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What Are Cold Showers?

Cold showers are showers where the temperature of the water is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), typically between 50 and 59°F. The goal is to immerse yourself in cold showers for two to three minutes at a time. If this is your first time trying out cold showers, start with just a few seconds of cold water exposure, then increase your exposure by a few seconds each time so your body can build up tolerance over time.  

Humans have used cold temperatures for centuries for therapeutic purposes and overall health benefits. This is known as cryotherapy. There are several ways of applying cold therapy to the body, such as:

• Cold showers (showering with the water temperature below 60°F).

• Cold water plunges or ice baths (submerging the whole body except the head and neck in ice water).

• Whole-body cryotherapy (exposing the body to very low temperatures).

• Localized ice pack application to areas of injuries or sore muscles.

• Cold sprays to numb a small area and reduce pain, for example, before needle insertion.

What Are the Physical Health Benefits of Cold Showers?

Muscle Recovery

The application of ice is commonly used to speed up the recovery of sore muscles after exercise and support healing from injuries. Studies have also found that cold water immersion for 5-15 minutes after exercise can decrease muscle soreness and reduce inflammation. Cold treatment reduces pain and inflammation by decreasing blood flow. It works best for acute or newer injuries.

Note: Warm or hot showers can relieve muscle soreness by opening up blood vessels and increasing blood flow to support the healing of injuries. Heat therapy is generally recommended for chronic pain and older injuries. Trying to decide between heat and ice for your pain management? Check out our blog, “Is Heat or Ice Better for Back Pain?”

When choosing between a hot or cold shower after workouts, remember that hot baths and showers can cause skin dryness and irritation. Therefore, a cold shower may be overall more beneficial after exercising.

Improved Circulation

When cold water hits your skin, it causes blood vessels on your skin surface to become narrower in order to conserve heat. Your circulatory system diverts blood flow and oxygen to other parts of your body, including your body’s core and vital organs. 

While cold therapy may be responsible for improving circulation and getting blood pumping, its long-term effects on cardiovascular health need to be studied further. Experts warn that people with heart disease, especially arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), should check with their health care provider before taking cold showers because the increased circulation can place added stress on the heart.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Pain Relief

Cold exposure sends electrical impulses from cold receptors in your skin to your brain. When you take a cold shower, the effect is similar to local application of ice to reduce muscle soreness. Cold also reduces inflammation, pain, tenderness, swelling, and redness.

In addition, scientists say cold therapy releases endorphins, which are hormones that improve mood and act as natural pain relievers. Studies have found cold showers may relieve pain related to inflammation.

Stronger Immunity

Research has shown that taking a cold shower every day for just a few seconds is associated with fewer sick days due to illnesses. There is also limited research showing cold water exposure causes people with chronic lung conditions such as COPD to have fewer infections. 

However, more research is needed to understand all the benefits of cold therapy on the body’s immune system.

Increased Metabolism

Metabolism is the body’s way of converting food into energy. An increase in your resting metabolic rate can help you burn more calories and promote weight loss. There is some evidence that daily cold showers may increase metabolism and help you fight obesity. However, these potential benefits of cold therapy on metabolism need to be researched further.

Cold shower benefits for skin

Cold water on the skin can help reduce inflammation, which can improve acne by closing pores and preventing dirt and bacteria from getting into the skin. Cold water can also lead to skin tightening and reduced redness. 

What Are the Mental Health Benefits of Cold Showers?

Improved Energy and Alertness

Cold water exposure activates the body’s sympathetic nervous system. This system is responsible for the “fight or flight response” that gets triggered under conditions of danger or stress. Cold water immersion also increases circulation and oxygen supply throughout the body. In addition, taking a cold shower can lead to the release of hormones called endorphins. 

Scientists believe these effects of cold water therapy make you more alert and energetic, similar to survival mode. Some studies have suggested that regular cold showers can increase energy levels, just like caffeine consumption.

Reduced Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

There is a theory that taking a cold shower or immersing yourself in cold water sends a flurry of electrical signals to the brain, which can help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. 

However, taking cold showers is not an approved or proven treatment for mental health conditions. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Cold Showers

Are Daily Cold Showers Good for You?

Taking a cold shower daily might be good for you. Potential cold shower benefits include improved circulation, muscle recovery, pain relief, and increased energy and alertness. However, overall research on the benefits of cold showers is limited. If you have pre-existing health conditions, you should check with your healthcare provider before taking cold showers.

Do Cold Showers Flush Out Toxins?

Cold showers may flush out toxins. Exposure to cold water can improve circulation, which can help in removing waste material from the body. Additionally, improved blood flow and oxygen supply to the liver and kidneys may help these organs get rid of toxins.

How Long Should a Cold Shower Be?

A cold shower should be 2-3 minutes long and no longer than 5-15 minutes. Start out by taking a cold shower for 30 seconds and gradually increase it to 1 minute and then 2-3 minutes.

What Happens After 30 Days of Cold Showers?

Taking cold showers every day for 30 days may lead to increased energy levels and alertness as well as improved overall health. Your skin and hair may feel and look better due to the reduced drying and irritating effects of a hot shower. However, remember, individual responses to cold therapy vary. You should consult your healthcare provider if you have pre-existing medical conditions or if cold showers cause uncomfortable symptoms.

What Are the Cons of Cold Showers?

Most people can safely take a cold shower for a few seconds to a few minutes every day. However, some people should avoid cold showers, such as those with:

• Cold urticaria: Also called cold hives, this is a condition in which skin welts appear after exposure to cold temperatures.

• Raynaud’s disease: This is a condition in which blood vessels constrict (become narrow) in response to cold, resulting in reduced blood flow and the fingers and toes turning blue.

• Heart and lung conditions: Cold exposure narrows blood vessels and increases heart rate and blood pressure. People with heart and lung issues, especially abnormal heart rhythms and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), should talk to their doctor before taking cold showers.

Tips for Incorporating Cold Showers into Your Routine

Step-by-Step Guide to Cold Showers

1. Set your shower temperature between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Ease into cold water therapy slowly. If you typically take a hot shower, switch to warm showers first. A few days later, try taking an alternating warm shower and cold shower for about 30 seconds each. If this makes you uncomfortable, dial back the time spent in cold water to 15 seconds. Alternate between cold and warm showers such that it does not involve shivering. 

3. Each week, reduce the warm shower time and increase the cold shower time by 15-30 seconds until you are spending 2-3 minutes under cold water. Over time, you may be able to work up to cold showers lasting 5-15 minutes as your body adapts.

4. To avoid tensing up from the cold water, focus on taking deep breaths during your cold showers. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Don’t forget to consult your doctor if you have pre-existing medical conditions. When cold water hits your body, the “cold shock” can cause dramatic changes in your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

• Don’t go suddenly from hot showers to cold showers.

• Don’t stay in cold water too long. Hypothermia can develop with 20-30 minutes of cold water immersion.

• Stay warm after a cold shower, but resist the urge to go into a very hot environment. Allow your body to slowly and naturally warm up.

• Don’t ignore signals from your body, such as uncontrolled shivering, dizziness, or pain.

Popularity in Modern Wellness Trends

Cold showers have become a modern wellness trend because of their supposed benefits for mental and physical health. Research indicates that cold showers might have some health benefits related to improved circulation and effects on the body’s stress response. However, many claims about the health benefits of cold showers are not supported by strong scientific evidence. In other words, more research is needed to understand the cold shower benefits for your body.