The Cold Shower Challenge

You may have heard of this challenge if you were browsing through Reddit, Twitter, Facebook or maybe even YouTube.

The main benefits of taking cold showers are

1. Reduces Stress Levels

2. A higher level of Alertness.

3. Improves Immunity 

4. Increased Willpower

Basically, the challenge is to take a cold shower every day for 30 days without skipping one day. I decided to feature Sophie Kreitzberg's cold shower "journey" but specifically her observations!

You can read her full story at https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/freezing-cold-shower-challenge#slide-1

Week 1

Observations: I haven’t noticed any increased immunity — but, to be fair, no one around me is currently sick, and I'm not exactly self-administering blood tests to check my T cells. I do feel like I have more energy in the mornings ("Duh," you say, "you’re practically waking up to a cold bucket of water thrown on your head"), and am less stressed than usual for at least an hour after showering.

Week 2

Observations: Better mood? Check. Stress relief? Definitely. Improved circulation, stronger immunity, and relief of muscle soreness? I’ll get back to you on that.

Week 3

Observations: Though I haven’t noticed any grand changes in my overall health (but how could I, really, in a period of only 30 days?), my daily cold showers have become almost as necessary to my morning routine and daily energy as coffee. Added bonus: I have no method to measure this as a variable in my experiment, but my girlfriend says my hair has been particularly soft lately (thanks, Zoë).

Week 4

Observations: I’m a believer, baby!

Obviously, I wouldn’t promote this challenge as a way of obtaining serious health benefits or as a replacement for actual medical treatment. Any boosts to my immunity or circulation were too subtle to be noticed (I actually ended up catching my roommate’s cold the day after finishing my 30 days), as was any relief of muscle soreness.

I will say, however, that immersing myself in a cold shower felt really damn nice in the morning, and I would recommend it as quick energy- and mood-booster — and, as it turns out, there might be some medical reasoning behind this.

"While there is not a huge amount of scientific data out there dedicated to the idea of 'cold hydrotherapy,' I consider it low-risk for most people who would like to try it," board-certified general internist Holly Phillips, MD, tells me via email. "It sounds super unpleasant to me (I'm shivering just thinking about it), but there may be a couple of potential upsides for those who are less cold-averse."

In fact, Dr. Phillips writes, "stepping into a cold shower will cause you to breathe more deeply and boost your heart rate (that's so your body can take in more oxygen and distribute it faster to keep your body warm). This will make you feel more mentally alert, and perhaps more ready to take on the day."

So What?

It seems that Zoe had trouble's her first week, but now she is a pro at cold showers. Her 4-week journey shows the ups and downs of cold showers, but ultimately she completed the challenge and saw mood boosts and productivity boosts.

I now challenge you to start the 30-day cold shower challenge. It may seem difficult at first but start small. Take 10 second micro cold showers and work your way up.

You will thank me later :)

Sources: https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/12-benefits-of-taking-cold-showers-every-day/ar-BBUq4zD

https://www.wimhofmethod.com/benefits-of-cold-showers

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/freezing-cold-shower-challenge#slide-4

I'm a UofT student and this is a student exploration project sponsored by KiImpact.com