Are cold showers good for you?

By No Rush · Updated November 2, 2026

The short answer

Many sites promise more than the research shows. In trials, people's mood after cold water was the same as before. A large Dutch trial saw no difference between 30, 60 and 90 seconds of cold at the end of a shower. Think of it as a short, slightly uncomfortable moment that some people like. Whether you keep it is up to you.

Who should not take a cold shower?

Don't do this if you have a heart or blood vessel condition, have epilepsy, are pregnant or have low blood pressure. If you're not sure, ask your doctor first. If you're under 18, skip it. Only do it in the shower, not in a bath or open water, and don't hold your breath.

Cold water makes you gasp, and your heart rate and blood pressure go up fast. Tipton and his colleagues describe this as the cold shock response. Under a shower, the main danger is getting dizzy and slipping. If you feel dizzy or short of breath, turn it back to warm.

Is it good to take a cold shower in the morning?

The studies we found don't compare morning and evening, so pick the moment that fits your day. In a review of eleven randomized trials, people reported a bit less stress 12 hours after cold water, and no difference in mood. Those are averages over groups, so they can't tell you how it will go for you.

How long should a cold shower be?

Thirty seconds at the end of your usual warm shower is enough. In a Dutch trial with 3,018 working adults, groups did 30, 60 or 90 seconds of cold for 30 days, and the length made no difference. Start with your arms and legs, then your body. You can leave your head out.

What happens after 30 days of cold showers?

Less than the challenge videos suggest. In the same Dutch trial, people rated their quality of life, and after 90 days the cold group and the warm group were level again. There's no need to build up to longer or colder. If you like the short cold moment, keep it. If you don't, there's no reason to push through.

In the No Rush app

The app has a step called "Cold at the end of your shower". You shower as usual and turn the tap to cold for the last 15 to 30 seconds. The smallest version is cold water over your hands and forearms while you count to ten. Your phone stays out of the shower: there's no timer, and you only tick it off afterward.

No Rush app

An iPhone app for people who feel stuck. It sets out one small next step at a time and tells you why that one. It is not therapy.

Sign up free Take the test For iPhone. Coming soon to the App Store. The first seven days are free in the app. After that, you choose whether to subscribe. Sign up now and the app stays free for you, for life.

Sources

Cain, Brinsley, Bennett, Nelson, Maher & Singh (2025). Effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 20(1), e0317615. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317615
Buijze, Sierevelt, van der Heijden, Dijkgraaf & Frings-Dresen (2016). The effect of cold showering on health and work: a randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 11(9), e0161749. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161749
Tipton, Collier, Massey, Corbett & Harper (2017). Cold water immersion: kill or cure? Experimental Physiology, 102(11), 1335-1355. doi.org/10.1113/EP086283