21 Health Benefits of a Cold Shower
Alexa Fleckenstein, M.D., author of Health20, has a few things to say about cold showers. Within the book, she writes:
“Cold water can do more than just wash away sweat, dirt, old skin cells, bacteria, and viruses:
What a Cold Shower Can Do For You
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Enhance immunity against infections and cancer
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Give your glands (thyroid, adrenals, ovaries/testes) a boost, improving hormonal activity
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Jump-start your mood and motivation
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Crank up your metabolism to fight type 2 diabetes, obesity, gout, rheumatic diseases, depression, and more
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Normalize your blood pressure
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Decrease chronic pain
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Train and improve your blood circulation
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Detoxify your body
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Fight fatigue
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Strengthen exhausted, irritable nerves
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Rejuvenate, heal, and tone the skin
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Deepen your breathing
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Help with insomnia
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Improve kidney function
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Reduce swelling and edema
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Improve lymphatic circulation, thereby increasing immune function
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Reduce stress by regulating your autonomic nervous system
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Regulate temperature, fighting chronically cold hands and cold feet and excessive sweating
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Keep your hair healthy
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Improve hemorrhoids and varicose veins
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Reduce aches and pains”
Just thought you’d like to know. 
I have found that cold showers are a quick and cheap way to cool down when it gets too hot in my apartment. Actually I do it after I have been sunbathing and have taken in a lot of heat and feel too hot.
Wow thank you for the insightful article, I have known about some of the benefits of cold-showers for a while but I never considered that it had such a profound influence.
Thanks again!
I have been cold showering for over a year now and lost 10kg without changing my diet or exercise. A good result for a 45yo female. I also don’t feel the cold as much as I used to, my poor circulation improved and i don’t get sick much now. I enjoy it and can’t think of any reason to stop!
I have been cold showering for about a month. James Bond showers (start warm then rinse with cold for about 10 min.). Have found increased energy, and lessened depression. I would reccommend it.
I would like to know about the sports medicine benefits of cold showers/baths. I’ve heard that they remove the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. I like swimming in cold water, but of course carefully time myself so as not to get hypothermic. Then I come back and take a warm bath or shower. I’m thinking of beginning each day with hot/cold showers. Interested in hearing a bit more info. This was the best site I’ve found on the medicinal effects of this practice. I’m sure that there are also psychological and spiritual benefits as well.
Thanks for your comment. I have been meaning to put together more articles and post them, and this kind of feedback is the push I need. I wrote a bit on psychological benefits in the article, Alleviate Depression. There is something called “Ishnaan therapy”, which I think is some type of yogic practice involving cold showers. I don’t know much about it.
I started cold showering (using no warm or hot water) three years ago to combat cold legs and feet in bed. I am now 73 years old and when I was younger I did a lot of long distance running. I use a method developed by a Dr Kneip where first you shower the extremities in turn ie: feet, legs, hands,arms head and then the torso in order to drive the blood supply to the vital organs. My circulation is now excellent and I find it a real boost to well being and vitality. I would add, that on the rate occasions that I feel “under the weather” I do resort to warm showering but always finish with cold water.
I started cold showering (using no warm or hot water) three years ago to combat cold legs and feet in bed. I am now 73 years old and when I was younger I did a lot of long distance running. I use a method developed by a Dr Kneip where first you shower the extremities in turn ie: feet, legs, hands,arms head and then the torso in order to drive the blood supply to the vital organs. My circulation is now excellent and I find it a real boost to well being and vitality. I would add, that on the rare occasions that I feel “under the weather” I do resort to warm showering but always finish with cold water.
Interesting. I will have to look into Dr. Kneip’s method. Thanks for your comment!
This is great info, however do note that going from really hot to cold enviroment can raise your blood pressure because your body is going into shock from the temp drop. If you are sun bathing and get really hot and jump into a really cold shower is not the best idea to cool off. Ease into it, everything in moderation folks.
I am not able to attest to the accuracy of most of the above health improvements, especially those concerning the immune system or detoxification. I state that “going cold” has made a difference in how I feel. There is more vigor in my step and my skin feels taught and smooth. I’m well into my 60s and this is the first – since high school – that I considered the benefits of a cold shower. Other benefits…the mirrors aren’t steamed up and the wallpaper probably won’t peel off as quickly.
Good article. I started taking cold only showers (no warm or hot shower in between) at 15. I’m 42 now. I’ve been doing it because I genuinely enjoy it. It’s so invigorating. Searching the web for health risks due to cold showers it’s good to find out that it is actually healthy.
Really interesting, I want to definitely give it a try..but just wondering…how cold are we talking?? Like as cold as the water will go??
Cool-to-chilly. I don’t think it needs to be ice cold.
Hello! A great article. I have a lot of broken veins/capillaries on the back of my thights and my someone receommended cold showes. I have been starting with hot showers and then gradually going to cold water (for about a week now). Is this method as effecive as taking cold showers only? Thanks
I have been taking cold showers for a while now. I genuinely enjoy them and they are so incredibly invigorating. They are also much better for your overall health and well-being than warm or hot showers. I heartily recommend them. My suggestion would be to start cool to chilly and as you gradually get used to the cooler water turn the temperature increasingly colder. Eventually you will have the temperature turned as cold as the water will go. Believe me you will not go back.
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Combat depression. Are you kidding? Cold shower is in short cold and crazy way to stay healthy. I only do it because the heater is not working.
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I started taking 100% cold showers about three weeks ago. It’s been a blast! Just stand beneath the shower faucet, turn on the cold water full bore, and then, whammo!, rotate the middle faucet that delivers the water to the faucet, and shout, “Geranimo!”. Every muscle in my body is tense and I rapidly rub my fingers through my hair to wet down completely, shouting to myself, “Embrace it, embrace it, just embrace it!” Then the water is turned off. I soap down, shave, and take the final plunge to rinse off, leaving the shower feeling totally invigorated and alive. Viva cold showers!
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I’ve been cold showering for about a month. It’s a great libido stimulator. My testicles “feel” healthier, and sexually I feel like I am 20 again. I’m 34 years old.
Very glad to know about the health benefits of cold showering! I’m having to cold shower all the time now because I can’t afford the $150 or $200 for an electrician to replace my water heater breaker for the next couple of months, maybe longer…(my stove is also not working from the same breaker). I’ve been trying to just shower every other day because it really has been a shock to the system but I’m gradually getting used to it because I have to and hopefully I will get some health benefits from it because I do have some health challenges.
I found an old book of my mothers from the 80′s that recommended going warm to cold 3 times for 30 seconds and then finishing on cold for energy and wellness. I do it once at the end of my shower for the last minute, and find that dancing vigorously helps me get over the cold…
Thanks for the comment. Do you recall the book by chance?
I wasn’t aware that there were so many benefits of having a cold shower. I do like a cold shower during the summer as my place does get too hot at times. Not too sure if I could handle having a cold shower every day but I will give it a go most days.
A friend of mine told me about showering or submerging into a cold water to boost metabolism. So I did in our unheated pool, probably 50-60 degrees. It’s so icy cold. Actually today was my 2nd day. Yesterday as my first try, I was so hyper active the whole day and I was still wide awake ’til 2am. My energy were soring.
Now, I learned about these amazing benefits of cold showers… wow.. everything that my body needs, can be helped through this process.
I will continue doing this. I still felt great and relaxed!
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Hi, I’ve been taking cold showers for about 3 years now and wouldn’t have it any other way. One of the benefits not mentioned is the fact that the shower taken when getting out of bed takes you from that glorious ‘duvet warmth forcefield’ feeling to wide awake in a second flat, whereas if you take one just before retiring (going to bed, not stopping work
), it aids immediate and restful sleep, going from a cold shower to under a lovely warm duvet. – great stuff!!
I found getting straight in there is the best way – I run the shower on cold, so it’s as cold as the water supply – v.cold in cold winters and mildly cold in the summer. I believe it’s all a matter of perception – I choose not to perceive cold as painful. It does feel great and I believe it does me good as well. I actually get tetchy if I find myself having to shower at a place that only provides hot water, such as in camping sites with pre-paid meters or leisure centres