http://www.alliancemartialarts.com/coldbob.htm I used contrast showers to good success battling a cold a while back, so figured I'd give this a shot since I have been feeling lethargic. Got up this morning and used a 5 gallon bucket of water that had been sitting out all night... Dear god, it was cold :eek4: :eek4: :eek4: Certainly been feeling pretty awake since though :rofl: Might give it a go for a few weeks and see if it makes any difference...
one time our water heater thing broke so i had to use cold water for a shower and it was not refreshing. but it definitly woke me up.
I like leaving the shades open on my window that way the sunlight slowly wakes me up. Really cuts down on the grogginess. That and a morning dose of some loud/fast music and I'm good to go.
Light is supposibly the best way to wake up in the morning...the most natural. Thinking about that now, I guess that makes perfect sense.
Here's a pretty decent article on it... http://integratedfightingsystems.com/cold_water_dousing.asp If you disregard the hippie stuff, I do like the point that it's a mental tempering thing in a fashion: every time you do it you're fighting your "common sense" and beating it into submission. Gotta be some benefit to that!
this is in general a bad idea. the reason your body has more energy is because you've sort of "tricked" your brain into thinking that you're in a dire situation where you will die of hypothermia sometime soon. This triggers the release of the same hormones in your adrenal gland, your glutocorticoids, epinepherine(adrenaline), that would accompany being chased by a lion, getting ready for finals etc. and then burns up all your stored sugar. Guess what does the same thing? caffeine. So if they both put the same kind of stress on your body, i think i'll enjoy my warm cup of green tea in the comfort of my home thank ye.
I think that might be an overly simplistic view of it... speaking from personal experience, I know well that alternating heat/cold (in my case, sitting in a 90+ Celsius sauna for as long as I could, then run out and jump in a snow drift) never failed to cure an oncoming cold, and generally made me feel extremely well and relaxed. Here's one article on the subject discussing an actual study of it (though there is plenty of anecdotal evidence around): The results of imponant hydrotherapy research in London involving 100 volunteers were published in The European newspaper on 22nd and 29th April, 1993. The Thrombosis Research Institute (which conducted the research) claims that the use of this form of self-treatment proves without question the value of carefully graduated cold baths, regularly taken (six months' daily use is suggested for optimal results). The Institute, under its director Dr. Vijay Kakkar, have now gathered 5,000 volunteers for the next stage of this research into the benefits of what has been called Thermo Regulatory Hydrotherapy (TRH). The results of the first study showed that, when applied correctly, TRH has a number of beneficial effects, including: o very much enhanced levels of white blood cells - the body's first-line defenders against infection o a boost to sex hormone production, which influences potency in men and fenility in women o renewed energy: many sufferers from chronic fatigue syndrome were found to improve dramatically o improved circulation in people with cold extremities. Circulation is found to improve rapidly with TRH. o reduced incidence of hean attack and stroke, as a result of improved blood-clotting function o reduced levels of unpleasant menopausal symptoms This research involved taking graduated cold baths (see 'The Method of TRH', below) and closely mirrored previous research conducted in 1990 at Hanover Medical School in Germany. In this German study, students were asked to take either warm morning showers or cold ones. The level and intensity of infections (mainly colds) they suffered over the following six months were monitored. Those taking cold showers were asked to increase gradually the degree of coldness, so that by the end of the first three weeks they were taking a 2- to 3-minute shower with the water as cold as possible (if any of them developed a cold during the six-month trial they were told to stop taking cold showers for the duration of the illness and for one week afterwards) . By the end of the six-month trial those students taking cold showers had had half the number of colds compared with the group taking warm showers, and the colds they did have lasted half as long - they were less acute, and these students' immune systems cleared them up faster. This trial gives clear evidence that regular cold showers offer an increase in resistance to infection as well as enhanced efficiency of the immune function should infection occur.86 ref. 86: Ernst, E. 'Hydrotherapy research', Physiotherapy 76.4: pages 207-10
ssh: all that and your hair retains moisture better too! (no, really it does, ask your stylist) this really is valid stuff (although you can keep your snow drifts conan, i'll stick to the shower)... i usually find myself feeling quite good... what i usually do is take a nice warm/hot shower, and when i'm done washing, i'll crank it cold for a few minutes, shriek like a little school girl and come out feeling refreshed and very thankful that i have a nice big towel within reach. ramblin, it's not so much a shock to your system once you get used to it. the first few times yeah, it'll kick your ass.
:ugh: why not wake up and shove a live animal in your rectum? that will get you moving :ugh: I thought you were gonna say you got a BJ rooster call. if someone wakes me up and pours cold water all over me soon after they are going to be one of two things dead or hospitalized
right which is why i reserve that for track days and mountain runs (looks over at the cage of pensive gerbils who are thankful it's winter)
All right you pussies, it's getting cold at night again, who's with me? (put the bucket out this evening)
Like we need more people with LESS common sense...:coolugh: Seriously though, when I was stationed on the Constellation, we did this for weeks on end when we lost hot water to our berthing space head. I can tell you the reverse is much nicer. Try surfing in 50 degree water and 39 degree air temps, get out of the water, run to your car and dump the still warm water you brought with you down your wet suit. Quite possibly the closest I will ever come to Nirvana...
don't want to sound like a ninny but that kinda shock is rough on your heart, you could fibrilate into an attack, hope your in good shape cardiowise. aside from that hell yea i used to jump in my pool in the winter time when I had one!
i dont handle anything cold well at all.....matter of a fact coming into my most hated time of the year.
i love cold air but i hate cold water... i keep the AC on if its anything above 40 degrees outside... if its below 40, i keep the window open with an intake fan and im from india... something is wrong with me
Yeah I'm pretty similar on that one, at home my ceiling fan is running on high whenever I'm in bed. Even in the dead of winter (relatively speaking, for it is Georgia) I've got that thing on full blast. But yeah cold water...whole different story.
But again, for me, this would be in the opposite direction. People don't know what an ice cream headache really is until they duck dive under the first wave on a really cold day...
This just posted on 11alice.com!!!! Man's Penis Sues for Emancipation Web Editor: Paul Crawley Last Modified: 10/24/2006 8:49:16 AM Citing cruel and unusual punishment, such as having buckets of ice water dumped on him every morning, the penis of a snellville man has asked the federal court to order an immediate emancipation. "I know we have had some good times, but this was the last straw." The Little Solider said. " I Love him, I really do, no one has a grip like he does and he kept me clean and healthy, but this cold water, its just torture!" Federal Circuit Court Judge Willy Pullit has said this isn't the first time he has seen a lawsuit like this, but it is the first one he can remember being filed over water. "We ususally see emancipation suits due to cruel and unusual punishment, things like excessive touching, negelect. This water thing, thats just mean." Pullit said outside the courthouse. 11alice will continue to monitor the story and bring updates as they become available.
Just show me one person that's died from it. (I'm half Finnish and it's pretty common to go from sauna into a lake where you had to cut a hole through the ice... I think I can handle it ;-) )
I have to admit when I go scuba diving in some of the colder waters (68-70) when you jump in the water it really is a JOLT to the system till the body wakes up!
If it not 69 degrees or higher its too cold. Yoga in the morning works well also...IF you can get out of bed.
So I tried this yesterday and today... Well, a slightly modified version of it. Basically I take a hot shower in the mornings, and after I am done, I turn the water to cold and dance around in circles while screaming.... :rofl: I am very awake though. I am willing to try it out because I've been getting alot of colds lately. They are probably due to my body working out the toxins now that I am working out regularly, but its still nice to be awake for my meeting at 10:00 every day here at work.
You're talking about contrast showers, which is also a fairly effective thing. If you have two tubs in your house you can also do contrast baths (one hot, one as cold as possible) which has even more of an impact. Personally, I prefer the cold bucket over a cold shower... at least it's over immediately.
however, i guess that was for different reasons... the sauna opens your pores and cleanses your skin... the cold water closes your pores... and causes major shrinkage
I used to do this often whenever I visited my family...it's a big Finnish thing as well....I definitely do the alternate shower temp thing...it's good for muscle recovery...
yeah my mom's side of the family is Finnish...that's why I rep the Finnish euro plate...I wish I could speak it...my grandfather tried but it never stuck..
Actually I remember this from health class?? You supposed to do this before you get out the shower if I rem. correctly it closes you pores or something.