Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 163 posts

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#61

Post by el_benhameen »

zzxxkk123 wrote: post #6

I used to do this every morning... just take a normal hot shower, then at the end crank it full cold and endure until normalized. It's a free high, great way to start a day. I presumed endorphins are being released. Now I prefer to run a bunch of miles and immediately jump into the (cold) ocean while still all hot and amped up from the run. The water doesn't even seem cold, it's great. Normally people wear wet-suits…

You should try surfing, too. Never had a cup of coffee that wakes me up like a wave to the face at dawn.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#62

Post by the_economist »

cyberferret wrote: post #58

We did this in our entire house for about 6 months once when our water heater broke and we couldn't afford to get it fixed quickly. UPSIDES: We nearly halved our water bill as all of us (kids and parents) took far shorter showers because it was so cold. This also meant we had to clean the shower much less often. I would also be more awake and alert in the morning after a cold rinse. DOWNSIDES: I noticed I was getting…

I've been taking cold showers for 3-4 months, but recently had to quit because I hurt my neck so badly in the shower.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#63

Post by thomastjeffery »

all_blue_chucks wrote: post #44

People who take cold showers are just as sick, but call off work less? Maybe it's because the misery from the cold water masks the misery from the illness?

It may also help clear out the sinuses, or make them feel less sensitive.

Hot water can dry you out. Cold water may help counteract that.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#64

Post by nhumrich »

spodek wrote: post #45

Joel Runyon's Cold Shower Therapy is an awesome introduction, at least for certain types, which includes me. https://impossiblehq.com/cold-shower-therapy I've taken cold showers regularly for years. One of the best things I've done for myself -- creating discipline, self awareness, etc. at zero cost in money or time.

This concept is about 100% cold shower, whereas the article is about 1min of cold at the end of a hot shower. Do you think there is a difference on effectiveness? I would think the extreme of hot-to-cold would be more affective, and after 60 seconds, your bodys already adapted.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#65

Post by tomcam »

k4ch0w wrote: post #52
sytelus wrote: post #30

TLDR; 3000 participants study that asked them to do cold showers for 30-90 seconds each day for 1 month. Main difference shown was ~30% reduction in sick days they took. On a side note, has anyone here tried wim hof method?

I actually went and met Wim. I took one of his seminars. He had us all go outside into a pool of ice together for about ~1 minute with all of us chanting who let the dogs out while we froze. I walked out completely red because it was the coldest thing I'd ever done. At that point I was doing cold showers for about a year and a half. I am a very physical person and his method was the first one to put my mind into a me…

Seattleite here. I am skeptical people look at you funny, at least more than every once in a while. Plenty of people dress that way in inclement weather.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#66

Post by ryankupyn »

sytelus wrote: post #30

TLDR; 3000 participants study that asked them to do cold showers for 30-90 seconds each day for 1 month. Main difference shown was ~30% reduction in sick days they took. On a side note, has anyone here tried wim hof method?

I wonder what the compliance rate was? I've found a cold-shower regimen hard to stick to - effect might actually be larger if there was a way to verify and sort out anyone who was sneaking in a bit of warmth.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#67

Post by blunte »

cyberferret wrote: post #58

We did this in our entire house for about 6 months once when our water heater broke and we couldn't afford to get it fixed quickly. UPSIDES: We nearly halved our water bill as all of us (kids and parents) took far shorter showers because it was so cold. This also meant we had to clean the shower much less often. I would also be more awake and alert in the morning after a cold rinse. DOWNSIDES: I noticed I was getting…

I've tried it before as well (because of studies), but I found it tensed my body up so badly I could barely move.

I wonder if there's a way to condition oneself to somehow ignore it and not lock every muscle up? I'm not necessarily talking about Wim Hof, but it would be nice if I weren't so easily affected by cold.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#68

Post by dnautics »

ryankupyn wrote: post #66
sytelus wrote: post #30

TLDR; 3000 participants study that asked them to do cold showers for 30-90 seconds each day for 1 month. Main difference shown was ~30% reduction in sick days they took. On a side note, has anyone here tried wim hof method?

I wonder what the compliance rate was? I've found a cold-shower regimen hard to stick to - effect might actually be larger if there was a way to verify and sort out anyone who was sneaking in a bit of warmth.

It's in the paper, first paragraph.

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#69

Post by jacobolus »

arkaic wrote: post #39

I can offer my anecdotal experience. Been shutting off the hot water at the end of my morning showers and enduring the cold for a few minutes for the past 3 years. I have noticed that I get fewer colds. And with the colds I do get, their symptoms are lighter, and they go away much quicker, often gone in a day or two. And I haven't caught anything real bad, like a flu, since.

Competing anecdote: I once dunked for a few minutes into a very cold bath at a Budapest bathhouse, and the next few days suffered one of the worst flus I’ve ever had.

Keep doing whatever works for you, but I don’t think either of these provide especially convincing general evidence. (Note I’m not blaming the cold bath; for all I know I would have had identical symptoms either way.)

Re: The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

#70

Post by codezero »

In general I am very concerned about what is considered cold. Is this just unheated?

Depending on the time of year the relative temperature of unheated has a broad range where I live. I’d be a lot more comfortable if this set a tight bound on the water temp. If it did and I missed it sorry.

Post reply on HN