What Happens After 30 Days of Cold Showers
Learn exactly how to setup your cold showers to reap 6 AMAZING benefits that'll improve your life, mindset, and body. You'll find out how to work up to taking a cold shower every morning, and how to slowly lower the temperature over time. Cold therapy (ice baths, cold plunges, cold showers) has been used by people like Wim Hoff to develop seemingly superhuman abilities. Discover why you should stop taking hot showers immediately and switch them for cold ones.
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Taking a cold shower can feel very uncomfortable, give you goosebumps, and make your whole body feel freezing. However cold showers and cold therapy, in general, can help you feel more alert and energized, it can improve your health, and can even help you burn fat. These are just some of the benefits that you can use to justify going through the unpleasantness of using cold emersion as a therapeutic agent. (*) And really there are 6 amazing scientifically proven benefits when cold therapy is used correctly and I want you to understand what those are and how to start using the cold to reap those benefits today
Now the first thing that most people don't realize is that cold therapy can drastically improve your mood, and your mental health to the point that it may help prevent and even treat depression. (1) One of the ways that cold exposure is able to improve your mental state is thanks to norepinephrine. When you're body is exposed to cold temperatures norepinephrine is rapidly released into the bloodstream. This is a neurotransmitter that's associated with things like vigilance, attention, focus, and mood. And this isn't debatable, the fact that cold exposure can increase norepinephrine is shown in multiple studies, both in mice and humans. (2) Interestingly, when norepinephrine is depleted in a person, that person becomes depressed, and we actually see this in a study published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. (3) That’s why ice plunges and cold showers might help prevent and treat depression. Cold therapy drastically increases norepinephrine levels, which, helps support a better mood and cognitive function.
Now of course the question is how cold should the temperature be to get the benefits of a boost in norepinephrine? Well, one study found that one hour of cold water immersion at a relatively regular temperature of 68° Fahrenheit did not activate norepinephrine release, meanwhile, one hour at 57° Fahrenheit increased norepinephrine levels by a whopping 530%. (4) of course one hour sounds painfully long, but fortunately, you can get similar benefits in a shorter time frame if you turn the temperature down further. And we have evidence of this. A long-term study found that by immersing yourself in cold water at 40° Fahrenheit for only 20 seconds and sticking to that routine consistently for twelve weeks, that can increase norepinephrine levels by 200 to 300%. (5) And it could be possible that taking an ice bath in freezing cold water, would require even less time to reap the benefits. Now you don't want to go straight to freezing cold water, you do want to work up to it, and I'll go over that process in a bit
But first, you should be aware that one of the best benefits of exposing your body to the cold is that it leads to a reduction in overall inflammation throughout your body.
Now you've probably heard that inflammation is the route cause of most modern diseases. And even though inflammation gets a pretty bad wrap, inflammation itself isn't entirely a bad thing. In fact, it's vital for your health and well-being because it's the first step of the healing process that's used to prevent further damage by eliminating the initial cause of the cell injury, and then the inflammation helps clears out the damaged tissues and dead cells. This is actually what starts the process of repairing damaged tissues. However, when the inflammation process goes into overdrive, so when you have chronically high inflammation markers for seemingly no reason, that's when inflammation causes a lot of trouble for a lot of people. For example, as stated by the Harvard Medical School, “chronic inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.” (6) Research also identifies inflammation as the key driver of the aging process. (7) One specific study looked closely at elderly people ranging from 85 to over 110 years old and researchers found that low inflammation was the only biomarker that accurately predicted survival and cognitive capabilities across all the age groups. Remember that cognitive decline is what leads to the rising rates of dementia and Alzheimer's that we see today. The researchers also came to the conclusion that Inflammation is one of the most important variables that determine mortality, capability, and cognition up to very old…
References
1. There is anecdotal evidence that cold exposure improves mood and it has been suggested that cold showers may even be used to prevent and treat depression.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17993252
2. The fact that cold exposure can increase norepinephrine is shown in multiple studies, both in mice and humans
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18461718/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050065
3. When norepinephrine is depleted in people via a pharmacological intervention, a person can become depressed, as shown by a study published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3131098/
4. Norepinephrine went up 530% from an hour of cold immersion at 57 degrees Fahrenheit
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050065
5. A long-term study found that immersing yourself in cold water at 40°F (4.4°C) for 20 seconds for twelve weeks increased norepinephrine by 200 to 300%.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00365510701516350
6. “Chronic inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammation
7. Research identifies inflammation as the key driver of the aging process.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396415300815
8. “Inflammation is the prime candidate amongst potential determinants of mortality, capability and cognition up to extreme old age.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396415300815
9. Norepinephrine inhibits the inflammatory pathway in the body by decreasing levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, also known as TNF-alpha.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1845768
10. Norepinephrine decreases other inflammatory chemicals like macrophage inflammatory protein-1α.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/sj.bjp.0702179/full
11. A 1996 study by Janský et al., looked at whether cold water immersion (14 degrees C for 1 h) impacts biomarkers of the immune system in young, healthy men. Ultimately, they found that cold water immersion (57 degrees Fahrenheit) three times per week for six weeks increased the number of
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8925815/
12.A study found that winter swimming decreased the incidence of respiratory tract infections by 40%.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987703002706
13. Cold water immersion (head out) in 68°F (20°C) for one hour raised metabolic rate by 93% and one hour at 57°F (14°C) raised metabolic rate by 350%.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s004210050065
14. Men that were immersed in cold water at 50°F (10°C) for 15 minutes 3 times a week for four weeks after running were able to increase mitochondrial biogenesis occurring in their muscle tissue.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26041108/
15. Cold water exposure (50°F or 10°C) following high intensity running increased PGC1α, a gene that increases the number of mitochondria in muscle.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24561815
68, 57, 40? These are not cold shower temperatures these are like ice bath temperatures
I live in South Florida in the city water pipes run under the street. So in the summertime we don’t even use the hot tap the water comes out so hot from the cold tap
Make your videos length short and ask all people if they even want short videos
@Narayan Singh he can do both
Wim hof…
Cold showers are also better when it comes to hair care.
0:40 improves mood and depression
2:40 reduces inflammation
5:22 benefits immunity
6:46 increases mental toughness
7:44 helps burn fat
9:08 improves endurance capacity
10:11 how to experience its benefits
MVP 🏆
The real mvp bro
Thanks
I’m doing cold showers for almost half a year and I feel so good, haven’t been sick, always feel very focused and pumped after one. Especially after a workout
What about taking a normal warm shower then blasting for like thirty seconds at the end?
considering I’ve not gotten sick since I was 5, guess it’s time to become immune to illness with cold showers
@DDM67 I’ve tried this only to get rid of the itchiness after showering w hot water but it honestly doesn’t compare to complete cold showers, you probably get like a tenth of the benefits especially mentally. (at least for me)
@DDM67 It works, but to go inna cold shower breaks some kind of a mental barrier
How cold does it gotta be full on cold?
This just shows that physical suffering makes you stronger.
What about mental suffering?
@Tijiba Jar If you can get past that you will be mentally strong
I like suffering
@Phoenix I say it both makes and breaks people depending if the person has less emotional cowardice
Dude I fucking love cold showers, I didn’t even know people dislike them SO MUCH, it gets the adrenaline going and stuff, it just lightens up the mood for me 🤷♂️🤷♂️
Cold water does cure depression, after using it for a week, you start to appreciate a life where hot water is available
xD
Lmao
😂😂
nice
😂🤣😂
It takes like 2 weeks and after that you do not care much about the cold anymore. The biggest hurdle is to overcome yourself because your head is telling you that its gonna be uncomfortable. I still have this often even though I take cold showers for like 10 years. But once I step under the shower the feeling is completely gone. And the energy boost and feeling of vitality afterwards is just awesome.
Taking ice baths is next level stuff tho. 😀
the hardest part about taking a cold shower is trying not to tell everyone you took a cold shower
Underrated comment🤣🤣🤣
truer words have not been uttered…
Why tho?
Nah, the hardest part is finding soaps and shampoos that work well with cold water. I tried this years ago, but only lasted a few days, because of the soap.
I had a sudden onset of severe inflammation in august of 2020 which now looks like an autoimmune disease. It literally aged me like 15 years ins 4-6 months. I went from having no joint and muscle pain to being in severe pain every single day. swollen joints, weak muscles and screwed up digestion. my liver, neck and spine are always on fire. some days I can’t even raise or use my arms. this is like the twilight zone. I was fit and working out one day and weeks later can’t do anything. I lost 30lbs of muscle over 4-5 months and can’t put back not even 10lbs in over a year! the cold showers have been helping with my inflammation and joint pain.
… And the connection to cold showers?
@SomehowSomeway they have been helping to reduce my inflammation and joint pain
What works great for me is in the morning before exercise, take a HOT shower and keep it hot until you’re clean, this loosens my muscles and helps get my blood flowing, it literally warms me up for my exercise. When you’re done and all sweaty, sore and tired, I take a COLD shower to quickly rinse off. It not only works like an ice bath to dull soreness and help heal, but helps motivate and put you in a better mood to take on the rest of your day despite being so tired and sore from exercise.
I take shower/bath my whole life nothing happens
Dang, your water bill’s gotta be high. Lol
@Iknowthelaw not really, in the summer, instead of cold showers, I clean up in the 55 degree river across from my house. No need to waste money on a water bill when you live next to a river
I would NOT recommend taking a cold shower just after finishing your workout because it’ll kill all your gains. Much rather take one 4-5h after or take one in the morning and a hot shower after your workout
@Mr White can you elaborate more on how it will kill all your gains?
This also helps overcome subconscious fear. Forcing yourself to do something that is completely out of your comfort zone. So in a way it’s reprogramming the brain. I find this method being crucial since I do MMA. It also can have slight DMT like effects, which is the buzz a lot of people get.
To-reprogram the brain….I’ve been cold showering off and on the last 4 yrs. I’ve recently set a goal for myself to cold shower for 6 months I’ve set milestones on my calendar 21 days, 40, 90, 180 days. Also for accountability it would be a bummer if I break my streak I’m on day 3 💪 ❄
Been doing this for several years after learning about it. I can vouch to the increase in positive mood and higher energy, as well as feeling healthy to start the day. However, I would only do this consistently in the summer, spring, or early fall. Winter, another story, hot/warm showers return.
Exactly what I was thinking. If I take a cold shower in the middle of winter I’m going to be too angry to get depressed! Lol
Why not winter too ,your house not got heating ? lol
@martin kerr My house has heating, it’s nature that does not have heating when I go out to work or socialize outdoors in the winter.
I am taking cold showers since beginning of january. I must say that I hated it for the first week and I even got a headache after every shower. I was about to stop my experiment when suddenly in the second week I started to feel a change.
My body adapted and my recovery after sports went so much quicker. I drank a lot of coffee before and didn’t have the need anymore because I was already so sharp and awake after the showers. In the cold winter months I was walking outside with just a shirt or light pullover when everyone else was wearing heavy coats.
Whenever I am in places where they don’t have cold water e.g. certain gyms I feel really weird after. I must say after almost 7 months in it was the best thing I did in a long time. My goal is to never stop taking cold showers 🙂
Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
ps: I shower between 4-6 minutes around the coldest setting
im not sure ur supposed to get headaches from it big man
Got mild headaches too! Same pinch bro
I got headaches and stopped it
Too cold .that’s why you get headaches.
@stephen Did you also shower the head? If you leave out the head the arteries in the body may congest pumping more blood towards the brain. Hence some say one should also shower the head at least a little
bit when taking a cold shower.
I started taking cold showers about 8 weeks ago and I love it. First two times were a little jarring but after that, I didn’t even notice the cold water. Cold things as a whole don’t affect me as much anymore. I wouldn’t go back to hot showers if I had to.
I have a question, how many minutes can I shower, like 30 min or 1h? Or just 5 min? Can u help me?
@Kitsune Bro I dont think you need to ask someone on the internet how much you need to shower☠☠. however for me I personally just for like 5-10 mins so I dont run up the water bill.
@Joshua ok, Thx so much :D, i asked because i really dont want to get fever
@Kitsune Check the video out from 5:48
It shows taking cold baths/showers decrease your chances of catching a fever or cold
@Vandal Savage ok ty
I started doing a cold shower a few weeks ago. At first it was super cold and I couldn’t take it, so I put a lot of hot water so it could be warm. I got a lot of goosebumps on my arms. I then decided to ignore how cold I was and kept showering. It was really hard because I wasn’t used to cold showers. Honestly It helped me feel energized and it made me feel great. I didnt even want to leave the shower. I definitely recommend cold showers, but don’t do immediately. Get your body to adjust to it little by little and you will automatically get used to it. I will never get to hot showers again.😂
I started taking cold showers when my ac broke this summer. I haven’t gone back because the post- workout cold shower feels so good. Glad to hear there’s so many benefits.
I’ve had muscle issues and need two hip replacements. I have terrible pain due to avascular necrosis. This really helps. What he says here is 100% true in my experience. Whether or not I have the balls to do it all the time is up to me. It does work though. You will feel mentally and physically better over time. I swam in 60 degrees F* for about a year. I didn’t even go below that. But it really helps!!!!!
Cold water immersion stunts and prevents muscle recovery within a 24hr period after doing a workout. Stay away from cold showers if you are someone that goes to the gym regularly, stick to normal temp showers.
@Solarris Can’t agree on that one. I’ve only decreased pain with cold water. For my condition at least. It’s extremely uncomfortable but it actually gets rid of inflammation better than an NSAID. The combination of both does wonders. Not a permanent solution though.
@Reflex Construction Yes, cold water therapy does stop muscle inflammation therefore preventing/decreasing pain, however for muscle hypertrophy, it stimulates the muscle when the muscle shouldn’t be, and instead should be recovering.
@Solarris Hey dude, I’m going to be doing my first plunge when I get my bucket soon. I was thinking of doing morning plunge first and then go for a run and not doing post plunge. What do you think? Can you help me out.
@assassin Post or Pre plunge, it’s really up to you. If your going for long runs and are expecting to feel sore and tired after a cold plunge could reduce feet/leg muscle inflammation. However on the other hand, having a cold plunge before can get your muscles stimulated before a run. Just make sure you warmup/stretch before you run.
I did this as a soldier in the army in the beginning it was really uncomfortable/painful but I knew straight from the start that it was healthy. after just a few weeks I could take freezing cold showers in the dead of winter and at full pressure with almost no discomfort after the first minute. Everything he said in this video I saw in research studies and experienced first-hand. An additional benefit I didn’t see listed here is self-discipline and will-power. Both of which do not come naturally and you must work on consistently in order to build them up and strengthen. Having the ability to excersize both to the extreme will make you that successful in pretty much anything you set your mind to.
Wow powerful statement. As someone who hates cold shower esp in the morning makes me wanna try it
@vania d did you
Awesome! I love that you mentioned self discipline and will-power.
Thanks for your statement. I agree
I like cold showers only because of when you exit the shower you won’t be hesitant in leaving the great warmth.
the realest comment
When the air outside the shower is warmer than the shower itself, then you’ve hit the spot
@builderdude9 i loved this feeling lmao outside its 50f and i take a same or colder shower it feels strangely warm outside.
no frr
I’ve taken cold showers and I feel so refreshed and calm after. It is hard at first but worth it.
I’ve done this before. It’s actually fascinating how if you endure the freezing water for a minute you actually get used to it and start feeling comfortable.