The 5^th of July is right around the corner, and here in Seattle that means warmer days are officially on the horizon. I think its safe to introduce one of my favorite hydrotherapy tricks: cold showers! If I had mentioned this back in February, I may be getting hate mail, but I think you’re ready for it now.

At the end of your shower, turn the knob to cold and hang in there ‘til you can’t stand it anymore. Go ahead and forward bend and touch those toes so you let the cold water really hit your back and shoulder muscles. Let it stream right into your face and sting into your jaw and forehead; let it patter on your pecs, forearms, and belly. Your muscles will feel more awake, alive and ready for the day.

You’ll get out of that shower, look in the mirror, and see shinier eyes and feel a stronger heartbeat.

Last night I schvitzed at Banya 5 for the first time in about 4 months. It was such a refreshing way to end the day after a long day of massage. If you haven’t yet treated yourself to the relaxation station that is Banya 5, please do yourself a favor and hit it up soon.  Fortunately, unfortunately, they are closing up shop for ten days starting this Friday for annual maintenance and repairs. Good to know that they appreciate a good deep cleaning like the rest of us, but I guarantee there will be some regulars in town that will experience hydrotherapy withdrawals.

It was so nice to see all the regular water dogs lounging around the place last night. I had missed my own hydrotherapy routine so much that I set an all time personal record of sitting in the cold pool for over 2 minutes!

It’s like taking every cell in your body on a zip line adventure into Niagra Falls. While your body is screaming NO, it still can’t deny the exhilarating invigoration.

It’s worth noting that the cold pool is salty like the Puget Sound at a balmy 46 degrees. So if I can do two minutes in that sans wetsuit, I’m confident you can do a minute in your cold shower. Give it a try and report back. Happy summertime!