This article is one of a series covering exercise & fitness — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Exercise, Fitness & Injury Prevention in New York City — The Complete Guide
Have you ever heard someone say that a cold shower is good for you? Well, Back and Body NY wants you to know that may actually be true. Cold baths have been recorded back to ancient times, as far as Hippocrates to be exact. Benefits of a cold shower or bath include treating serious illness and maintaining health in general. Back and Body NY is going to explain some research found on this topic.
A study done in 2016 done by Dutch researchers took a group of about 2,800 people and split them into four. Three groups were asked to take a 30, 60, or 90 second shower every day for a month, and the fourth group was asked to avoid cold showers to serve as the control group.
About 80 percent of people successfully completed the study, and two thirds actually continued to take regular cold showers after the 30 day study had ended. People in the experimental groups experienced an increase in the quality of life, and a 29 percent reduction in sick days from work that researchers did not see in the control group. Experimental group participants also found an increase in energy similar to drinking a caffeinated beverage. These results were consistent between all three groups, and proved that a 30 second cold shower provided the same benefits as a 90 second one.
As of now, researchers can only guess why the participants of the study benefited from the cold showers. Some explanations could be: the shivering from the cold temperature elevates hormones in the body that impact the immune system, cold temperature has a type of neurological benefit, or simply the impact on participants was psychological, because they knew they volunteered for a study about how cold showers could improve one’s health.
Finally, the researchers say that normal cold showers could impact the body how regular exercise affects the body. They quote “In the present trial, reduction of sickness absence of a routine cold shower (29%) was comparable to the effect of regular physical activity (35%).” More research is needed to back this claim up and even merely understand why cold showers have a history of healthy benefits. Back and Body NY will give this information as soon as it is published so you can better understand cold showers.
Why don’t you try a 30 second cold shower at the end of your regular showers for a week and see how you feel?
Remember, if you are having any pain and cannot find relief, come see us at Back and Body NY.
Contact us now. We have three simple ways you can make an appointment at our Back and Body NY chiro office:
Call now on (212)371 2000 or text (315)873-3095 or email us at Yo**********@***********NY.com

Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.
Further Reading: Exercise and Fitness
- Proper Warmups Before Weight Training to Avoid Injury
- Finding a Balance – Move Your Body to Wellness
- Exercise to Stay Healthy
- The Difference Evidence Based Care Makes
- Get Your Diet Right on Joint Pain
→ Complete Guide: Exercise, Fitness & Injury Prevention in New York City
