Hacker News Reader

I enjoy cold showers from time to time. But as someone who just moved in to a new home and forgot to schedule gas turn on in advance leaving us without hot water, a true "ice cold" shower leaves you literally breathless.

I've never felt my body react in such a way.

I can second this. I spent 2 weeks in an apartment with no hot water. The first 30 seconds or so in the shower left me struggling for air. After that, it's a lot better. Not good, but better.

If you stay in it for a while, you still acclimate. Just don't try it during a cold winter.

FWIW, a friend of mine suggested doing that and threw a study at me when I made disbelieving noises: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17993252

What is the temperature where you live?

I bet it's not in Siberia.

Maybe it is [1]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ihMP-I3l8

Screaming/not very dressed kid warning

It's near Toronto, so it depends. -25C in the winter, 35C in the summer. Around 30C right now.

Oh. Here in south of Brazil its 10C those days and I use hot water even to wash my face in the morning.