Cold Showering

This is the secret to how you can feel supercharged 5 minutes after you wake up, manufacturing motivation for the day ahead. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, keep reading. I am going to share a strategy that has changed my life.

The cold shower is definitely a hot… topic at the moment amongst the Instagram gurus and discipline influencers, but it truly does work.

Why put yourself through it?

***

The Benefits:

First of all, when exposing yourself to very cold water, your body reacts by producing white blood cells - the cells that fight off disease. Second, cold showers reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the starting point for many illnesses, both acute and chronic. Third, cold showers improve the health of your skin and hair. The hot water strips your body of its natural oils, which cold water doesn’t. Fourth, and my personal favorite, because the ice shower is (very) uncomfortable, to deal with this discomfort, your body produces endorphins: the neurotransmitters that reduce pain and make you feel amazing and motivated. Fifth, cold showers boost blood circulation and this increased circulation releases norepinephrine, the fight or flight hormone. Norepinephrine helps to stop that groggy feeling you likely feel in the mornings. 

***

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits, let us move on to the techniques that you can use to cold shower. Let me just preface this by saying, cold showers are not easy and need a bit of preparation before you can really dive in. I would suggest that if the techniques listed below feel a bit too daunting, try a hot shower and end with lukewarm water. Lukewarm has some of the benefits, but not the intense biting sensation of a full cold shower. Ease yourself into it and try to enjoy!

These are a few of the ways that I like to cold shower that I would recommend trying:

1. The Dirty Double Thirty

The Dirty Double Thirty is quick and doesn’t require you to be David Goggins (an Ex-Navy Seal and ultramarathon runner). It is a perfect method for a busy schedule or a cold day. First do your usual shower routine in hot water, then when you are luxuriating in the warmth, you can begin. After psyching yourself up, turn the heat off and full blast the cold. Luke warm water does nothing - you need the almost biting cold sensation. Count for 30 seconds (I count in my head, counting each number twice to balance out my increased counting speed in the cold). After 30 seconds, turn the heat to whatever you want for 10 seconds. After the ten seconds of relief, turn down to cold again, and do 30 seconds to end off. 

Two cautionary notes: 1. Never end on hot water - when you are finished your second 30 seconds of cold, just jump right out of the shower. 2. Make sure to not cheat the 10 seconds in between, it can be very tempting to hop out after 15 seconds of warm water. Embrace the uncomfortable, count to 3, and get back into the cold! 30 cold / 10 hot / 30 cold

Total time: 1 minute 10 seconds

Rating: Really quick and easy, great results and perfect in a time crunch.

It takes almost no effort to do, so this is a great way to start. In addition to this, the 10 seconds in the middle gives you a chance to train your brain to understand that you cannot just cop out when it is comfortable. You will likely find that getting back into the cold gets easier as you practice and there will be a point where it won’t even feel like a choice you have to make.

2. Penta 30

This is exactly the same at the Dirty Double Thirty, but instead, you need to count 5 cold periods instead of 2. As you get to the 4th and 5th period, it will become really uncomfortable. I like to do a combo of jumping and breathing to get myself hyped (this helps my motivation afterwards). For this one, I usually end on a 10 second hot blast. I make sure I am extremely strict with my 10 seconds at the end, because if I’m not, I will stay in there for another minute, defeating the purpose. If you are not convinced, test what happens if you warm up completely after your Penta 30 vs what happens when you end on just a quick 10 second hot blast. This is my favorite method.

Total time: 3 minutes 20 seconds

Rating: This one hurts. Control your breathing and endure it. The Penta 30 delivers every time.

3. The Wim Hof Method

This is when it gets real. This is the mainstream way to ice shower. Super simple. 2-3 minutes freezing cold. End on 10 seconds hot. Created by Wim Hof, a Dutch maniac and motivational speaker.

Simple, painful, good results. I don't often use this one, because I find the Penta gives me better results, but give it a roll. Everyone is different.

Total time: 2-3 minutes

Rating: As far as pain-for-buck goes, not my favorite, but Wim Hof is a legend and many people swear by his methods, so it’s worth a 3 minute experiment. It does get you psyched, but it gets really cold! Test all of these methods out and reflect on what works best for you. 

Thanks for reading & happy cold showering!