Fancy exposing yourself to a 30sec cold shower each morning instead of running the risk of getting a cold or flu? Well, if research is anything to go by, you could be experiencing better health in as little as thirty days.
Cold water therapy is a bit of a buzz concept now – especially with Wim hof and his team of fanatics leading the way! I’m one of those Crazy Ice Bath People, and I’m proud to say that I can speak not only of the theory of cold water plunges but also of personal experience too.
I took my first cold water dip in the icy waters of Thredbo, NSW in June 2021 with a group of eager participants wanting to reach beyond their comfort zone. We were under the careful instruction and training of Leah Scott, a qualified Wim Hof Method teacher in the Snowy Mountains. Her retreats are not for the faint-hearted and will change your life. (Trust me, it changed mine!)
After that retreat, I then went on to do 90 days of cold water immersion – whether it was a 4min cold shower every day, an ice bath, a river plunge in the national park near my home, or my parent’s pool. After 90 days I stopped counting, it had become part of my daily life and it helped me to overcome some serious mental health challenges from 2 lockdowns and a devastating divorce.
I was determined to understand how this 5-10min daily plunge could have affected me so profoundly so I began doing some research and realised that this isn’t “new”, its just been popularised by Wim and his team. Isnt that awesome?
The benefits of a cold shower
Proponents say that swimming in cold water can help with insulin resistance, muscle recovery post-exercise, cardiovascular health, reduction in inflammation, increased energy, mental health support, and even weight loss.
To get the benefits the water must be at/below 15 degrees Celsius. So if you live in a colder area then you can just access cold water from the tap, the pool or a local river. If you are in a warmer area, you may have to start freezing ice regularly.
Cold shower research
Not surprisingly most research is conducted with the view of enhancing athletic performance. Athletes want to reduce recovery time and reduce pain. The research supports cold water immersion as a powerful tool for recovery (1, 2).
A 2016 study wanted to determine if taking a 30s, 60s or 90s cold shower (after a hot one) every day, could reduce the number of sick days a person took off work. The result? It CAN. The good news is that there was no statistical difference between the 30s,60s or 90 s groups – meaning you can just do thirty seconds and reap the benefits!
All the way back in 2008 a study showed that cold showers could be beneficial in treating depression as it sends messages from the skin to the brain to help switch it back online.
But how does it work?
Immersing in cold water below 15 degrees C, causes your blood vessels to constrict, and then when you emerge from the water and begin to “thaw out” a little, the vessels will dilate again (3).
Cold water will activate the sympathetic nervous system which is commonly referred to as your “fight or flight” response. When you are immersed in cold water you will release more noradrenaline/norepinephrine peripherally and it will increase the release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. When the skin feels the cold water, the receptors will send a sudden signal back to the brain to say “hey, something is happening here” which scientists believe could have an anti-depressant-type effect (4).
The part of your brain that is responsible for wakefulness and attentiveness – the reticular activating system (RAS) – can also be positively affected by cold water immersion. In particular, the locus coeruleus of the RAS, is involved in the arousal, and sleep-wake cycles, memory and emotions. People living with chronic fatigue syndrome have seen benefits in daily immersions due to norepinephrine being predominantly released in this part of the brain which then contributes to a cascade of downstream pathways (5).
The innate immune response (the barriers of your body that stop pathogens from entering) and the autonomic immune system work in tandem to keep you healthy. Acute activation of the fight or flight nervous system affects the innate immune response, and research has shown that it can be positively influenced through meditation, cold water immersion and breathwork (6). The immune system when out of balance will have an overstimulation effect causing too much inflammation in the body. This then causes pain, discomfort, and illness. By managing the effect of pro-inflammatory markers through cold water therapy it reduces inflammation, therefore reducing pain and discomfort.
Benefits for non-athletes or those who arent “that sick”
I love reading research and knowing that athletes and those who are fighting some serious illnesses are getting better-informed healthcare every day. However, I want to focus on the average Joes and Jills of the world – those who are moving thru life and trying to live better and do better, and enjoy themselves at the same time. Most of us are sitting in this category, and what I love about cold water showers and immersion is that we can tap into our superhero vibe just by facing our fear and getting in that cold water!
We can benefit just as much as an athlete. -especially by reducing pain and discomfort and reducing recovery time post workouts.
How to take a cold shower effectively
even though the research says to start warm and then finish cold, I think this is really hard to do. It isn’t my approach, but hey if you insist, you do what works for you. My method is that of stepping into the boxing ring. You go ALL IN and you don’t back down.
Step 1. Turn on the cold tap all the way – full force
Step 2. Stand in the shower and let the water touch your feet
Step 3. Flick the water at your body, getting your arms wet
Step 4. Get your legs wet
Step 5. Turn around wet the back of the legs and butt
Step 6. one full arm and shoulder / then the other
(by this stage most of you should be wet)
Step 7. Soap up and then fully immerse to rinse off
Step 8. wash your hair (this is usually best after you have done the non-hair wash a few times first).
Tips
Put a hype song on so you can sing and dance to it
Do some big deep breaths (in for 4 out for 6) before stepping into the shower
Resist the urge to turn on the hot water tap
Stay for at least 60secs / or 30 secs after you have settled your breathing down (then you will feel the full rush of dopamine as you have settled into the shower
DONT yell, scream, carry on – just calm your breathing down (it takes about 30-60secs)
Be present
Remind yourself what a badass you are!
Go on, you can do it
So there you have it – ALL the research, all the reasons WHY you should be doing cold showers – your mental health, your physical health and your badass self are all waiting for you. Imagine sticking to this for thirty days and finding out that you were stronger in body and mind than you thought possible!
That’s what is waiting for you on the other side of your curiosity as to whether cold showers or cold water immersions might be right for you.
Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried it, or maybe are willing to try it!
