Cold Showers

And Why I Take 'Em

I like taking cold showers. Not every time I shower but certainly at the end of every shower, sometimes at the beginning too. I do this for several reasons. Here are some of them:

1. The secondary effects of cold are similar to the primary effects of heat. The cold water drives the blood from the surface of the skin and into the core…but immediately afterwards the blood starts to return and it brings a nice flush of warmth with it. This is good for overall circulation.

2. I feel like a Russian badass (Just a little).

3. Cold showers are good for muscle tone.

4. Cold showers are good for the immune system. While I’m certainly not immune to head colds now and then, as of this writing, it’s been decades since I had a fever or the flu. And I’ve never had a flu shot.

5. Cold showers are a great way to wake up in a hurry if I need to be alert fast.

6. Cold showers are a great way to take a short shower if I’m running late. I will most likely not linger.

7. Cold showers are a great way to cool down after a long hot bike ride or some other workout.

8. Cold showers are a great way to firm up my body and make me acutely aware of my boundaries. Melting and letting go of those boundaries is very nice as well and hot tubs and hot showers are great…but sometimes it’s just good for me to feel my edges more exactly.

9. Our bodies burn fat to produce heat. Heating myself up internally after a cold shower helps lower my overall percentage of body fat…even if just a bit.

10. Cold showers are a great way to help me appreciate hot running water, still a luxury in many parts of the world.

11. Cold showers cost less than hot showers and use less fossil fuel.

12. Cold showers make me a little tougher without any real risk of injury. I'm not so wimpy when it comes to being chilly. 

13. Cold showers make me breathe more deeply and completely.

14. Cold showers are good for the skin.

15. Cold showers increase my tolerance for discomfort which is very useful to me in life. I think it’s actually one of the most important capacities when it comes to learning just about anything.