How To: Take Cold Showers

There are many reasons to take cold showers. It can improve circulation, stabilize blood pressure, improve skin and/or hair, and improve immunity. Cold showers are not easy to just jump into. It does take some time to adapt to the shock of getting into cold water and then staying with it. 

Warnings

• If you have any circulation or heart issues, cold showers may not be for you. But if you do decide to move forward be sure to build up your tolerance slowly. 

Step 1 Start slowly.

First thing to do is to start normally. As you get towards the end of your shower, begin lowering the temperature of the water. When you get the water temperature all the way cold, stay in the shower for as long as you can stand it.  

Step 2 Build up tolerance.

Repeat the process of hot to cold showers until you build up a tolerance to the shock of the cold water. Make the transition from hot water to cold water sooner and sooner.  As you become used to the cold water, try to stay under the cold water for longer and longer periods of time. 

Step 3 Start cold.

Eventually you should be able to stay under the cold water for your entire shower. The next step will be to start your shower cold. The shock should be mostly dissipated from the acclimation process from your previous showers. 

Tips

• Taking exclusively cold showers can help you save money on your electricity bill.
• Warriors of Japan would use cold showers as a form of meditation, in a process called Misogi.  It is used as a technique to cleanse the spirit. 
• Cold showers can paradoxically keep you warmer in the winter.
• Cold showers can help improve your immune system.