I took a freezing cold shower every morning for 30 days — here’s what happened
Wellness gurus claim it offers a free mood boost and makes you feel more alert in the morning, but can a cold shower really change your life for the better? I decided to take the plunge and find out.
By Amelia Glean
If you think standing under ice cold water every morning for a month makes me somewhat deranged, you’re probably right.
Friends looked at me in horror, or worse, pity, when I explained the 30-day challenge I was letting myself in for.
“But WHY?” was the question asked many, many times.
You know that feeling when you finish a 5k parkrun in under 25 minutes, when your spin instructor finally calls time on that hot, sweaty mess of a class, or you spot your food being brought over to you in a restaurant?
It’s like being on top of the world, like you can do anything. And this is what a teeth-chattering cold shower can do for you, too — you don’t even need to get dressed (the trick is to get undressed, actually).
It was extreme athlete Wim Hof, otherwise known as The Iceman, who got me into all of this.
He once ran a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and regularly sits in ice baths for fun. He claims a regular cold blast gives him more energy, boosts his immune system and improves his sleep.
The science behind all of this isn’t proven yet, but some small studies in the field are beginning to back him up, as well as plenty of anecdotal evidence.
As it turns out, getting in or standing under water below 20C (which still feels pretty cold, by the way) may boost your energy and productivity, it might help you manage depression and anxiety, and it could even give you soft, glowing skin.
Sounds great, right? I thought so too, which is why trying this cold shower thing was a no-brainer for me.
Here’s how it went…
Day 1 to 10
You’d have to be pretty hardcore to jump straight into a cold shower and go about your washing as normal, especially first thing in the morning.
Instead, Wim Hof recommends starting off with warm water, only turning it to cold right at the end of your shower.
Beginning with 30 seconds, you’re meant to up this by 5 seconds each day, for 30 days (so by the end you’re managing the best part of 3 minutes). OK… I can do this, I thought to myself.
On that first morning, I wasn’t so keen. It was cold and grey outside and the idea of swapping a piping hot shower for shivering torture was not my idea of fun. But I did it, eventually.
Getting right to it, the first few seconds were horrific. All I could think about was how cold I was and how the icy water felt like daggers on my skin. I think I squealed, too.
I wish I could say the next 10 seconds got easier, but they didn’t. If anything, I began to really question my life choices.
But once I got past that, something happened. My body adjusted, and by 30 seconds in, I was having a great time.
Instead of a cold, sodden mess, I waltzed out of the shower with a stupid fat smile on my face, feeling weirdly proud that I’d actually gone through with it. I definitely felt more awake too, which lasted most of the morning.
For the next 9 days, it was much the same story.
I knew how great I’d feel after standing under that freezing cold waterfall, but it didn’t make dialling down the temperature any easier…
Cold showers are a bit like forcing yourself to go for a run — you know you’ll be a changed human once you’ve done it, but it can take every fibre of your being to slip those trainers on and actually go.
The Iceman says you need to relax and breathe when the cold water hits your skin, which can help train your body to deal with stress better.
In my experience, it’s hard to focus on anything except how bitterly cold you feel. Eventually though, I settled on a little game to make things easier.
I started ‘sing counting’ (is that even a thing?). I would sing the seconds slowly like a song, which went something like this…
“And a oneeeeeee, twoooooo, threeeee and fourrrrrr” until I reached my allotted time.
Tragic, I know, but feel free to steal my genius.
Around day 8, things took a turn. My body was getting used to being a popsicle and I stopped reaching for my dressing gown as soon as the time was up.
And once I’d dried off, I almost felt warm — this was big news for me because I’m not exactly gifted in the circulation department.
Day 11 to 20
By this point, it was clear Amelia is a much better human after a cold shower, but what about half-drunk Amelia?
I’d had a few too many drinks the night before and caught too few zzz’s, but braving the cold for 1 minute that morning pulled me back from the hangover brink, instantly.
I felt a sudden burst of energy and more motivation to make something of my day… at least until 11am.
I was fully sold on the cold at this point. Not only did it help nurse my hangover(s), I noticed wanting to get out and go for that walk, run or cycle more often, even if the weather gods weren’t on my side.
I also started fantasising about taking this cold water stuff outside. That’s right… I plucked up the courage to try wild swimming — more on that later.
But the best part? My skin was feeling more like a baby’s bottom each day… and that’s without my big fat tub of body butter!
Day 21 to 30
I was getting cocky now, so I decided to shake things up a bit.
During the warm part of my shower, I exfoliated with my loofah (woah, fancy). But the minute I turned the water to cold, my skin started tingling, everywhere.
It was a bit of a shock, I won’t lie, but also strangely enjoyable — a bit like using an intense mint-scented shower gel for the first time (if you know, you know).
Around day 23, which involved roughly 2 minutes of standing under the cold water, I reached a bit of a plateau.
That rush of endorphins had all but disappeared, which was a problem — I mean, why else would I subject myself to this madness?
So, I decided to cheat (just a little bit) and boycott the cold water on day 24, just to see if it made any difference.
It did. On day 25, I got my buzz back, and that’s when I learnt something else — smiling really helps.
You might feel like a psychopath, smiling there on your own in the shower, but it works. The minute that cold water comes down, start grinning like a Cheshire cat.
It’s a great way to help you relax and force yourself into thinking you’re having a good time…
I tried wild swimming!
By the time 30 days were up, cold showers had become part and parcel of my morning routine.
In fact, I felt the need to expand my cold water horizons. So I levelled up by going cold water swimming in a river (#wellness)… and I liked it.
It’s free, you can hear birds chirping as you splash about and it’s pretty social too, especially if you go with an outdoor swimming group or a few friends.
Sure, it was cold when I first got in — really cold — but I felt comfortable dunking my head under after about 10 minutes. The cold showers had trained me well…
Getting yourself out before your core body temperature drops too much is vital. For me, this was at the 20-minute mark. Props to countless layers, my bobble hat, fluffy socks and a piping hot cup of tea waiting for me on the river bank.
What I learned
I’m a cold convert, it’s plain to see.
You probably won’t find me paddling around freezing-cold lakes every morning (maybe once a week), but a regular cold shower? That’s something I can stick to.
I found 1 minute a day was enough to feel the buzz, but even 30 seconds will give you the same benefits if you’re a little tighter on time, or just bloomin’ petrified.
I’m not being preachy, but I do think a cold blast in the morning would make a difference to most people, especially for you night owls out there.
As well as the free mood boost you get right from day 1, that electric jolt you feel for the first 20 seconds becomes strangely addictive, and who could turn down the promise of baby soft skin?
Want to learn more about health trends and self-care habits? Visit Healthily’s homepage.
This article is intended for informational purposes only. Healthily does not take any responsibility for its medical accuracy. Speak to your doctor before starting any practices described in this article. Never disregard, avoid or delay getting medical advice from your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional because of something in this article.
