I don’t shower every day.

Don’t thank me. I know you really wanted to hear a story about my hygiene. Medium founders should feel like their life’s mission is accomplished if they see some stories as profound as this one.

I came across a story on Medium, “My 12 rules for Life”. I enjoyed the story, hence the link.

I don’t follow all the rules this story mentions, but most resonate, except the showering one.

I left a comment under this story, and I want to repeat it here. I have a dirty little secret. I run every day, but I don’t shower every day.

Kind of disgusting, I know.

I’d sometimes do intervals in the evening. In Florida. Heat and humidity. Intervals are really hard workouts. The sweat I excrete could fill a glass.

But it dries out, leaving tiny grains of salt on my skin. If I don’t shower immediately when I get home, I don’t shower at all. I go to bed dirty.

For one thing, I can be damn lazy. Nothing profound about that. I can be very hardworking about some of my routines but a lazy bastard about others.

But I’m thinking there is something more profound in my loose attitude towards showering. I have very few weird beliefs, but this is one of them. I have a good relationship with my body. My running, my nutrition, my showering — I’m not perfect, but I feel that on balance, I do what’s best for my immunity, for my physical and mental well-being. My habits have nothing to do with what “scientists discover”. I base my decisions on intuition.

Consider running. The volume of running is way beyond what’s considered healthy. But I think the benefits outweigh the risks. I put my body under a lot of stress, but I feel running scorches me — in a good way. It cleanses me. That running makes me very happy I shouldn't even discuss. I enjoy it.

I have a couple of drinks on most evenings. That’s my way to destress. Drinking is bad, period. But I think it’s ok to have a few indulgences. Cortisol is a killer too.

I don’t shower every day… I can’t fully explain; I can’t put my finger on it. It’s not always laziness. I feel that feeling a bit of dirt and sweat on my body helps me maintain my immunity. Without wanting to sound too arrogant, I should note that I never get colds or viruses. Once every few years, and it’s always mild. Maybe the dirt on my body says to viruses and bacteria — no room here, we got this dude covered; go find some other place. Weird theory, I know. I don’t believe the Earth is flat… I just don’t shower every day.

Here’s me dripping with sweat after a track workout.