couple seconds is the best entry and then allowing the water to run on your back for a while acclimates you the best. I feel a strong sense of euphoria right after the shower and an overall stronger spirit and sense of discipline in life in general. That being said, I agree that it is rough and ever since I did a couple months of it I stopped taking full cold showers. I still always finish my hot showers with at least 30 seconds of full-on cold water as a reminder and to regulate my body temperature before I get out, I get a little rush but nowhere near the one from a full cold shower. It's a good habit, but it is tough and trying on the will, there comes a point where you don't want to go through it everyday so you ease up. I think the secret lies in not rejecting it completely to be able to preserve the mindset that empowers you to brave the cold.
This is exactly how I handled it. In my reply, I mentioned many similar things! I had to "Zen" through it, regulate my breathing, and train myself to go through the regular motions while experiencing cold. I don't know if this is true, but I'd like to think that doing this helped me apply similar methods to my anxiety and that I am able to overcome it a little better now.
I think it is absolutely key to immerse your face in this water, and to do so for a fairly long period. A quick duck in and out with your head will not do it.
Wim Hof is a crazy person. Change my mind.
@@DemstarAus Prestigious universities have actually invited him in to test his health regiments to which he's accepted. Turns out the things he advocates work exceptionally well for him because he has a few genetic traits that amplify the benefits. For example, he has an exceptionally high amount of brown fat in his body. Something like 12% compared to average adults which have something like 3%. That 12% brown fat is similar to the amount infants have at birth.
That's just one trait. To the extent that he's 'crazy', his behavior is due to living with a body that quite outside the norm in terms of healthiness and rejuevenation.
@@DemstarAus he is but that's not a bad thing.
After all, it has led him to develop a method that has helped many people to better cope with their problems and a crazy world.
Unfortunately, it is so that much of what even vaguely smells of spirituality is perceived by many from the outset as bull shit.
While it is considered by others it immediately as the solution to all their problems.
He himself has often enough emphasized that he has not the slightest interest in being a guru. I also tend to believe that, he doesn't seem to have the character for it. He has worked closely with scientists to prove his claims and seems to be quite aware of the influence and abuse potential this brings.
I remember watching Wim Hof and deciding I would take cold showers for at least a week. The main takeaway I got from that experience was a greater appreciation for warm water. Haven’t taken a cold shower since.
You and me both!
you'll be back . . . they always come back . . . to the cold . . . muahahaha!
I'm a big fan Mr. Nye
Thanks for the vid, was entertaining.
One thing though, your supposed breath and breath deeply.
It looked like you just tense up and never get into the the breathing.
My body warms up after 15-20 secs and the water doesn’t feel cold or uncomfortable anymore.
That being said, it isn’t for everyone and there are other ways to reap the same benefits.
💯💯💯
What ways ?????!!!! I’m all ears 😆
Check out Wim Hof aka the Iceman. I finish showers with 2 minutes of cold, and the key for me is breathing through it. Check him out! I even did a 2 minute ice bath which when done safely is great, and in some ways easier than the cold shower. The Ice Man Rules!
I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. I had to pause the video when you were trying not to react to the cold shower. Love your channel!
The "not reacting" expression really said it all. Perfection.
I would like to see more challenges that cause pain bc its very entertaining
I don't know why, but the segment with you trying not to react at ALL is so funny to me! 😂 I was absolutely wheezing with laughter. How apt.
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems - epictetus. This really sums up cold showering for me, I just think to myself there is no other option, I make my own fear about this cold shower, afterwards I'm always content.
my fear was that it would be cold and unpleasant, it happened and it was cold and unpleasant, and then afterwards I think 'man, I wish I had just taken a hot shower, because that was cold and unpleasant'. I do have mental heath issues so getting myself to shower is hard enough even without the added challenges, so different strokes for different folks I guess lol
@ Rocknall - your answer is almost the perfect stoic Exemplar response.
@Jerzius is quoting Epictetus, a famous stoic philosopher.
You're perfectly demonstrating the point with your comment.
By having expectations which are different from the reality, you find yourself disappointed.
This is all that quote means.
If you instead, actively try to focus on the positives and not give yourself certain expectations, you will have an overall more positive experience & memories.
Focussing on the imagined bad that only resulted from the unmet expectations in your mind, can only lead to more suffering.
If you mentally wish it was a hot shower every single time you know you're going to step into a cold shower, instead of accepting the reality of the situation, it's not going to be a good time.
I think that was WW's only real flaw in this study to me.
@@Syndicate888 Wonderfully stated. Cold showers function as a physically harmless (potentially beneficial) training method to strengthen the individual's character and lessen the individual's anxieties. The inherent repetitive nature of showering means that, basically every day, the individual will practice facing discomfort and embracing/overlooking it for a few minutes. That pays great dividends over time.
Other people: I take cold showers cause they're good for me
Me in a college dorm: I take cold showers because my college sucks
I grew up in an old victorian home where my shower was always room temp and in the winter ice cold. The house was always cold year round. A cold bathroom walking into a cold shower was my norm. I never had a cold nor did my family. We were basically really healthy. Our skin was so nice people would ask my parents about their skin. My conclusion, hot water and water in general is terrible for the skin and I always took fast showers. Also add that the bathroom had a window and since the house was so old I would sometimes feel a draft in the middle of the winter (snow outside) after stepping out of the cold shower into the cold bathroom. Fun times. Oh and add the floors were always ice cold. There is a special kind of feeling being cold, wet and stepping on a cold floor while an outside breeze hits your body. I think the key was that everything was cold.
@@johnlibonati7807 what a nasty rude reply.
@@heatherj9029 sorry. I meant it jokingly. Thought that was your intent.
It ain't that bad if you love the cold
I put my heater in the bathroom with me and take a warm one at first to clean, exfoliate, etc. Then afterwards, I just embrace the cold shower and it's super invigorating! The heater helps a lot cause it doesn't interfere with the cold shower, but helps for when you get out.