@Btown in 30 years I’m likely also going to be a whole lot less amenable to this whole cold shower endeavour
Completely anecdotally my 73 yr old uncle is one of the fittest people I know. Cycles many miles each week, pretty clean diet, plays golf, drinks the occasional tipple of whiskey and whilst he doesn’t do cold showers or plunges he does practically live in shorts for all but a handful of the coldest weeks of the year. I’ll not adopt the shorts quite so enthusiastically but I’ll be very happy if I can be that fit and active, sociable and mentally sharp in my 70s
I agree @LondonHug the outdoor ice bath is way extreme. A cold shower compared to that would be a piece of cake.
@LondonHug I like your uncle already. Sounds like we have similar habits.
So I tried it again...this time down my back instead of directly on my head (yes, that's what I did the first time). I lasted even less time, hahaha. I think tomorrow I'll try gradually making it colder, instead of going full-tilt frigid. yelp
~ Sunset Snuggles
In spite of my critical comments, I do know that cold water like this can be invigorating. While I may be skeptical of Hof’s specific claims about, say, the immune system, I recognize that there may be broader, less specific benefits. If nothing else, I admire the self-discipline people have to do such a thing. I don’t.
Slow and steady over time the body adjusts to it and feels less of a torture and more of a refreshing blast 😁
I've been doing the cold showers for 4 mins every morning for the last three years. I also have an ice barrell I use occasionally. It invigorates you.
@betamaxrich FOUR minutes? You must be tough as nails.
@Btown yes he’s a good guy, bit of a character with many stories, fun to be around
@SunsetSnuggles the persistence is admirable. Agree, try the graded slide down rather than the full shock treatment. If there are any benefits to be had, I’m pretty sure an aggressive drop makes zero difference.
@Babichev I like the studies you linked. Reflecting on the (scale scale) study which showed improved insulin sensitivity with a moderate amount of cold exposure. I realised that is probably the most sensible approach, if ultimately proven across larger studies, but makes for thoroughly boring tv. Hence the ice baths, jumping into frozen lakes and traversing underneath the ice between ice holes.
Well... Tried again this morning and made it to 11 seconds!!
I do think the full plunge all at once is way easier to deal with though. The repetative shock from my hair dumping icicle runoff down my still toasty spine is a bit much.
But I was amused to step out today and while doing my best to ensure not a single strand of my hair touched me, saw there was steam rising off only my feet. 🤪
Ugh, cold showers. Have done my fair share when it's has been over 50 outside and I was building my house.
Had a 250 gallon tote of water and would hook a gravity hose to it. Showered in the barn.
May through October in 2017. Not something I even want to do unless l have to. And I hope those times are fewer and further between.
Fear is a good thing, it helps us to act or not act . Fear is what keeps us moving to find what we are looking for.
Attempt number three! (Can you tell I'm stubborn?) So instead of the frigid plunge, I turned the water from warm/left to straight up. Believe me, it was still cold, but I was able to tolerate it with no issues, and calmly counted to thirty seconds, then turned it further to the cold/right, and continued counting until I hit ninety seconds.
It did actually feel refreshing, and I spun around letting it hit me from all sides. The mirror wasn't fogged up when I got out, and I didn't feel the need to lay on my bed and dehumidify, like I normally do after my hot showers. All in all, starting off at a less intense level was a win! I don't believe I feel invigorated, though, like I did when I went full-tilt freezing water pouring over my head. But we'll see. I'll give it another try tomorrow, and increase the cold. BAM!
@SunsetSnuggles Grit/persistence one of the greatest markers for probable success. I won’t be betting against you on this
@LondonHug
Attempt four was more difficult, but successful! I slowly turned the heat to past the middle, where I had stopped, last time. Then slowly turned it more, as I began counting my 90 seconds. I was shivering, but I made it! It helps to spin and let the water touch as much of you as possible, so you acclimate faster (same as jumping into a cold pool versus slowly walking in). But again I'll say, not letting it pour straight over my head seems to circumvent that "awake" feeling. I let it pour over my face, but that doesn't seem to have the same result. Where do you let the water hit, @LondonHug ?
@SunsetSnuggles Typical sequence is to let it hit the chest and run down the front of the body. After a period of numbing, I’ll nod forward let it hit the top of my head. That part is usually the most shocking. I’ll use my hands to wash it around my face to dissipate some of the extreme cold. Finally it’s a shuffle side to side to cover both shoulders. I’ll cycle around that sequence a couple more times and then I’m done. I can’t quite work up to the spin round to the back. Since starting this thread I haven’t missed a day. I’ve got a feeling it’s a phase but I’m not sure for how long.
@LondonHug You should try spinning, I promise it makes it better! 🤭
@SunsetSnuggles I wasn’t going to take the bait, but this morning I found myself doing a slow constant spin under the cold stream. It seems I had become complacent with the stand in place approach because today’s experience was extremely zingy. You don’t get the opportunity to acclimatise any one part of your body. Rather you get a constant flow of cold shocks as you turn. Post shower it was a confusing mix of exhilaration and displeasure.
@LondonHug Aww, sorry buddy! For me it totally helps acclimate the body. If I have one hot part, the cold is that much more torturous on the other side.
Attempt five, today! I also took your bait, and put my whole head under the water, again, which I haven't done since the first day. I also never stopped turning the water colder. I started at my usual shower temperature, then turned it straight up, then to where I was yesterday, then I began counting my 90 seconds. I consistently kept turning it colder as I counted, dipped my head under, spun around, and got my arms, repeat... I actually didn't shiver, this time, even though by the last ten seconds, the water was almost full-tilt cold. I'm proud of myself.
@SunsetSnuggles let’s hope there is some actual benefit to this madness 😀 no more turning for me, today was the first time it felt like my core temp fell and I actually felt chilly for a good long time after getting out. My general body temp usually snaps back quickly and I’m just left with the energised, alert feeling
Maybe the biggest benefit lies in some kind of mental metaphor i.e. I didn’t want the cold shower, I did it anyway, I survived, it wasn’t that bad. Now you can apply that to another area of your life. Do something uncomfortable which you would normally avoid but which has some real benefit on the other side.
Good job this week
@LondonHug Aww, well at least you tried it! Thank you!
Cold water! My shower is a long way from the water heater. Several minutes for the warm water to reach the shower. My conservation self will often hop in and turn the water on and shower while the water reaches warm. Then if I’m in a shaving time of year, finish the shower warm and shaving. If not shaving, hop out and dry.
@sr182 I admire your conservation.