Many different cultures around the world have used cold bathing for health and longevity purposes, and the practice has recently gained some scientific support!
When I lived in India studying Ayurveda, I was instructed to start every day with a cold shower as a part of my yoga practice.
While Ayurveda always suggests gradual temperature changes to the body, classic yoga practices do recommend cold morning showers.
The ancient Romans used this practice as part of their famous Roman baths, where you would move through a series of hot pools, then to a cold pool. (1)
Today, this practice is very much alive and well in Europe—where almost every health club or spa offers at the very least saunas and cold baths.
The Cold Shower Science
In a 2016 study, 3018 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 65 were asked to take a hot to cold contrast shower for 30 consecutive days, with the cold shower lasting either 30, 60, or 90 seconds.
Seventy-nine percent of the group finished the 30 days, and 64 percent of them continued with cold showers after the 30 days.
The results showed a 29 percent reduction in absence from work due to sickness—suggesting that a hot to cold shower may support a healthier immune system response. (2)
Cold hydrotherapy has been found to cause physiological reactions such as a decrease in local metabolic function, local edema, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), muscle spasm, and increase in local anesthetic effects. (8)
Brief, daily cold baths may boost immune function. Cold baths may increase both numbers and activity of peripheral cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and N Killer cells, which govern adaptive and innate immunity. (8)
A small study with people who were depressed (but not officially diagnosed with depression) showed that the cold hydrotherapy can relieve depressive symptoms rather effectively.
Cold bathing was also found to have significant analgesic or pain-relieving effects and does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence. (3,8)
If you’re still not sold on the idea of a cold shower, one study did find that regular cold showering got easier and easier over time. (4)
If you have a vata imbalance, this therapy may not be indicated. For sensitive body types, the process of short-term cold immersion must be gradual and brief.
A Better Bet: A Hot-to-Cold Shower
My favorite way to get the benefits of cold showering is to first start with a warm shower.
A warm/hot shower produces a vaso-dilation of the blood vessels and relaxes tight muscles (5) but leaves the residual fluid in the intercellular spaces, where metabolites may then accumulate after the heat dissipates.
A cold contrast bath will vaso-constrict the blood vessels and pump any residual fluid out of the blood, lymph, and muscle, delivering a measurable analgesic effect. (5)
Contrast bathing—moving from a hot to cold bath—has been well-documented and is still used today as an effective exercise recovery technique. (5)
This may explain why the Europeans always offer a cold immersion after a sauna to complete the process of recovery and muscle rehabilitation. That said, other studies have found that post-exercise cold water bathing is only as effective as an active recovery, such as walking for 10-15 minutes after a workout, but both do offer benefits. (6)
But a hot shower followed by a cold shower has been shown to offer significant post-exercise recovery benefits, so start with a warm-hot shower to warm up your core and balance the vata (nervous system), and then gradually add the cold.
How-To: Contrast Bathing
At the end of the shower, gradually turn down the hot water and increase the cold.
First, cold shower your hands and feet. Slowly move to your torso into the cold water, and then to your head. Massage each body part the best you can as you immerse yourself in the cold shower.
There is no need to shock your body. According to Ayurveda, this can actually aggravate vata.
The technique of contrast bathing from hot to cold is not only the most comfortable but seems to be the most scientifically-backed approach to cold bathing. (7)
Regina says
I loved reading this article. I wish I had the ability to do this daily. As a former Athletic Trainer I understand the benefits of contrast baths for injuries and recovery. So I apply this to myself when I make a trip to Kripalu is each year. I do a yoga practice or send time hiking around the property in the early morning. Then my instinct take over and I go to the women’s whirlpool room and I do antlernating hot whirlpool and cold whirlpool plunges. I love to do this in the early morning and during stays in the summer I love to end my day doing this as well. In the day time I feel energize because I end with the cool whirlpool. In the evening I end with a hot whirlpool, this helps me have a good nights sleep. I love learning the benefits constrast baths have on the body.
Albrecht Schnabel says
Hello! – I was in a good specialized lung treatment clinic june/july 2018, and learned from a Kneipp educated professional to do it like this: only the under half of the body, that is starting from the hips downwards. – And then, according to Sebastian Kneipp, three “motions”: a) from back to the front, b) from heart-distand i.e. right to heart-nearer, i.e. left foot, and from down (heart-distant) upwards. So I start at the right back down at me foot/toes, and then go on.
Now, the second main principle: first hot, then cold.
Third main principle: sloooowly moving the shower head, but not stoping the motion. Except, when at hip height, that means at the end of each limb side and when cold: there you stop about 10 to 12 seconds and let the cold water rinse down and cool all your leg backside or frontisde.
I have made very good progress with this technique that stems from Pfarrer Kneipp himself as it seems, and do it 3 to 4 times a week, almost whenever I shower.
Enjoy! – Albrecht Schnabel Munich.
Gene says
How cold is the water temperature i.e. in degrees?
Joe Stauffacher says
Thoughts on Wim Hof, The IceMan?
Vacheslav says
I watched a professor talk about this subject, and on one of the enhancing vision treatments was cold bathing. He said, take a bowl of cold water and go in a swim suit outside and of course with bare feet, pour the cold water on your head and feel the energy go through your body to the ground!
And I tried it, but in the bathtub, and sure enough I felt energy exchange with the metal tub!
Later, I started turning on the cold the last 10 seconds of the shower!
Padma Patricia Meade says
This is very good way to keep it simple and for getting used to the cold water.
I sometimes got back to hot then gradual cold. So invigorating.
Jennifer says
I’d love to know more about how to do the hot-cold showers for Vata. You touched on it, but since I have a Vata imbalance, I want to make sure I don’t aggravate my system more. I, too, have heard of the wonders if cold morning showers from people like Tim Ferriss and such.
C says
When vata or pitta predominate, cold water of any sort is strictly contraindicated, as per the Sushruta and Charaka Samhita and other ancient sources, including Tibetan medicine (very similar to ayurveda). Cold-Hot bathing can be very useful for certain symptoms, but during severe vata or pitta aggravation, it may do more harm than good. Less bathing in general, together with a fatty, warm, wet diet and certain exercises will be best for vata-imbalanced people. If circulation is an issue, and that’s the reason for interest in cold-hot bathing, only warming substances should be used to correct the problem, as vata will react in negative ways to cold therapies. There’s really too much to mention when it comes to this, so I’ll stop there!
Hope this helps!
Vacheslav says
Well you’ll have to try it for yourself and examine what happens !
nila says
I have experienced taking an only cold shower(the hot water was out) close to when my menstruation is about to start delays it for two days, or until I take a hot shower. I always told to never take a cold shower during the first three days of menstruation. Any info on how this affects menstruation? Also I am underweight, but I have anger problems(liver related) and painful breast cysts(lymph related)so how am I suppose to benefit from cold showers? Also i do not have running water, bucket baths:)
Sue says
Have you tried a hanging shower bag? You can get them in sporting goods stores. I think they’re 5 gallon.
Audrey Elwood says
Did a functional medicine Health program, and one of my tasks was a hot to cold shower….to get the metabolism working early in the morning!
I dreaded it, but it became a habit and the subtle results of vitality are totally worth it!!
Mila says
Sounds like it’s a bit challenging at first but well worth the benefits. I imagine it must be great to wake up from that morning sluggishness we all know so well.
I’m definitely going to set myself up to engage in this habit and add it to my routine as I suffer from sluggish lymph.