The Benefits of Cold Water Showers
Wim Hof, also known as The Iceman, is a Dutch extreme athlete who’s noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures.
He attributes these feats to his Wim Hof Method (WHM): a combination of frequent cold exposure, breathing techniques, yoga and meditation.
I came across him a couple of years ago, mainly due to the wild swimming craze and wondered if there was an easier way of getting this beneficial cold-water fix than finding my nearest swimmable river.
The answer is yes, by taking cold showers instead, and thousands of crazy people from all over the world apparently already incorporate cold showers into their daily routines.
The main benefits reported by people who take cold showers regularly are as follows:
Reduced stress levels – Taking cold showers regularly imposes a small amount of stress on your body, which leads to a process called ‘hardening’. This means that your nervous system gradually gets used to handling moderate levels of stress. The hardening process helps you to keep a cool head the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
Higher level of alertness – Cold showers wake your body up, inducing a higher state of alertness. The cold also stimulates you to take deeper breaths, decreasing the level of CO2 throughout your body, helping you to concentrate. Cold showers seemingly keep you focused throughout the day.
A more robust immune response – Taking a cold shower increases the amount of white blood cells in your body. These blood cells protect your body against diseases. Researchers believe that this process is related to having an increased metabolic rate, which stimulates the immune response.
Increased willpower – It takes a strong mind to endure the cold for extended periods of time. By incorporating cold showers into your daily routine, you’re strengthening your willpower, which benefits many aspects of your daily life.
Weight loss – Cold showers (and exposure to cold in general), in addition to increasing your metabolic rate directly, stimulate the generation of brown fat. Brown fat is a specific type of fat tissue that generates energy in turn by burning calories. Hence, cold showers are an effective tool for people who are looking to lose a few pounds.
It’s definitely worth having a read about the WHM* and there’s other research that states it can boost your mood, reduce inflammation and help you to sleep better.
So, if you fancy giving a version of it a go in the shower, then you can try this:
» Shower with your normal warm water.
» Slowly make the water cooler.
» First rinse off your right leg with cold water, starting on the outer side of your ankle. That’s the spot farthest away from your heart. Work your way up to the top of the leg gradually. Then rinse off your left leg in the same way.
» Now it’s time for your arms: start on the back of your right hand, then move the water up to your shoulder. Next, start at your armpit and move the water down the inside of your arm to your palm. Do the same on your left arm.
» Rinse the rest of your body with cold water. Repeat the previous steps with warm water, then rinse your whole body with cold water one more time.
If you have any issues with your heart or have a weaker immune system, then cold showers aren’t a great idea as the sudden changes to body temperature and heart rate may overwhelm your body.
I used this process to slowly build up to 2 minutes at the end of my warm shower and it will make you feel alive and smiling guaranteed!
If you’re interested in wild swimming with a group, check out Chris Reeves, who founded Win the Morning, Win the Day, a group that organises morning walks on the beach, followed by a swim in the sea, (now in rivers around the country also, for those of you who aren’t close to the sea), all the while breaking the stigma surrounding mental health by talking openly about it.
I joined a group that’s run by Michelle Tucker for a swim in Laleham, Surrey. It was just brilliant.
Raises serotonin, endorphins and dopamine, and reduces cortisol.
Enjoy!
*The Wim Hof Method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/practice-the-method
