A month ago I decided to try taking cold showers in the morning. I found it very hard at first and, on that first day, I was only brave enough to get my arms and legs under the water! Now I get all of me under, even my head! I'm addicted! Yes they are painful and I do gasp and moan, but afterwards... Your skin feels wonderful, you feel energized, your mood is lifted. Cold showers, research has shown, increase the body's production of glutathione which is low in PwP. (cold-showers.com/tag/brain/) They also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous sytem, helping to reduce anxiety and depression. They strengthen the immune system. They improve the condition of skin and hair. So I'm asking - who else takes cold showers? For anyone thinking of trying I would recommend starting with the water warm and slowly turnng it down till you begin to gasp. Over the days you will be able to turn it colder as you get used to it. Remain under for three minutes to get the benefits.
The benefits of cold showers for PwP! - Cure Parkinson's
The benefits of cold showers for PwP!
OK and refreshing in the summer, but I'm not sure it would be too appealing on a frosty morning!
I experienced a similar benefit of cold water two days ago when I went to the pool which was cold. After about 3 minutes I felt tingly all over my body and energized. Unfortunately, about 2 hours later I felt poorly and again this morning I felt like I had the flu. I believe the reason I started feeling poorly is I swam 10 lengths after not swimming for two years and I over did it. I'm wondering if I stirred up repressed emotions or over did my body and got my stress hormones working overtime. Not sure why dramatic difference just 2 hours time of swimming.
This morning after reading your post I took your advice since I was feeling so bad. I'm feeling consideraly better after taking the cold shower. I'm a believer.
I have also benefited from cold showers sometimes twice a day and I thought I was doing it for anti-inflammation effect. according to you other many benefits are possible . Thank you for bringing up this topic let’s spread the word that no matter what are you doing if it helps keep on doing it
On google, have a look at the iceman Wim Hof.....
I take at least 3 brief cold showers a day. Anytime I need energy or a mood shift. Easy now that I am use to them.
Google Wim Hoff. Crazy Dutch man who teachs how to withstand cold thru breath. He holds record in cold exposure.
I have been taking a cold shower for about a year. I take my normal warm shower then I slowly turn it cold. I take time to let my body cool down slowly, I don't rush it. Now I can feel when my body temperature has cooled enough. Study's show that cold showers can increased Dopamine as much as 350%. It really works for me. It has other benefits as well, doing something that you don't really want to do helps to strengthening your will power and that gives me confidence that I can do more of the things I need to do through out the day. Given the time and energy it takes it is the single most effective thing I do to help with PD.
I think it is also a way for you brain to exert its will power over your body making it do something it doesn’t want to do! This is handy to practice as you need the willpower to exercise etc too.
I feel wonderful after a swim in the ocean in cold water. Im a pwp for 6 yrs now. Aftet swimming in the cold water i feel totally revitalized but only do it for July and Aug. We live on a little Island off the west coast of Canada. So I'm sure there is something good that happens to pwp who shower in cold water. I'm going to try it!
What island?
Your comments make quite a bit of sense Dap. Now that Spring has sprung in NZ I just might try it.
Dap, You should also add a word of caution--esp. to the elderly, which is most of the readers on this site: Don't take a cold shower if you have a weak heart. Here's an excerpt from a post on Quora by premed John Flavin:
quora.com/Is-it-scientifica...
"As long as one is healthy, there are therapeutic benefits to a cold shower, yet it is a different story for the elderly and those with heart conditions.
COLD WATER
Chilling can cause arteries to constrict and prevent blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain. The sudden shock from the cold water can cause a vasovagal syncope response and lead to fainting. So, it’s best to avoid chilling at all times for those who are sensitive or have cardiovascular disease.
The same responses can be triggered in healthy adults when standing in an ice cold shower. Common observations are
a) accelerated pulse and fast heart beat
b) difficulty breathing or gasping for air
c) dizziness and a loss of equilibrium.
Further on, Flavin also has even many more health warnings about (too) hot showers.
Wow Daph, you would have thrived in Gordonstoun, and I see it is co-ed now.
I had a colleague in London who regularly swam in the serpentine in the winter before work! Sometimes had to break the ice before getting in.
Hi Dap, I was searching to see if anyone was talking about cold exposure. A daily cold shower is potent medicine for me. I was prescribed this practice to improve thyroid and mitochondrial function and raise my core body temperature, which has always run low and in recent time sometimes into the 96’s. I believe Intermittent fasting lowered my already low temperature. Since instituting cold showers, my core body temperature is reaching normal levels. Feels so much better to be warm. Plus it fills me with endorphins and I believe improves my overall willpower. Are you still doing cold showers? Do you still feel helped by them? Thanks for posting. (Ps: if anyone is reading this thread for the first time, there is cold shower cautionary above)
selfhacked.com/blog/12-reas...
I went down with a viral infection - labrynthitus - and didn't feel I could take the shock of the cold being under the weather anyway. It's taken me seven weeks before the dizzy spells have stopped. Your post has reminded me to get back to the cold showers!
Sorry to hear about the virus—sounds kind of harrowing—glad the dizzyness has passed. Seems like a wise decision to go on cold shower hiatus. When I've been on a break, I start back slowly. My medical person thinks just getting your feet and legs in can be helpful. Good luck!
Oh good. I got my legs under the cold this morning! Gradually does it!
Are you still taking the cold showers?
Hello. I was drawn instinctively to turn the water to cold at the end of my shower. I had been practising my own breathing techniques for some time. My deep breaths in seemed to need to get over a' hump' before they felt complete and I remembered the cold water shocks of sea swimming which felt the same. The cold water jolts me into feeling more alive. Now I read that cold water swimming protects against dementia if done regularly. It doesn't last unfortunately or this comment would not have taken me 40 mins to write. But then taking longer cold showers might not be good for you either. I could try 3 short ones a day but all that dressing and undressing??
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Does anyone have experience with exposure to cold as a therapy?
