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I took cold showers for 1000 days
00:00 I know they're horrible but they're not that bad and it's just a few minutes in the morning oh i get a good view right i just couldn't give up my my warm showers this is an instant gratification mindset and i think what it stems from is a mixture of not truly understanding the benefits not being motivated to improve your life and not knowing how to make it into a habit and stick to it because it seems like a no-brainer to go through maybe three to five minutes of discomfort in the morning if it makes the rest of your day happier and more productive but people don't want to so i'm going to tell you today why you should have cold showers and uh what the science says about what they do to your body okay here's what happens when you have a cold shower you step in you turn the cold tap on or you put the cold tap on first and then you step in i'm not going to control your life and when you feel the water hit your body you'll you'll tense up and your breathing will stiffen and this is because the cold triggers a stress
01:00 response in your body the fight or flight response where cortisol and noradrenaline and adrenaline all spike and your body responds now this response is the center for most of the benefits of cold showers stress is usually considered bad but in small amounts and small bursts it's good for you one study for example which took a bunch of workers and then put them on a roller coaster every morning found that this fight or flight response results in a lasting increase in productivity and alertness and focus throughout the day and it decreases stress cold showers will dramatically improve your immune system how this works is the stress response stimulates the innate immune system which is the immune system responsible for fighting all antigens pathogens it does this by stimulating the recruitment of immune cells to prime the body against infection the cold water also stimulates your lymph vessels to contract which promotes the movement of fluid and uh aids removal of toxins cold showers are known to help depression
02:00 and there are a couple of theories for this so your skin contains a dense array of cold receptors and when you go in a cold shower they're all triggered and simulated at once and this sends a real jolt of electrical signals to your brain which is thought to have anti-depressive effects cold showers have also been found to stimulate an increase in dopamine similar to what you'd get if you took cocaine about 250 percent but the difference between this and cocaine is usually after taking drugs your dopamine levels will crash to blow your baseline but cold showers result in a sustained increase of about three hours cold showers also help as with long-term stress management when we encounter different stressful experiences throughout the day our mind plays a role in deciding whether it's tolerable or overwhelming so over time exposing ourselves to a small amount of stress every morning will raise this tolerance threshold and make us comfortable
03:00 in higher states of stress now probably the biggest benefit on our physical health that cold showers bring is how they affect your circulatory system our body contains millions of tiny little muscles in our capillaries when these muscles are left under stimulated they become weaker and the heart has to compensate by pumping more than it should this isn't so much a problem for younger people but as you age it increases risk of cardiovascular diseases now when you step into a cold shower all of the tiny muscles in your blood vessels in the outside of your body will constrict and those in the deeper tissues and organs will relax promoting oxygenated blood to flow to your vital organs and then when you step out a cold shower and dry and warm up the reverse will happen these tiny muscles will relax and blood will flow back this alternation
04:00 of contraction and relaxation will over time strengthen these muscles and lead to more efficient pumping of the heart and flow of blood through your body taking cold showers in the morning is going to increase your metabolism a lot and this will help with both weight loss and just generally staying warm in the winter and in cold environments I can now comfortably go through all of winter and a t-shirt and I can even do this like I can snowboard in swimming trunks and a hawaiian shirt the way this works is you have two types of fast in your body the normal white fat which is for energy storage and brown fat brown fat is where a lot of glucose is burnt to produce heat so one study found that short ice baths will increase glucose uptake in this brown fat by a factor of 15 that's huge another study which just exposed participants to cold air for two hours found that there was an average increase in the basal metabolic rate of around 250 calories up to 500 in some people so hopefully I have convinced you that it's worth
05:00 sacrificing just a few minutes in the morning to get all of the benefits I just discussed from cold showers if you're wondering how cold the water should be I have a simple answer for that it needs to be cold enough that you want to get out and it's uncomfortable but it needs to be not so cold that you can't stay in it safely but how do you actually start having them well there are two ways the way I used is I just decided one day to turn the cold tap all the way and force myself in but this is quite hard and uh an easier way to start is just to have your normal warm shower but for 30 seconds at the end turn it to cold and each time you have a shower you add 10 more seconds of cold at the end until you eventually build up to about two minutes uh to cope with the cold you can use any method you like it doesn't matter you can distract yourself get yourself psyched up or just kind of embrace it it won't affect the benefits that you get from cold showers the sole purpose of this video was to get more people to have cold showers because they're good for
06:00 you and I want more people to be healthy and live better lives so I hope it's helped you good luck!
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Transcript auto-generated by YouTube. Verbatim — duplicates intentionally preserved.
Cold showers are often met with resistance, seen as a challenge rather than a ritual. Yet, the discomfort of a few minutes under cold water can yield profound benefits for both body and mind. This practice, rooted in science, offers a pathway to improved health, resilience, and longevity.
As we navigate through our busy lives, the allure of instant gratification can overshadow the long-term rewards of discomfort. However, embracing this brief stressor can enhance productivity, bolster our immune system, and even elevate our mood. Understanding the mechanisms behind these benefits can empower us to make intentional choices that support our well-being.
250% increase in dopamine levels from cold showers. 15x increase in glucose uptake in brown fat from ice baths. 250-500 calories burned due to increased basal metabolic rate from cold exposure.
"The sole purpose of this video was to get more people to have cold showers because they're good for you."
Benefits of Cold Showers
Cold showers trigger a stress response that can enhance productivity and focus. When you step into cold water, your body activates its fight-or-flight response, releasing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This reaction, while often viewed negatively, can actually improve alertness and concentration throughout the day.
Research suggests that this brief exposure to cold can lead to lasting increases in productivity. One study even found that participants who experienced a mild stressor, such as a roller coaster ride, reported heightened focus and reduced stress levels afterward. The benefits of cold showers extend beyond mental clarity; they also support our immune system.
cold exposure stimulates the recruitment of immune cells, preparing the body to combat pathogens. This response is crucial for maintaining a robust immune system, especially during cold and flu season. As the speaker notes, "Cold showers will dramatically improve your immune system." This simple ritual can serve as a powerful tool in our wellness arsenal.
"Cold showers will dramatically improve your immune system." — Speaker
Physical Health Improvements
The circulatory benefits of cold showers are profound. When exposed to cold, the tiny muscles in our blood vessels constrict, promoting better blood flow to vital organs. This alternation between contraction and relaxation strengthens these muscles over time, leading to improved cardiovascular health. As we age, maintaining strong blood vessel muscles becomes increasingly important for reducing the risk of heart disease.
Additionally, cold exposure can significantly boost metabolism. Studies indicate that cold showers can increase glucose uptake in brown fat by up to 15 times, enhancing our body's ability to burn calories. The speaker highlights that cold exposure can lead to an increase in basal metabolic rate, burning between 250 to 500 calories. This metabolic boost not only aids in weight management but also enhances our resilience against cold temperatures.
How to Start Cold Showers
For those new to cold showers, the transition can be daunting. A practical approach is to begin with a warm shower and gradually introduce cold water. Start with 30 seconds of cold at the end of your shower, and incrementally increase this duration with each session. This method allows your body to adapt to the cold while still enjoying the comfort of warmth initially.
It's essential to find a temperature that is uncomfortable yet safe. As the speaker advises, "It needs to be cold enough that you want to get out and it's uncomfortable, but it needs to be not so cold that you can't stay in it safely." Embracing this small daily challenge can enhance your tolerance to stress, making you more resilient in other areas of life.
Words Worth Hearing
"Over time exposing ourselves to a small amount of stress every morning will raise this tolerance threshold." — Speaker
Practical Takeaways
Incorporate cold showers into your daily routine to enhance productivity and immune function. Start gradually by adding cold water to your existing warm shower to ease into the practice.