Comments on: Cold Showers: What’s the Evidence?

By: Cold Showers - The Ultimate Cure?

Cold Showers - The Ultimate Cure? — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:28:03 +0000

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By: Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:25:51 +0000

James Bond and the Cold Shower

Most of us have never read the books – just seen the films. But somebody recently told me that James Bond is always taking cold showers. And yesterday I got one of the books – and it is true.

Invariably, Bond has a hefty night behind him – some pursuit either in bed or on the road (or wherever he goes). He takes a hot shower, or a hot bath, and ends it with a cold shower. And then? He feels just terrific.

His immune system is never mentioned. But Ian Fleming, the author, must have known something about the restorative power of cold water. Because he sneaks it in (so I have been told – would somebody please check for me?) into every single book.

I have done cold showers since my teenage years. Now I know I am in good company…

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

By: Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D. — Sun, 31 May 2009 03:10:48 +0000

Patrick McGeown,

Your five cold minutes are very brave – and Kneipp only recommends a few seconds (20 to 30). But truth is that different bodies have different requirements – and yours seems to be happy with that amount of time. Of course, cold water exposure also differs with different water temperatures.

I couldn’t have described better the total bliss after a cold shower than you did it! Thank you!

Have you tried the other modalities for an all-around health – movement, fresh food, herbs and order? Let us know!

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

By: Patrick McGeown

Patrick McGeown — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:15:56 +0000

Thanks Alexa for your website. I found cold water by accident. This year the public swimming pool stayed open six weeks later than usual. Winter crept in. I continued to swim and found myself longing for my 1 km cold swim. I have never experienced anything so exhilarating as this in my life. Sadly our local pool closed but now I have taken up cold showers. I stay under the water for about five minutes (but wear rubber thongs as my bare feet freeze on the tiles). It has only been a few months but I feel great – in fact, I can’t get enough of it and want to shout the praises of this to one and all. Most I share with think I am mad. But madness is a small price to pay for the euphoria. I normally have circulation problems in winter – this year will be a test.

By: ps

ps — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:28:28 +0000

thanks alexa for the tips. sometimes i do sport or play drums after the cold shower so as to warm up again (especially in the winter) but warm up before the shower is shurely better, i just never really thought about what was better,.
anyway! its an interesting subject these cold shocks!
i starded a subject on green wikia (like wikipedia) about cold showers. i used the german version but i will try to place also some links on the english one. here the first link. very simple but i just made it very fast yesterday, maybe you can also add some info!

http://de.green.wikia.com/wiki/Kalt_duschen

i will try the olive oil + essential oils!
thanks!
ps

By: Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D. — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:08:13 +0000

You are right, ps: A cold shower does not kill us but makes us stronger.

Usually, I recommend a cold shower at the end of a warm one, but your way works too. The point is to not take a cold shower on a cold body – first warm up with exercise.

When I was young, my rented apartment had only a cold shower. Did not kill me but showed me the invigorating power of cold water.

And by the way: Nivea – an old European stand-by – is fine. But plain olive oil (if you wish with a drop of essential oil like rosemary or thyme) is even better for your skin.

Water greetings!

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D.

By: ps

ps — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:22:49 +0000

hello!
i’ve been taking almost only cold showers for the past 7 years (about 90% of the showers i take). im 29 years old right now and since i starded doing that, for personal reasons, i stopped getting ill. if you want to start taking cold showers i would suggest anyone to do this before going to bed at night so as to warm up again. meditation before taking a very cold shower, especially in the winter, has proved effective for me, jet i would say that listenig to ones own body is the most important thing to do while doing such practice. its seems quite shocking, but our body has been confronted to cold shocks since millions of years and i would guess its quite capable of dealing with it. once i showerd during 9 months only 2 times with warm water, even if it was winter and during the winter the cold water from the tab is even colder, at least here in switzerland. one last advice i would give anyone is to avoid taking cold showers during real illness. but if you are not ill, but only feel a little bit weak, a cold shower might be all you need so as to boost up your immune sytem and heart rythm back again! also if you are beauty consearned about your skin! i have heard many times, the last time today, how soft my skin is, and trust me, im a guy, all i use is nivea, jet the cold water really does good to my skin! good luck! p.s.

By: Brad

Brad — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:50:58 +0000

This is great info; thanks. I quoted a couple of your descriptions of studies and linked to this page on my blog, http://www.tri-freedom.com/?p=116

By: Tri-Freedom » Cold Showers - Whew!

Tri-Freedom » Cold Showers - Whew! — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:27:06 +0000

[...] who need some extra encouragement, take a look at the scientific evidence. The author of the blog, Own Your Health has described some studies on cold [...]

By: FDA and the Cold Shower Remedy « Own Your Health

FDA and the Cold Shower Remedy « Own Your Health — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:18:07 +0000

[...] satisfaction yet, cold showers are worth considering as flu season looms ever closer, and here is some research evidence. As noted before in this space, however, cold showers may not be for you [...]