How water temperature affects your health during showers and baths

A few months back, I was watching one of those mind-numbing segments over on CNN, and they ran this whole report claiming that taking hot showers is actually bad for you. They were pushing the idea that cold water is the way to go because it keeps your blood vessels tighter and helps regulate your blood pressure and all that other medical nonsense...

But then, just the other day, I see another segment on the news where doctors are recommending against cold showers because of the heatwaves we've been having.

I mean, honestly, who are we supposed to believe at this point? It’s all just a massive circle of conflicting advice...🤷

To me, it makes much more sense that a cold shower is the healthier option; plus, when I blast myself with cold water, I feel energized for almost the entire day, whereas a hot shower just leaves my skin feeling completely stripped and dried out.

I saw this guy on CNN in some movie where he couldn't have kids—apparently, his doctor told him it was because he spent way too much time in saunas and soaking in hot tubs...
They actually gave him these special shorts with a little ice pocket built in, supposedly to keep everything moving along properly by keeping things cool.

Now I’m sitting here wondering if there's any actual truth to that... I’ve recently started taking these quick cold showers, and I can't help but wonder how that affects things down there.
Should I be shielding myself from the cold water or is it fine?

Keeping things cool is actually beneficial for sperm health...

Is there any actual health risk to swimming in freezing water? I’ve been known to take a dip even in the dead of winter. Back on February 15th, 2013, the water was about 54 degrees—it had actually snowed just a few days prior—and I went for a swim near Porporela. Around here, the ocean temperature rarely drops below 54; right now it's sitting around 59 or 60, and in the summer, we see maybe 72 to 77. Some people try to scare me, claiming it causes infertility, prostate cancer, kidney issues, frequent urination, or even heart failure. Is there any truth to those claims? As far as I know, prostate risks are linked to staying constantly damp, like wearing wet clothes or shoes. But if I jump in and immediately dry off, get warm, and bundle up in winter gear, is there really a danger? I don't just dive in headfirst, either; I wade in slowly to let my body adjust to the chill. Then again, some say cold plunges are actually good for circulation and boosting the immune system. Logically, wouldn't it be safer to swim when it's 59 outside and 55 in the water, rather than when it's 86 outside and 72 in the water? The temperature gap is much smaller. If cold water is truly dangerous, how is it that we see those sturdy old men on the news jumping into holes in the ice in Siberia?

From what I can gather, people who enjoy swimming in the winter feel pretty great about it—I guess the body can handle that kind of chill for a little while—but there's some talk that it might take a toll on your joints.

I’m 45 now, and for about 15 years, I’ve stuck to a habit that might strike some people as a little weird.
Whether it’s the middle of summer or freezing winter like it is right now, I take a cold shower every single night before bed—always, unless I’m digging in the garden or feeling under the weather.

So, just thought I'd brag for a second...

Kidding. In all seriousness, though, do you guys think this is actually healthy, or am I just being eccentric? Personally, I can’t even function or fall asleep without it. As soon as I'm done, I sleep like a baby. I make sure to wash my hair and everything, usually for at least a few minutes.

Anyone else out there doing something similar?

People have been preaching about the healing powers of cold water forever.
Whenever it isn't freezing outside, I make sure to jump in a cold shower, and honestly, it does wonders for me... It just clears out both my head and my body...

It’s definitely not my usual routine—honestly, I get a bit of a chill just thinking about jumping into a freezing shower right now 😲...but...I will say there was this one stretch where I used to work out in the afternoons and would just blast myself with cold water because I didn't feel like waiting for the water heater to kick in.
Eventually, I realized it wasn't actually that bad, so I started making it a habit to take a cold shower after every workout. Maybe the secret was just that I was already warmed up from the exercise.

And what Kyle Hughes mentioned really hits the nail on the head; it truly clears both your body and your mind.

Not yet, but I’ll give it a shot, maybe tomorrow morning once I've managed to get the bathroom nice and warm 😁

Back about three years ago, I used to do this alongside my summer workouts—running for at least 4 or 5 minutes straight, maybe 6 months out of the year

My muscles didn't ache nearly as much—it was more like they were just... resetting after a workout🙂 plus I wasn't sweating through my clothes half as often.
But I gotta be honest, after ten months of doing that, I ended up with a pinched nerve in my back. It usually happened during the winter when I wasn't dressed warmly enough, or if I’d get all sweaty working outside and didn't swap into dry clothes fast enough... then the chill hits the nerve and it just hurts like hell. For a few days, I can't even find a comfortable way to lie in bed because the pain is everywhere, no matter how I twist. If I'm going to take a cold shower, I make sure to stay away from my back, even if it means getting my head soaked instead.

Beyond just being good for the body, it does wonders for the mind too. It really lifts your mood—using cold water is a solid way to fight off stress, or at least that’s been my experience, anyway...🙂