Monday
Despite having researched the many benefits of cold showers, I was feeling pretty hesitant when it came to trying one for the first time. I decided to start slow and take baby steps.
Psyching myself up by starting the shower with my regular warm setting, I then stepped out from under the stream and turned the dial to cold. I wasn’t quite brave enough to step right in, so I stuck with splashing myself gradually all over.
While the experience wasn’t pleasant, it certainly wasn’t as bad as I expected, and woke me up significantly.
Tuesday
On day two I was ready to take things up a notch.
This time, I stayed under the stream as I gradually turned the water temperature down from a regular warm shower to a colder setting – eventually spending 60 seconds in the cold water.
I quickly decided I’d reached my limit. The shock was unbelievable – my chest felt constricted with panic and I was left breathing heavily and dancing around to try and warm myself up. Not my finest cold shower moment.
Wednesday
After the discomfort I felt the previous day, I was all but ready to give up on my cold shower journey. I wasn’t sure my body was built for this kind of endurance.
However, after doing a little research, I realised my mistake and decided to give it one more chance. While 60 seconds is enough to feel the shock and discomfort, it isn’t long enough to calm down, adjust, and feel the benefits of cold showering. So, rather than take the easy route and turn the temperature back up, I decided to push myself to attempt a longer stint.
This time, I began my shower warm but gradually turned the temperature down to cold while focusing on deep breaths and staying still. I managed to spend three minutes under the water! When I got out, it took me a while to warm back up and I was shivering slightly – but the sense of achievement was exhilarating.
After a slow and groggy mid-week wake-up, by Wednesday my cold shower provided the kickstart I needed to bring energy to my day.
Thursday & Friday
Starting with a tepid temperature, I gradually decreased to the coldest setting, staying in for a whole three-and-a-half minutes.
On Thursday I’d done a particularly tough workout and expected to feel the burn on Friday. Despite being initially sceptical about the muscle recovery benefits cold showers are claimed to have, I genuinely felt much fresher and less achy than I’d expected I would when I woke up. When I got in the shower later that morning, I lasted four minutes! Now I felt like I’d cracked the cold shower code, I was quickly gaining confidence in the raving testimonials I’d read prior to the challenge.
Saturday
On day six I was finally making my way to the shower’s coldest setting. I managed to brave a whole five minutes under the icy cold stream. I was invigorated by both the cold and the pride of my accomplishment and appreciated the rush of energy it gave my morning.
Sunday
By Sunday, I was very invested in the challenge and actually looking forward to my cold shower. This time, I braved the cold straight away with no gradual cool down and managed to stay in for seven minutes!
The difference I felt from day one to day seven was significant, and the progress I made in building my endurance made for an overall rewarding experience. While I’m not sure ice-cold showers will be an everyday event for me, I’ll definitely be taking them regularly after workouts or before particularly busy days.