6 Months of Cold Showers

Introduction

There was a pipe replacement in my district back in 2012. Lasting around a month, that forced me to use cold showers, which I really hated. No, I was never into cold showers. In fact, I (kinda) viewed them as overrated if eating correctly, doing OMAD, NoFap, exercising daily, and getting enough rest.

Last summer, they initiated a similar situation. Sick of depending on hot water, this time, I approached things differently. I used the opportunity to adopt and see whether the claims about cold showers are valid. Continuing for months, this experiment changed my perspective, giving me a few conclusions to share with you. Before doing so, I think it’s right to clarify three things.

Disclaimer

(1) I never tried the Whim Hoff method; everything I say is based on “using” plain cold showers with no special techniques.
(2) I don’t take my cold showers separately but merely shower with cold water.
(3) This is my experience and non-biased perspective. Please, don’t expect it to match entirely what you already know about cold showers. With this out of the way, let’s start.

Energy and Performance

A significant claim about cold showers is that they increase energy, promoting wakefulness. Unable to disagree, I believe this works in two ways.
The first is cold water’s undeniable refreshing effects. After taking a cold shower, I feel sharper аnd more alert and energetic.The second is that although I loved showering with hot water, that massively slowed me down, causing drowsiness. Cold showers eliminate that, so my energy and focus flourish, even without coffee.

As one doing OMAD for 7+ years, I think cold showers work somewhat similarly. While many emphasize that it increases blood ketones, OMAD also eliminates food digestion which is extremely energy-draining and slows us down.Cold showers are also likened to coffee. Admitting that’s a good comparison, I believe they provide a unique calmness, which coffee doesn’t. They can also alleviate jitters from drinking too much of the wrong kind.

Last summer, they initiated a similar situation. Sick of depending on hot water, this time, I approached things differently. I used the opportunity to adopt and see whether the claims about cold showers are valid. Continuing for months, this experiment changed my perspective, giving me a few conclusions to share with you.

They say cold showers are great for boosting willpower by getting us out of our comfort zone. Somewhat shocking, the drastic temperature change makes us feel uncomfortable; despite, temporarily unpleasant, that grants me the unique feeling I recognize as a mixture of purification, power, and humbleness. That said, cold showers have been incredibly beneficial to my mental and physical state and the quality of my days. In terms of gym and lifting performance, they don’t seem to do much to my stamina and strength. But maybe they will do in the future.

Time and Self Control

Having an addictive personality, I was pretty attached to soaking myself under steaming hot water. It may sound odd, but removing myself from it after a reasonable duration was always very undesirable. Meaning I couldn’t help myself but stay until the steam filled the whole bath and my skin got red.

Taking 20-30 minutes, it wasn’t once when this pleasure made me tired, so I had to compensate with extra caffeine and willpower.Now, taking cold showers, I couldn’t be happier that I don’t have to use precious willpower to deal with all this. The minutes I spend on showering per day are less than the total of 10.And while most people associate cold showers with discipline, to me, it requires much more effort to take a hot shower for fewer minutes than it does taking a cold for 2-3. Therefore I’m saving willpower, time (and even money) I previously wasted on something unhealthy.

Physical Appearance

If you search online, you’ll find some people report getting leaner because of taking cold showers. Obviously, the low temperature forces our bodies to burn more fat. Envying them, I cannot confirm the same applies to me. Meaning cold showers don’t get me any leaner than before I started taking them.However, this conclusion is based on a 3-month experience, and maybe that benefit will kick in in the future.

On the contrary, drinking plenty of cold water has given me such results since I started training. In fact, one of the first things I consider when getting leaner is whether I’m drinking enough water and if its temperature is low enough. This also helps me recover quicker between the sets. Some studies regard all this to be more of a placebo effect. Whatever the case, it never failed to produce the desired results.

Health

It is very well established that cold reduces inflammation, boosts immunity, and can decrease pain. While I can’t confirm the first couple due to the inability to measure them and eating OMAD with anti-inflammatory diets, the last is something I benefit from daily. The pandemic forced me to switch my typical training style to use a lot of bodyweight and compound exercises. Though having the advantage of burning more stored energy, these also cause more soreness which the cold showers significantly mitigate.

Thanks to taking them daily, I hit larger muscle groups quite frequently without much concern of whether I’ll be able to walk on the next day. Cold showers also substantially reduce joint (like that pain in the elbows from too many overhead dumbbell extensions). So it can be said that though not directly, they facilitate my training.

How to Start Taking Cold Showers

It’s usually recommended that you start taking cold showers by gradually using colder and colder water. This is a great approach that evidently helped tons of people. On the other hand, I started using the coldest water from the get-go but exposed different parts of my body under it. Said differently, I wash the left and right sides of my upper body, then my right and left legs, etc.

Whichever you decide to use, I suggest not overthinking but just doing it. The less you think about it before, the more joy you’ll experience, during, and after. Don’t take it as a meaningless challenge to suck your willpower. Instead, aim to really adopt the cold showers enhancing your life for the better.

Conclusion

After enjoying most of the benefits of cold showers, I feel they are a great addition to proper eating, daily exercise, NoFap, and of course, the OMAD plan (about which you can learn extensively in my book). Do I think they can replace any of the mentioned? Now I do not. Feeling they complete that package, I’m grateful I adopted them and don’t plan to quit them anytime soon.

Thank You For Your Time