For a long time now, I’ve been interested in the effects of regular cold exposure. I once attended a Wim Hof class, in which we bathed in a tidal lagoon after a 13-kilometer trail run across sand dunes, and during a visit to Helsinki, I leaped into the Baltic Sea after emerging sweating from a sauna, immersing myself in the freezing, wild cold.
As TechRadar’s senior fitness editor, I have the dubious privilege of trying to parse through an endless procession of tech-infused wellness fads into my inbox. Some of them (vagus nerve stimulation, red light therapy gadgets, and so on) are more valid than others (those Ronaldo-sponsored electric muscle belts that are supposed to give you six-pack abs), so I approach a lot of it with a healthy pinch of salt.
But cold water immersion is one piece of wellness-woowoo I’m fully on board with. I record a lot of data on the best smartwatches and best smart rings, and I usually see better sleep scores on days when I’ve stuck to my routines of stretching, cold water exposure, and breathing exercises.
Unfortunately, I’ve lived in some very landlocked cities with some very dirty rivers, so outdoor plunging is out, and I haven’t yet had the space to set up an outdoor cold-water plunge barrel. Therefore, I’ve been turning to cold showers for my fix. Under the blast of frigid water, my adrenaline kicks in, and I start my day with a bang. That post-shower sip of hot coffee tastes all the better, too.
Cold shower benefits
There’s plenty of science that supports – without quite confirming – the idea of cold water being good for your mind and body. Research published in the Journal of Thermal Biology found that after taking cold showers for 90 days, participants’ immune systems showed ‘significant’ response compared to a control group. The researchers wrote that “This accessible, sustainable lifestyle modification could potentially serve as an alternative therapy to boost immunity.”
Another study published in the North American Journal of Medical Science found that cold water showers could be an accessible way to alleviate symptoms of depression. Cold water also reduces inflammation, potentially aiding in muscle soreness relief and decreasing post-workout recovery times. Improved blood circulation is also a purported benefit.
Cold showers have advantages and disadvantages over a total-body cold plunge. The main advantage is just how convenient it is: no filling up the bathtub, no driving to a local wild swimming spot, and no purchase of a full-body-sized plunge tank for the garden. In, 90 seconds, out.
One of the chief disadvantages is that it’s a very different experience in that, rather than sitting in a tub of cold water, you’re constantly being shot with frigid water in certain spots, so you have to move around to get the full experience. It’s a less pleasant experience than a plunge, and on cold December mornings, I find myself chickening out more often than not. It takes willpower to turn that tap.
Where does James Bond come into this?
Pay attention, 007. In the original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the character of Bond likes his cold showers. In Casino Royale, it’s mentioned no less than four times. However, on some occasions in the books, Bond starts with a hot shower or bath, then turns the water cold.
Bond is a cold, unfeeling, blunt instrument who wants to be on top of his game, so he takes cold showers. However, Bond also likes his luxuries: Vesper martinis, champagne, Savile Row suits, Rolex watches, and hot showers.
A hot shower is a lot more pleasant to get into than a cold one; the heat is relaxing, and it can also open up your pores, allowing for a deeper clean and better exfoliation. If nothing else, Bond likes to look his best. The transition to cold is a little like a (presumably less-effective) version of the Scandi sauna-sea cycle I described undergoing at the top of the article.
It’s also a lot easier to face getting into a hot shower on a winter morning than it is getting into a cold one; therefore, I’ve been using the “James Bond shower” (a 60-90 second blast of ice-cold water after my regular temp shower) to get my fix. It makes it easier to stick to my cold exposure routine, and after a workout, it has the added benefit of bringing my body temperature down so I don’t sweat through my clothes after I change.
Try it: next time you’re done showering, look at the dial, turn it to the coldest setting, and count to 60. You never know, you might make it a lifetime’s habit.
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