Cold Showers are something that I have never considered to be something that I want to get involved in. After all why would anyone want to jump into freezing cold water everyday, but apparently a lot of people do and it seems for very good reasons too. In today's show we report on the first day of a brand new challenge that I am hoping will inspire the world to try to do something that makes them uncomfortable, but builds the mindset muscle to tackle bigger and biger ventures. Taking cold showers everyday. I started this challenge after being inspired by the words of Mahatma Gandhi and on a lesser note many different YouTubers who have tried the same experiment with mixed results. The idea is by plunging headfirst into a series of cold showers each morning, you increase alertness, lose fat, get healthier skin and other such benefits. Even tackling depression in the process. The first day came, and I hesitated for a second and jumped into the freezing blast of water. Man it was a shock to the system, and even with my steely resolve I jumped straight back out. This was my first mistake. Apparently you build up to this level, instead going from a warm and lovely shower, and then when you are nice and hot turn it down for the last two minutes or so. This is an easier way of doing things, but still is difficult as you can imagine. The second day came, and i was not looking forward to it, but by taking it step by step I overcame the desire to turn that dial to red as quickly as possible. I have 28 more days of the cold showers, so what am I aiming to achieve? What are the benefits that others report from doing the same? The Key Benefits To Taking Cold Showers Everyday The majority of the benefits that we aim to get from cold showers are of course internally. An increase in the immunity of your body will allow for more colds to be fought off. Better skin, Shinier hair. All very cosmetic i guess, and I for one will do most things to look healthier than I was previously. Isn't that how the world operates generally? But what about inside. What can cold showers do for your general well being that other actions during the day can't touch? 1. Increases Alertness Take a cold shower first thing every morning and you will feel more alive and alert then ever before. Yeah, no shock there. In fact the biggest shock is the water to our heart. But i was surprised to discover that this alertness didn't just carry on through an hour or so, but actually will last for the whole day. This is due to the gasping for breath that you suddenly do, bringing in more oxygen to your body which as you can imagine is what we need to live. So if you can have more alertness, I guess this leads to better decision making, productivity and everything else that makes you shine against your competitors. Pay Rise anyone?? 2. Refines Hair and Skin We all want to look young and sexy, and unfortunately for most of us the delight of having a hot shower everyday can limit that desire massively. You see cold showers are wonderful for closing the pores of the skin and hair follicles to prevent natural oils and greases from being stripped away. We all know that after a lovely hot shower which can feel tight and stretched. Start taking cold showers and believe me you will see a rosy glow spreading throughout you. You are protecting what nature has given you and making the most of it. I am known for dark circles under my eyes, and even with plentiful sleep they can stay dark. I am hoping that after 30 days I am looking better than ever as the cold water replenishes my skin and makes me look like Zac Efron on a good day. 3. Improves Immunity and Circulation As you jump into your first of the cold showers your body needs to get used to, some of the biggest benefits wont be visible at all. In this regard you have to trust us and have, in the worlds of George Michael "A Little Faith". When the cold water hits your skin, your body will fight to increase your body temperature by increasing the amount of white blood cells in your body. This is a great thing as the winter arrives and the world is spluttering around you as the more white blood cells that you have the more your body will laugh at the viruses and germs that bring us to our knees. You will feel invincible and never have to have a duvet day watching Netflix again in your life (ok, that might not be such a good thing after all.) 4. Stimulates Weight Loss I'm not sure that this is something that will make you go "Whoo Hoo" hand me another bag of Doritos I am now a cold showers maniac. But there is recorded information that the increased coldness to your skin can attack the different types of fat our body stores. So the more you shiver the slimmer you get. This is particularly true around the belly and love handles areas that people struggle with. I'm naturally skinny, so I dont really want this to occur, and I am hoping that the cold showers recognises this and doesnt make me end up looking like a long distance endurance runner. That is not a good look at all. 5. Speeds Up Muscle Soreness and Recovery We have all seen athletes come off the track or pitch and jump into a bath with ice floating on the top. Have you however ever thought why they want to do this? The cold is amazing at stimulating what our body needs to recover energy and restore lightness in our joints and muscles. Had a hard day in the garden, then take a cold shower before going to bed and feel those aches and pains slip away. Even some of the worst sports injuries are prescribed cold treatment by the Doctors, so why would cold showers not act any differently? 6. Eases Stress I have been someone that struggles with stress throughout my life. I now say I am the worst kind of stress head. The one that doesn't look like he has a care in the world, but deep inside the body is going mad and producing a lot of nasty stuff. Back in 2018 I got hit with Gout, which is a buildup of uric acid in the joints. You can find this more often around the base of the big toe, and let me tell you...it is crippling. The worst pain that I have ever had. So upon my review of the benefits of taking cold showers I was pleased to see that perhaps this is the solution that i am looking for. Instead of taking tablets everyday, I can simply embrace this form of stress relief and little by little cure myself. So this is a big tick in the cold showers box for me, if it turns out to be true. 7. Relieves Depression Cold showers have been shown to send an enormous amount of electrical charges through to the brain, stimulating endorphins which can help with depression. With more and more of the worlds population relying on happy pills prescribed by over eager Doctors, then this must be a good thing to try. You can see it occuring why this would be true really, even if you dont deal with depression. You plunge into cold water, and come out feeling alive and sparkly. You must feel more inspired and less depressed than just moving from warm room to warm room, eliminating any freshening of your skin and blood. Anyway, as I say I have never had depression thank god, so I don't think that I will be able to report back on this, but for others this could be the winning ticket in the cold showers lottery of life. A three minute burst of stimulation can literally change the rest of your day and life. That for me is something worth trying for sure. So there you have it the start of the 30 days cold showers experiment and I am going to see what happens to me and report back. If you want to join me ( not in the shower, unless you are 30 years old and blonde) then drop us a line using the contact form and tell us how you are getting on.