Cold Shower Challenge

Hi,

cold showers have a variety of positive effects on the body. They energize, don't try out the skin as much as hot showers, burn fat, build up long-term fat burning "brown fat" deposits, raise overall tolerance to cold, reduce inflammations in the body, can relieve depressive symptoms - and once used it it, it feels amazing!

Why is that? The theory goes, that our body is made to cope with cold. We have build in mechanisms for that and experiencing cold causes our brain to develop in certain areas. Due to our modern way of living, we reduce this experience to a minimum since it is not perceived as pleasant. This way, we deprive our bodies from this experience, hindering certain development of our brain.

Other than that, during noFap and the rebooting of our brain, we very often go throuph phases of depression. For some, pornography was a way to mitigate depressive symptoms. So I'd like to bring up cold showers as a tool to use when feeling down or being close to a relapse - and perhaps something you may want to make a habit of in the long run.

Here an interesting paper on how cold showers can fight depressive symptoms:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030698770700566X

Out of the article:
"The following evidence appears to support the hypothesis: Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect. Practical testing by a statistically insignificant number of people, who did not have sufficient symptoms to be diagnosed with depression, showed that the cold hydrotherapy can relieve depressive symptoms rather effectively. The therapy was also found to have a significant analgesic effect and it does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence. In conclusion, wider and more rigorous studies would be needed to test the validity of the hypothesis."

Yes, it's a first tendency that science has found out about - but there's also a lot of anecdotal evidence and research in other health benefits that make it a worthwhile exercise.

I've started taking cold showers last summer. Here how:
- initially only after a work out
- the first time I didn't start with freezing cold water, but gradually reduced temperature
- started with my feet, up to torso, then my arms, then upper body, head last
- used short bursts, 3 minutes tops

Doing this 2-3 times per week, I gradually worked myself to the point where I start with freezing cold water right away. Now in winter the water is also much colder than in summer. Same routinge, legs, arms, torso, head. I do this now also without prior work outs. I cannot do it right away in the morning, but can do it 2-3 hours after getting up. I take those cold showers now for longer time frames, 3-6 minutes.

It helped me a lot when being close to relapsing in the past, but has also an overall positive effect on my well-being.

So, I challenge you to take up to 3 cold showers a week.

Get there in any way you want, but make sure to be rinsed with cold water for at least 3 minutes. For the beginning, "cold" can be anything that feels outside your comfort zone. But make sure to gradually reduce the temperature.

 

Taking a cold shower first thing in the morning is yet something I need to do. That's on my list. I hope your fight with depression is going well!

Let's get back to it then. I hope to hear from you at least once this weak that you've taken a full cold shower, starting and finishing cold. I'm gonna do the same.

Yes! While I saw some documentaries about Wim Hof in the past, this was way before I considered taking cold showers. Now, I'll definitely look up his method. Especially how it's tied to breathing technique and meditation - the latter something I wanted to look into as well. Thanks!

 

Great! I can totally relate.

 

Great to hear it, Danny! The first 30 seconds, the first try, that's the most difficult. But we can go back to that cozy place of comfort that warm showers are and it takes willpower to go through it every single time - at least for me. It's good knowing I can go through it and I'm happy and proud afterwards every time.

Feeling like this every day I add on my PMO free counter. Building up my willpower, brick by brick.

 

There's a thread on nofap about somebody feeling sick after cold showers:
https://forum.nofap.com/index.php?threads/cold-shower-is-making-me-sick.298230/

I'm linking to it so you're aware that it's not all good and can lead to perceived negative effects.

Always go with how you feel and don't force it on your body no matter what. In the end, you should feel good afterwards and if you don't, adjust temperature, duration and play around with repeatedly changing temperature from high to low.

 

So I took the last cold shower of last week yesterday. Was right after a work out. The water was exceptionally cold. My feet hurt already even before I made it to my upper body. I still managed to get 4-6 minutes of cold water contact. I felt great afterwards! Only my feet took a while to get warm. Even after covering up and turning up the heat they kept on radiating cold for at least half an hour.

Either way, I was feeling a little sick throughout the day and either the exercizing or the cold shower helped as I am feeling quite good today.