13/02/2021
Try this for a month if you’re brave enough. See if you notice the benefits in muscle recovery and repair.
Give Chris’s page a follow, very knowledgeable guy with a lifetime of experience in all aspects of training, from weight lifting, martial arts to triathlons and nutrition.
Cold Showers
I’ve known about the benefits of cold water emersion or cold showers for years now and always avoided perusing or making a habit because let’s face it, it is not an easy thing to do. The best I have ever managed was a cold bath for my legs after a really long run, the pain of the tired and weary legs outweighed the pain of the cold water submersion!!
Anyway after watching another Wim Hoff (look him up if you have not heard of him) podcast a couple of months ago I though lets be brave and see how tough and mentally strong I can be with cold water. After all, in the current lockdown there is not much else to do!
So, I decided to incorporate cold water showers into my daily routine and see over the long term if my body will thank me for it. I’ve now managed to do this daily for over 2 months including Christmas Day! It has not been easy and for me does not seem to get any easier. During this cold period the cold water is even colder (or so it seems!) However, my mindset with regards to doing this daily is that if I can sustain the discomfort and stress this causes then I’m mentally and physically strong enough for whatever else life will throw at me.
So here is what is recommended by the experts. Basically have your normal hot shower which relaxes you body and opens up your blood vessels. When you are finished you turn the thermostat down to full cold and first try and go for 30 seconds head and body under the shower. When you first do this the cold water will cause your body to go into shock, your heart rate will rise and you will start to breath heavily. Your body is trying to circulate blood round the body, through the veins and blood vessels and to increase circulation to your vital organs. Your body goes into fight or flight mode. You certainly feel alive whilst this is happening! The odd expletive might come out as well!
If you mange 30 seconds you will feel absolutely amazing afterwards, you get an adrenaline boost and just feel great. It is like doing a very short intense workout but without the sweat! Honestly you have to try it to understand what I’m talking about. As I mentioned above, the daily achievement sets you up mentally and physically to withstand all that daily life has to throw at you, good or bad. I’m very much of the belief that to experience the highs in life you also have to appreciate the lows. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
It is recommended that for the first week you only do 30 seconds at a time to get yourself accustomed to the feeling. After the first week you increase by 15 seconds per week (45 seconds week 2, 60 seconds week 3 etc.) until you feel comfortable going for 90 seconds up to 2-4 minutes depending on time.
So why do it? Here is a summary of the benefits.
1. Increased Circulation
Cold water encourages your body to reroute blood to your organs to keep them warm and nurtured, while warm water brings blood back toward the muscles and skin. A cold shower followed by a blast of warm water, or vice versa, boosts circulation to keep blood and nutrients moving throughout your body.
2. Decreased Soreness Post Workout
The same way ice reduces inflammation in an injured area, cold showers can help reduce soreness. You douse your body with cold water to lower your internal temp, so that when it heats back up, it does so quickly, delivering freshly oxygenated blood to muscles. That delivery in turn can facilitate a quicker recovery.
3. Possible Improvement in Weight Loss Efforts and Improved Metabolism
Some studies have shown a potential connection between certain fat cells and energy expenditure when exposed to cold water. Other studies show that lengthy blasts of cold water shock the metabolic system which could impact caloric burn. When our body is exposed to cold temperatures, it activates brown fat cells in order to generate heat (mostly through shivering), which can increase your calorie burn.
4. Energy Boost
This seems to not require too much of an explanation, but clearly, a shot of cold water will force your eyes open, get you moving and put your mental state in a ready position. Aside from the shock, studies also show it can activate your sympathetic nervous system to release neurotransmitters and endorphins that can give you a shot of alertness.
5. Increased Resistance to Stress
A blast of cold water is no joke. If you’re not in the mood, it can be almost infuriating. But here’s the thing: you’ve chosen to take the frigid temperature straight on, so you get to choose how to deal with it. Do you choose a reaction or a response? Response, right? A thoughtful and deliberate choice of how best to handle the stress in front you.
As you practice the practice of response over reaction with cold showers, you also practice your ability to handle other types of stressors.
6. Bolstered Immune System
From less frequency of calling in sick to work to potential disease prevention, the list of the benefits of cold showers for a healthier body and system is long, though not entirely proven. That said, they have been found to be a regular habit of the healthy. This may be due to the fact that cold showers stimulate white blood cells, which help your body fight infections and common illnesses.
7. A Blast of Endorphins to Relieve Low Moods
Remember how cold showers can activate your sympathetic nervous system? Many of the same endorphins and neurotransmitters that are released during this process that give you an energy boost can also help reduce symptoms of depression and low mood.
8. Increased willpower.
It takes a strong mind to endure the cold for extended periods of time. By incorporating cold showers into your daily routine, you are strengthening your willpower, which benefits many aspects of (your) daily life.
It is important to stress that if you have any heart or medical issues you consult your doctor before trying or embarking on physical activity.
So hopefully you are now convinced to start having cold showers, so what are you waiting for, start today. I’ll be interested in your feedback if you want to take up the challenge.
For more reading and information try these links:
https://www.wimhofmethod.com/benefits-of-cold-showers
https://www.invictusboston.com/cold-showers/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcCYY_10RbA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AroglHhto2o
