The Cold Shower Experiment

It's good to have a little torture in your life.

Not a lot. Just a little bit. It helps cultivate toughness and resilience. And it turns out that if you do it right, torture can help you get in shape too.

For the past week or so, I've subjected myself to cold showers.The first time, it was awful. I was gasping for air and lasted about 10 seconds before I got out.

The second time, it was a little better.

The third time, I really tried to control my breathing. I concentrated on controlling my breathing. I slowly counted to 20. And then I went for a little longer.

Today I did a minute, then switched back to hot water for 20 seconds, then switched back to cold for another minute.

It feels fantastic. Now it's my favourite part of the day.

‍The benefits:

• It wakes me up so much faster. I'm instantly alert and ready to face the day.
• It cultivates resilience. I feel more able to take on challenges.
• It cultivates mental toughness and discipline. This morning, I REALLY didn't feel like having a cold shower, but I did it anyway, and for longer than I ever have done. Now I feel great.
• I haven't seen this too much yet, but there's good evidence that it helps with fat loss.

That's a lot of benefits in exchanging for 30-60 seconds of mild discomfort. Try it yourself -- for at least a week -- and see how you feel. My guess is that you'll be pleasantly surprised.