Cold Exposure, Cold Showers, Wim Hof, etc

Life Health & Fitness
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Has anyone tried taking cold showers for the physical and mental health benefits? I’ve been taking cold showers for 5 days now. One day I felt a kind of high afterward that lasted for most of the day. On the other days, I felt good afterward but it was not as significant as that particular day. I plan to try this for a month to see what happens.

I start off cool. I gradually increase the coolness as I shampoo and use soap. Then I switch to all cold for a while (about 3 minutes today, about 30 seconds the first day).

While not true of every stress, cold exposure causes the prolonged release of dopamine . Dopamine is a powerful molecule capable of elevating mood, enhancing focus, attention, goal-directed behavior, etc. Even short bouts of cold exposure can cause a lasting increase in dopamine and sustained elevation of mood, energy, and focus. Listen to Episode #39 to learn more about dopamine’s role in the body.

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I do it sometimes. I always plan to do it for thirty days straight but always fail. I do the breathing exercise (3 rounds of 30 breaths)some mornings and I always feel better afterwards.

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I’ve been getting into a lot of the various Huberman podcasts. There’s such a bounty of info and knowledge there to sift thru. In summer I basically always have cold showers but can’t bring myself to do it in the cooler months of the year. :laughing:

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I have both skin and heart issues so my doctors frown on hot water showers and do recommend lukewarm to cold, which is what I do use every day. You get used to it, even in the middle of the coldest spell.

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That is like saying I eat ice cream in the summer. :laughing:

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Just got out of a cold shower actually!

I have been doing it on and off lately. Normal shower, and then the last minute I do as cold as it gets. I realized I can’t do this at night, as it gives me a pretty substantial, immediate energy boost that sustains for a while.

Really recommend this, assuming you have good heart health

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I do after cycling and summer, I agree does make you feel good and energetic, however I don’t agree one gets used to it?

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It’s only been a few days, but it’s very uncomfortable every time and my understanding is that that never changes.

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Nah no. I’d rather die an early death.

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I do this sometimes in the mornings

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I believe what gives you the “high” is cold water on the eyes, specifically. For some reason, this triggers a reaction to your heart rate. I duno, science.

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I expose myself to cold beer on a regular basis. Has similar benefits.

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Eyes/head in general seems to trigger the biggest response in me. Pretty wild how well it works

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I wash my face with cold water every morning, even in winter. We’re all loco in this thread.

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Yeah, me too. Not really cold days though.

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I also swim in the sea when I get the chance, even early or late in the year. Not exactly a shower but can be colder than what I would like hehe.

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Ex girlfriend used to wash her breasts in cold water to keep them firm, they was but at 25 years old they should be.
She will be 55 now be interesting to see if it actually worked.

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Freezing water doesn’t do the best thing for us guys. Thank God it’s only temporary.

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Some believe this is the best way to do cold exposure. But many take a cold shower instead because of all the obvious reasons.

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After running in summer I frequently use cold water on my neck and head for a long while to cool myself down and prevent huge headaches. But, in summer sometimes even the cold water is not all that cold.

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