Aidan Reid had a post about cold therapy the other day. Part of his therapy is cold showers.

I used to do this. We had a sauna in our apartment building in Waldorf, Germany, along with pool. The pool was unheated but indoors. It was our habit to hit the sauna, the pool and then step outside into the wintry cold. It was supposed to be a heart healthy practice. We would do this three or four times in a session. We, being in our early thirties, had no problem with it.

But time and age presses on. With aging comes changes. The last time I attempted cold therapy, my body employed some nasty language to threaten me and convey its displeasure. Aidan’s post inspired me, though.

I will try this, I decided.

“No, you won’t,” my body retorted.

“I will,” I replied.

Today, I did.

I believe I did a fair imitation of Munch’s The Scream.

After that, my testicles climbed up into my body. My pecker shriveled up and disappeared like a turtle pulling in its head.

But, I persisted.

I didn’t last long. I wasn’t counting but it was long enough for fast scrubs of all required body parts. My shower requires about thirty-five seconds for it to become comfortably warm. I’d stepped in and turned it on. The water was beginning to warm when I stepped out, or I was imagining that I was growing warmer in a triumph of mind over cold water. Either way, my guesstimate is that I was in the shower for half a minute.

Afterward, I felt fantastic. It might have been the exhilaration of no longer standing in cold water.

Will I do it again? Absolutely. Aidan suggested a trail for over seven days. Did I mention that he lost weight without trying? He also cited other benefits he’s observed since becoming a cold shower man. One bennie we agreed upon in an exchange of comments is discipline. I also think this is one of those things you can use to build self-confidence and inner strength.

At least I hope so.