6 THINGS I LEARNED FROM TAKING COLD SHOWERS FOR A MONTH
Katie Wright discovers whether you can enjoy the benefits of cold water therapy at home.
I’m no stranger to cold water. Whenever I holiday on the Isle of Wight or visit a friend who lives near the coast, no matter what month it is or the temperature outside, I will always go for a freezing swim in the sea.
On Christmas Day, I went for a festive dip with a friend and even though the water was painfully cold, I loved the rush of endorphins that followed once I’d managed to stop shivering. It never occurred to me that I could reap the benefits of what experts call ‘cold water therapy’ at home, until I heard an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show podcast, in which the author and lifestyle guru talked about how even a three-minute cold shower each day can act as a quick and effective mood stabiliser. So, I decided I would twist the tap on my shower as far as it would go, and swap warm showers for cold every morning for a month.
Here’s what I learned from a month of cold showers…
1. It really wakes you up
Just like with wild swimming, when I stepped under the shower head for the first time and felt the frigid flow over my body, it was a huge shock to the system. One thing’s for sure, it’s extremely invigorating, especially first thing in the morning.
2. The endorphins are amazing
Not only did I feel energised, I felt a rush of clear-headed euphoria following my bracing shower. On top of the hot, sweaty HIIT workouts I do every morning, the double dose of endorphins felt amazing. Once I’d worked my way up to the full three minutes, the mood-boosting effects were even greater.
3. Some days harder than others
Sometimes during that first month, particularly after a really hard workout, I was raring to get in the shower and cool down. On other days, I was dreading it, and had to really psych myself up.
4. You get used to it
I actually continued with cold showers beyond my initial month-long experiment – that’s how much I benefited from them. Now there’s never any hesitation before I step under the water, because I know that in three minutes’ time, I’ll be buzzing.
5. It’s a great time saver
Putting a three-minute time limit on my bathing means I can now get ready for work much faster than before.
6. It’s addictive
I never thought I would say this, but I now actually look forward to my cold showers and I’ve continued to have them almost every morning since (the only time I don’t is on some weekend days). The mental health boost that I get is so valuable, it’s totally worth three minutes of shivering and suffering every morning.