I initially thought that I was the only crazy person taking a cold shower in the morning until I read Borris’ Take The Pain post on The Next Web yesterday. It’s good to see that I’m not the only one. Not the only one that wants to be reminded of something.
So every morning whether it's been chilly or warm for the past two weeks I’ve been jumping into the shower under warm water and then proceeding to switch to cold water for a minute or two.
Obviously it sometimes seems like a stupid idea, especially when its 10 degrees outside, but I do it nonetheless. I try to control my breathing and focus to numb myself against the cold. Sometimes it works, but sometimes I end up jumping around because of the inconsistent flow of the water from the shower head.
There is such a big difference to showering in cold water than there is to submerging yourself in a bath full of ice. I don’t know why it’s the case, but I presume it has to do with what I mentioned above, “the inconsistent flow of water from the shower head.”
Looking back at yesterdays article, Boris made a great reference to a post written by Brett & Kate McKay. The post covers the essential benefits of having a cold shower. I have cover the points below.
7 Health Benefits of a Cold Shower
- Improves circulation
- Relieves depression
- Keeps skin and hair healthy
- Strengthens immunity
- Increases testosterone
- Increases fertility
- Increases energy and well-being
Ok great, taking a cold shower is beneficial for your health, but why do I do it? Why do I subject myself to such torture?
I do it for a simple reason…
The Reason I Do It.
Whilst on my way back from the gym a few weeks ago, it was pouring with rain. I stopped at the traffic light and next to the road against the wall was a little kid sitting holding onto his dog for warmth. Even though the dog was quite large, he couldn’t be providing much heat as both of them were soaking wet due to the rain. You could literally see the little kid shaking from how cold he was getting.
Right then it hit me. We take so much for granted and one of the main things is warm water.
There are millions and millions of people out there that aren’t as privileged as we are to have warm water and we have become so accustomed to it, that we don’t realize how grateful we should be.
So my reason for taking a cold shower a day is to be reminded that I should be truly grateful for what I have in life and that I’m healthy. There are others at this very moment in time that are also getting ready for work, but make use of dirty cold water to clean themselves. They barely have roofs over their heads and barely earn a salary. They don’t know when their next meal is going to be and we make assumptions when it comes to certain areas in our lives.
We need to start thinking bigger and start getting involved more. There are people out there that need our help. So in order for me to be reminded about this every morning I take a cold shower.
Spontaneous Me
So whilst busy with my cold shower this morning I got the idea of starting a movement relating to taking cold showers. Ok, this sounds weird when I put it on paper. I don’t totally know how I’m going to do it yet or what I’m going to do. Who I’m going to approach to get involved or what the outcome will be. At the moment it’s an idea. An idea that will grow and be discussed by many, an idea that will help many, an idea that will have a positive effect in peoples lives.
First step: registering – www.coldshoweraday.com. I bought the domain this morning so if anyone has any ideas, or would like to get involved. Give me a shout and we can talk. Like I said, at the moment it’s an idea, I don’t know if it will ever get off the ground, we will see in the future.
As for the present, I will be taking a cold shower every morning, will you?
