3 Health Benefits Of Cold Showers + How To Do It Correctly 

Harper is partial to an ocean dip, he tells us on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, but before you dive head-first into icy open waters, it helps to start out small—like, say, with cold showers. It turns out, you can reap many of the same benefits, and it only takes a few minutes. Allow Harper to gush about the benefits of cold therapy below, and find his tips to get started today.

"We want to keep the stress response in the good physiological zone rather than the bad pathological zone," Harper says, and cold water therapy can keep those stress levels steady: "If you go into cold water a few times, maybe half a dozen, that stress response is attenuated. Your baseline level of stress goes down, so you are spending more time in that good physiological level." And when you hover around those good levels of stress, very good things can start to happen:

The theory is that cold water immersion activates the parasympathetic nervous system2, which is modulated by the vagus nerve—and the vagus nerve is connected to the inflammatory response. "That direct activation of the parasympathetic nervous system can actually reduce inflammation," notes Harper. 

Cold therapy has also been lauded for its immune-supporting benefits, thanks to its ability to balance the inflammatory response. "There's one interesting study which showed that people who took a cold shower every day had less days off work sick," Harper notes. Specifically, this 2016 study found that people who took cold showers for at least 30 seconds for one month called in sick 29% less than the control group3, and 54% less if they also engaged in regular physical exercise. Consider it another lifestyle intervention for a strong immune system—sort of like investing in a quality immune-supporting supplement.

And because the vagus nerve is so important for emotional regulation4, cold water therapy is thought to have mood-supporting benefits as well. Harper even found that 61 outdoor swimmers participating in a 10-week introductory outdoor swimming course had short- and long-term reductions in negative mood, as well as increases in well-being and positive mood. 

Of course, this is one woman's story, but other research backs up cryotherapy's anxiety-alleviating benefits6. For many, it's a powerful tool; better yet, when you pair it with a science-backed stress supplement, you can relieve those feelings of overwhelm before they build up into a problem.

OK, so cold showers are associated with plenty of health benefits—but you shouldn't simply hop under a freezing spray and call it a day. Harper has a few tips to get the most out of your icy dip: 

Of all the health and well-being hacks out there, cold therapy is a relatively simple and budget-friendly option to try. After all, you can create a cold plunge in the comfort of your own bathroom. It's an easy way to supercharge your health, but it takes some precise techniques to reap the benefits. Not to fret: Harper has plenty of tips to prepare for a cold water plunge, and you can hear all about them in the full episode below.