Can you make yourself used to the cold? How to Train for Cold Acclimation

September 22, 2025 •

4 min read

According to research, consistent, deliberate cold exposure can lead to physiological changes that increase your comfort in cooler temperatures. This process, known as cold acclimation, is a natural, trainable response that allows you to become more used to the cold.

Quick Summary

You can increase your tolerance to cold temperatures through consistent, deliberate exposure, which triggers physiological changes like increased brown fat activity and reduced shivering over time. This process is known as cold acclimation and involves behavioral and metabolic adjustments that help your body adapt to its thermal environment.

Key Points

Acclimation is Possible: Your body can be trained to tolerate cold better through consistent, deliberate exposure, a process known as cold acclimation.
Start Gradually: Begin with small, manageable exposures, such as shorter periods outside or ending showers with cold water, to avoid shocking your system.
Brown Fat is Key: Cold exposure increases the activity and volume of brown adipose tissue, a special fat that burns calories to generate heat.
Consistency Over Extremity: Regular, moderate cold exposure is more effective for building long-term tolerance than infrequent, extreme events.
Metabolic Boost: Increasing brown fat and a heightened metabolic rate can lead to potential benefits for weight management and overall resilience.
Combine with Activity: Engaging in outdoor sports or exercise in cooler weather can amplify the acclimation process and provide additional health benefits.

The Science Behind Cold Acclimation

Acclimation to cold is a process where your body adjusts its internal mechanisms to cope with lower temperatures more efficiently. This is not the same as long-term genetic adaptation, but a temporary change that your body can learn and unlearn depending on your environment. When exposed to cold, your body initiates several responses to maintain its core temperature, a state known as homeostasis. The primary mechanisms involved are vasoconstriction, shivering, and the activation of brown adipose tissue.

How Your Body Responds to Cold

At first, your body's response to cold is an immediate, self-protective reaction. The nervous system triggers blood vessels near the skin's surface to constrict, or narrow. This process, called vasoconstriction, reduces blood flow to the extremities (like your fingers and toes) to conserve heat for vital internal organs. While effective, this can make your extremities feel colder and more vulnerable to frostbite in extreme conditions. Shivering is another key response, involving rapid, involuntary muscle contractions that generate metabolic heat.

Over time, with consistent exposure, your body learns to manage the cold more effectively. The most significant long-term change is the increased activity and development of brown adipose tissue, or brown fat. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat is specialized to burn calories to generate heat through a process called thermogenesis. With regular cold exposure, you can increase both the activity and volume of your brown fat, making you more efficient at producing your own heat and feeling warmer overall.

How to Safely Build Your Cold Tolerance

Building your cold tolerance requires a gradual, consistent approach. Sudden, extreme exposure can be dangerous and is not recommended, especially for individuals with underlying health conditions. Start with short, manageable sessions and slowly increase the duration and intensity. Consistency is more important than extremity, as the body adapts best to regular, repeated stimuli.

Start with small, daily changes:

Lower your thermostat: Gradually decrease the temperature in your home by a few degrees. The goal is to make your environment cool enough to be noticeable but not uncomfortably cold.
Spend more time outdoors: When the weather gets cooler, don't immediately reach for a heavy coat. Instead, start with fewer layers and add them as needed. Spending short periods outside in lighter clothing can help stimulate your body's warming mechanisms.
Take cold showers: This is one of the most direct and efficient methods. Start with a regular warm shower and end with a 15-30 second burst of cold water. Over time, you can increase the duration or start with cold water from the beginning. Cold showers trigger an immediate reaction, helping your body to adapt more quickly.

Progress to more intensive methods:

Deliberate cold plunges: For those with experience and in good health, a controlled cold plunge (ice bath) can accelerate the process. Immerse yourself for short periods, following safety guidelines, to maximize brown fat activation. This should be done carefully and ideally with a partner.
Embrace cold-weather activities: Engage in outdoor winter sports like skiing, hiking, or snowboarding. Physical activity in the cold not only burns calories but also reinforces your body's ability to generate heat efficiently.

Comparison of Cold Acclimation Techniques


Method	Description	Primary Mechanism	Pros	Cons
Cold Showers	Daily, brief exposure to cold water, starting with 15-30 seconds and increasing over time.	Brown fat activation and habituation (reduced shivering).	Highly accessible, time-efficient, low-cost.	Can be very uncomfortable initially, potential risk for those with heart conditions.
Ambient Cold Exposure	Spending time in cooler air, such as outdoors or with a lower thermostat.	Gradual stimulation of brown fat and metabolic rate.	Gentle, easy to integrate into daily life, saves on heating costs.	Takes longer to see significant results, less intense effect.
Ice Baths/Plunges	Immersing the body in frigid water for several minutes.	Strong, rapid activation of brown fat thermogenesis.	Very efficient and effective for accelerated acclimation.	Intense, requires caution, not suitable for everyone, can be expensive (plunge pools).
Winter Exercise	Engaging in physical activity like running or hiking in cold weather.	Combines metabolic heat generation from exercise with cold exposure.	Builds fitness while promoting cold tolerance.	Requires specific gear and a moderate level of fitness.

Benefits and Considerations for Cold Exposure

Beyond simply feeling more comfortable in the cold, acclimation has several potential health benefits. Increased brown fat activity can contribute to a higher metabolic rate, which aids in weight management. The stress of cold exposure can also boost the immune system and increase resilience to stress in general. It's crucial to prioritize safety, especially for individuals with cardiovascular issues, as cold exposure can cause an initial spike in blood pressure due to vasoconstriction.

Always listen to your body and know your limits. Start slow, be consistent, and don't push yourself into hypothermia. As Harvard Health explains, the body has a limit to its adaptive capacity, and extreme, prolonged cold can be dangerous. By following a gradual approach, you can safely enhance your body's natural ability to tolerate colder temperatures and enjoy the mental and physical benefits that come with it. For more in-depth information on the body's response to cold and other health topics, consult an authoritative source like the National Institutes of Health.

Conclusion: Making the Cold Your Friend

In summary, the question of "can you make yourself used to the cold?" is definitively answered with a yes. Through consistent, deliberate practices like cold showers, lowering the thermostat, and outdoor activity, you can train your body to acclimate. This process, which involves increasing brown fat activity and blunting the shivering response, not only makes you more comfortable but also offers a range of metabolic and stress-resilience benefits. The key is to be consistent and to progress safely, giving your body the time it needs to adjust to its thermal environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

The timeframe for cold acclimation varies for each person, but most individuals can start to notice increased tolerance within a few weeks of consistent, deliberate exposure. Significant physiological changes, like increased brown fat, can take several months to develop fully.

While generally safe for healthy individuals, cold acclimation can pose risks for people with certain medical conditions, especially heart problems. Cold exposure causes blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise. It is always wise to consult a doctor before starting any new regimen involving significant temperature changes.

Yes, cold showers are an effective method for cold acclimation. They provide a direct and efficient way to expose your body to cooler temperatures, stimulating your body's heat-generating mechanisms. Start with short bursts of cold water and gradually increase the duration.

No. While cold acclimation helps your body feel more comfortable and manage non-extreme cold more efficiently, it does not provide immunity from serious cold-related injuries like frostbite or hypothermia. Always use appropriate protective clothing and follow safety guidelines in freezing temperatures.

Cold acclimation can contribute to weight management by increasing the activity of brown adipose tissue (brown fat). Brown fat burns calories to produce heat, which can boost your metabolic rate. However, it should be seen as a complementary strategy to a healthy diet and regular exercise, not a standalone solution for weight loss.

Yes, exercising outdoors in cool or cold weather is an excellent way to aid cold acclimation. Physical activity naturally increases your body's heat production, and when combined with environmental cold exposure, it helps train your body's temperature regulation system.

Yes, the benefits of cold acclimation are not permanent. If you stop the consistent exposure to cooler temperatures, your body will eventually revert to its prior state of cold tolerance. Maintaining your new level of comfort requires ongoing, regular exposure.