Why You Should Be Taking a Cold Shower or Bath Every Day

When I used to think about cold showers, I immediately felt the shivers. You know how it feels to jump into a cold pool? It takes your breath away and it's torture. But apparently, it's good for you, Both mentally and physically.

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My husband started getting interested in cold baths after listening to the Huberman Lab podcast. The subject of the episode was about using deliberate cold exposure for better health.

...cold exposure can be used to safely stress the body to improve attention, mood, and cognitive focus and boost metabolism and reduce inflammation. - Dr. Andrew Huberman

Now, after doing cold and ice baths for several months, my husband swears by it. He even bought an outdoor tub for his daily ice baths.

But, even with his glowing endorsement, I still have questions.

How long can you be in a cold shower?

You should only be in a cold shower for a limited amount of time and at certain temperatures. According to Medical News Today,

This could be anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Some people prefer to take just a brief cold shower of around 5–10 minutes. This may also be a practical approach to cold water therapy. Several studies cite a target cold temperature of about 68°F (20°C).

Ok, so not that long and not that cold. I might be about to at least start out with that. As I age, I need all the help can get.

What are some of the other health benefits of cold/ice baths?

Physically, taking cold baths can help you tremendously. But, what does it do to help you mentally? Healthline had this to say,

Taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week, was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression in a clinical trial. For people with depression, cold showers can work as a kind of gentle electroshock therapy. The cold water sends many electrical impulses to your brain.

Listen to the podcast episode that started it all for us. It has more specific details for starting a cold/ice bath routine.