Hi Mya88, I am actually a fitness fanatic. I just started this cold shower thing a week ago and exactly like Termie says, its hard the first time, and the next time, then it gets easier and easier. Try to direct the cold water to your head especially the back of your head for the full effect and benefit. Here is some cut and paste explanation:
"When you work out, your heart pumps faster in order to meet the increased requirements of energy of your body. In response, muscle might not receive as much oxygen as they do when you are not exercising. Physical activity also takes away from your energy reserves and this leads to the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. This acid is the reason why you feel the burn after working out. A cold shower is going to slow down your heart rate, so there will be no extra blood pumped in the muscles. They will have the chance to recover and to release the lactic acid they accumulated.
Aside from normalizing blood flow and eliminating lactic acid, cold shower after workout can help you reduce muscular inflammation. This often occurs because during workouts your muscles get slightly torn. The cold will make it go away. If you also enjoy a massage after your cold shower you will also relax all your muscles and feel great."
Good to know Kichwa exercises, you didnt strike me as such. Last time I took a cold shower was in 1996....I cant ven begin to imagine how that would feel...