I have always been a long shower person. As a kid I would run the water heater empty and annoy the shit out of my family. My dad tried getting me to be more reasonable and I got a little better. However, to this day I love taking a long hot shower.
Except when its warm outside. If the weather is warm then I have to finish my showers on cold. This has the double effect of cooling me off and waking me up better than any cup of coffee.
I grew up in the mountains of Colorado where the spa and sauna life is everywhere. Beating the winter cold is all about getting ridiculously hot and then jumping into a cold pool or snowbank. The shock to the body was always talked about as therapeutic for sore muscles.
In recent years the cold shower/bath therapy has been championed by Wim Hof. With his self titled Method, Mr. Hof (not to be confused with the Hoff) has pushed cold therapy into the zeitgiest. It uses a combination of breathing technique with cold showers to help practitioners with: “increased energy, better sleep, reduced stress levels, heightened focus & determination, increased willpower, and a stronger immune system”.
From a scientific standpoint there is no good evidence that this method will cure any disease. However there is plenty of anecdotal experience to show that it has some benefits. For a couple hundred dollars you can get video lessons from Mr. Hof himself.
For me getting the cold shower in the morning does a lot to help cool me down and get me focused. Going from hot to cold water takes a little practice. Personally I find that having it hit my head only to start with helps. It gets the initial jolt out of the way and hits your face. Once you recover from that shock getting the rest of your body cold is a little easier. Generally I try for at least 30 seconds. Sometimes I forget to turn on the trailer’s water heater and take the entire shower cold.
Workout Details
Today I had a hankerin for strength training. I took a 2 week break and was ready to get back to it. I setup my pull up bar in a new spot out in the center of our land. My pull ups are feeling very consistent. I feel I am now pulling the entire movement through my shoulders, arms, and lats. When I lower down it is controlled and smooth. I did 4 sets of 3 and may have enjoyed pull ups for the first time in a long time.
This morning I spent 30 minutes working the fence-line trail. Its progressing well.
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