Taking a shower can provide you with some much-needed reflection time, whether this be before the start of the day or at the end of it. Most of the time though, people in the UK are taking warm showers, as they are generally quite nice and pleasant and allow you to ease into the day. However, a growing number of people are switching to have cold showers, because they have a wide range of health benefits.
In this article, we discuss the health benefits of cold showers that you can take advantage of. Cold water showers may not be everyone’s cup of tea at first, but once you find out about some of these, you may begin to realise why they are becoming more popular.
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1. Boosts circulation & heart health
Did you know 30 seconds in a cold shower has the power to enhance your body’s overall circulation? When exposed to cold water, your blood vessels constrict and direct blood towards your vital organs. This means your blood flow is improved and oxygenated.
According to the Journal of Applied Physiology, regular cold exposure can help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and reduce your risk of cardiovascular issues.
Cold exposure therapy works best when you are able to have complete control over the temperature of your shower. Switching between cold and warm water can be challenging in a traditional shower. With our range of digital showers, you have complete control over the temperature, making cold showers easy to manage to ensure you get those valuable health benefits.
2. Reduces muscle soreness post-workout
Feeling sore after a long walk or a gym session? Cold showers could become your best friend. If you get muscle soreness, then a cold shower can help by reducing inflammation and helping your muscles to recover quicker.
The National Library of Medicine found that cold water exposure can help reduce muscle spasms and muscle soreness. The cold water constricts blood vessels, reducing the flow of inflammatory substances to your muscles. This means less swelling and pain for you.
Our walk-in tubs can work a treat for any post-workout pain that you are experiencing. All of our wall-in baths have support hand bars to make sure you enter and exit the bar safely and easy temperature controls, so cold water therapy is at your fingertips.
3. Strengthens immunity
Feel like you are unwell most of the time, or do you struggle to fight off exhaustion and sickness? Well taking cold showers might be the answer you are looking for. Research led by the University of South Australia found that people who took regular cold showers were 29% less likely to call in sick to work.
Cold showers help to boost your immune system by increasing the white blood cell count, helping your body to fight off bugs and other illnesses. By installing grab rails in your wet rooms or showers, you can also experience the benefits of cold water with the added element of safety when getting in and out of the cold water.
4. Increases alertness & energy
If you struggle with brain fog in the mornings, a cold shower could help you to feel your best to start your day. Cold water is proven to release dopamine, the feel-good hormone, into your brain. The European Journal of Applied Physiology found that cold water immersion could lead to a 250% increase in dopamine levels.
Want the dopamine boost of a cold shower with added safety elements? One of our wet-room features included a foldable seat for extra mobility support. This feature is ideal for individuals with mobility issues or balance issues, so you can still feel the benefits of a cold shower.
5. Supports mental health & reduces stress
Not only are cold showers beneficial physically, but they also have a range of benefits that affect your mental health and wellbeing. Cold showers can help you to reduce stress by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. This is responsible for your body’s fight-or-flight response. Cold water exposure helps release adrenaline, which helps to improve your mood and reduce stress.
A 2025 analysis from Harvard Medical School found that regular ice baths or cold showers may help reduce stress levels, improve sleep and increase your quality of life. Stress relief is important for people of all ages, so we want everyone to experience the benefits of cold showers without worrying about their mobility limitations. Our wet-rooms have level access to help with ultimate accessibility and seamless entry, allowing you to take your cold shower without worrying about your mobility.
6. Improves skin & hair health
Tired of chasing different products to achieve glowing skin and shiny hair? What if we told you a cold shower can help with both?
Dr Ishmeet Kaur, MBBS, MD Dermatology, Director and Cc-Founder of Dermosphere Clinic, shared that the soothing qualities of cold water can help those with sensitive or inflamed skin as it helps to reduce redness and inflammation. Similarly, cold water can also tighten the pores of your skin giving the appearance of a glowing complexion. Dermatologists and hair care experts often recommend cold water rinses to boost hair health and strengthen your hair.
7. Aids weight loss & metabolism
Amazingly, cold showers can also help kick-start your metabolism and help you lose weight. In a review by Didrik Espeland, Louis de Weerd and James B. Mercer, findings of their research suggested that cold water exposure may lower a person’s risk for contusion such a diabetes.
Basically, cold water appears to increase the amount of a hormone called Adiponectin, which is vital in preventing insulin resistance, where your muscles, fat and liver become less responsive to insulin. The study also noted that cold water could help the body to burn calories, aiding in weight loss.
8. Enhances recovery for athletes
Many professional athletes use cold water to help them with their recovery. One study found that cold water therapy can speed up recovery as it constricts blood vessels near the surface of the body. This process helps to clear metabolic waste, like lactate, out of your muscles and reduce swelling.
You may not be a professional athlete, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience the benefits of cold water showers. Our walk-in showers provide non-slip flooring to ensure you get the best out of your shower without the risk of slips and other injuries.
9. May improve sleep quality
Let’s make sleepless nights a thing of the past. A recent 2025 review analysed data from 11 studies, found that cold water and cold showers could help to lower stress and improve your quality of sleep.
How does cold water help you sleep? Cold showers decrease your sleep onset latency; this means a refreshingly cool environment is created that helps to reduce inflammation and increase your body’s blood flow, which leads to a deeper sleep.
10. Reduces inflammation & joint pain
As we age, we tend to experience more aches and pains than ever. Cold showers are a great way to reduce this pain. The cold water helps to reduce both inflammation and inflammaging to ease those aches and help support joint pain.
In 2023, Sean Evans took cold showers for 6 months. He found that the usual aches and pains in his body had subsided greatly. Notably, his lower back pain and chronic pain from a decade-old shoulder injury had greatly improved. Our wet-rooms are 100% waterproof and provide an easy space for you to conduct your cold showers without worrying about water spray and slippage.
11. Cold shower benefits for men (Testosterone & Fertility)
While more research is needed, there is evidence that the cold shower benefits for men could include both testosterone and fertility. Basically, there is an optimal temperature for the body to produce sperm, so ideally, cold showers lower the body’s temperature, allowing the testicles to produce the maximum amount of sperm and testosterone. A 2013 study even found that cold temperatures can aid in improving sperm shape and movements.
Looking to add extra relaxation to your cold shower or cold plunge experience. Some of our walk-in tubs include a chromotherapy light feature. Also known as colour therapy, this feature generates different colours while bathing to promote relaxation and healing.
12. Cold shower benefits for women (Hormonal Balance & Circulation)
Women who suffer from painful menstrual cycles, hot flushes and other hormonal issues often seek relief in cold water.
A 2024 study found that cold water swimming helped alleviate menstrual and perimenopausal symptoms. The participants reported many cold shower benefits for women, including a reduction in anxiety, mood swings, irritability and even offered relief from hot flushes and cramps.
The science behind cold showers
At the end of the day, this is the science behind cold showers. Cold water triggers acute physiological responses in the body, like vasoconstriction and brown fat activation. Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of blood vessels, which reduces blood flow and increases blood pressure in the vessels.
Brown fat activation is the process of stimulating brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is a type of fat that generates heat and burns calories. Brown fat can convert energy into heat and help regulate the body’s temperature. Cold exposure can help this activation occur.
In 2024, Dr Tim Pearce was challenged to cold plunge by Dr Nichola Conlon to improve longevity. Repeated exposure to cold shock therapy means your body will increase the number of mitochondria to create energy more efficiently. It achieves this by converting the body’s fat type from white to brown fat.
FAQs
Is it good to shower cold every day?
Yes, if you don’t have any medical reasons preventing you from taking a cold shower, then taking a cold shower every day is extremely beneficial.
What happens after 30 days of cold showers?
After 30 days of cold showers, you should feel more alert, have more energy and feel many of the other benefits listed.
Is 1 minute for a cold shower long enough?
Yes, the great thing about cold showers is you can do them in short timeframes. Anywhere from 30 seconds – 2 minutes will be enough to reap the benefits.
What is cold water therapy?
Cold water therapy, also referred to as cold hydrotherapy or cold water immersion, is a rejuvenating practice where your body is exposed to cold water, typically below 15°C, to promote health and well-being.
From reducing stress and improving your quality of sleep, to post-workout recovery and boosting your immunity, there really are no negatives when it comes to cold showers. If you want to strengthen your self-care routine and feel all of these amazing benefits of cold showers, then now’s the time to take a plunge.
If you are interested in hearing more about our easy-access bathing solutions, you can click to see our range of walk-in baths, walk-in showers and wet-rooms to elevate your bathing experience.