Daily Cold Showers for Health

[Paddle On]

i have been hearing people talk about the health benefits of taking a cold shower daily.

"The supposed benefits are improved immunity and circulation, stress relief, better mood, and relief of muscle soreness."

i had to laugh as i jump into cold water almost daily! after a few hours on the water i am very mellow and in a better mood, not to sure about the sore muscle part, ha!

[Night Wing]

Since I'm 5'8" tall and weigh 145 lbs, this means I don't have a lot of body fat on me aka "natural insulation". A 5 minute cold shower would give me a case of "hypothermia". 

In other words, no cold shower for me.

[Badger]

I believe in the health benefits but I can't surf well when I'm cold. I get all tensed up and then my Reynauds usually kicks in. So I have to wear more rubber than most people, even in summer.

I hate to be cold for extended periods of time but I can do quick bursts. Cut a hole in the ice and I'll jump right in, but I'll need a warm place to run to immediately after.

[coldsup]

All in the mind if you ask me.....

Probably just wakes you up a bit that's all.

An ice bath on the other hand....that helps inflammation.....but don't fancy one if those...brrrrr

[ericmichaels]

Yeah, Laird is a big proponent of ice baths. He talks about it alot on his show/training method XPT on Outside channel.

He goes from 32 degree ice bath to 200 degree sauna and back.

[PonoBill]

As soon as I saw the title I thought about how many cold showers I've had in my life. Never because I wanted to, of course, but every beachside shower except for Pacific City is cold water.

[drfierce]

In the Victorian era, cold baths were used as a depression treatment.

I believe Laird was turned on to this by Wim Hof. There is some real science to back up his method.

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

[clay]

In the Victorian era, cold baths were used as a depression treatment.

I believe Laird was turned on to this by Wim Hof. There is some real science to back up his method.

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

Good stuff.  I've done the online course and gone to Wim's workshop.  Powerful to hear people's stories of miraculous recovery and improved health and strength.

[SaMoSUP]

Cryotherapy may be a good but expensive alternative to ice baths

[Rider]

One of the joy's in life is rinsing off with my gallon of hot water after a surf.  Don't leave home without it!

[Weasels wake]

My old man was a big proponent of the cold shower, he also believed in the health benefits of it, but he did it differently, which I adopted,,,,,,,,, for awhile.  First your basic hot shower, then when you're done, a quick cold water rinse off, he said it closes your pours back up, and gives you a better reinvigoration, plus it's not such a shock, due to all the warmth built up.  It all made sense to me, so I was doing that for years, but gave it up a long time ago, not really sure why, just lazy I guess, but I might try it again tonight, now that I've been reminded of it.

[TallDude]

My old favorite. The DogPatch shower. They turned all of them off due to the drought. 

[Old School 213]

I listened to a great podcast a while back between Joe Rogan and Dr. Rhonda Patrick (a very smart lady) where they were talking about stress and the bodies response and how it was a good thing. This included thermal stress - to a point. They discussed activities that caused bodily stress such as working out and that the benefits were tangible then extended that to thermal stress and that there was in fact a bodily response that could also be viewed as favorable.

[Tom]

The athletic department trainer where I went to college believed in ice cold whirlpools, with ice being dumped in them.  They weren't so bad if you hurt your arm or ankle, but terrifying when you hurt something so you had to get you whole body in them.   

[pdxmike]

Cryotherapy may be a good but expensive alternative to ice baths

You can get it for free just by watching Oprah.