While most of us love a hot bath or a nice warm shower, you may want to consider the health benefits of a cold shower. Most folks think of cold showers as an unfortunate circumstance rather than a preferential choice. But showering with cold water holds true energy-boosting power. Here we will cover the 6 health benefits of a cold shower and why it works.
Embrace the Cold Shower
Let me just start by saying it won’t be easy switching to cold water overnight. First, you might need to muster up some courage to switch up your routine.
Although it might seem uncomfortable, even horrible, to switch to cold showers, rest assured, subjecting yourself to a blast of cold water isn’t without benefits.
More Energy
If you’re feeling tired and groggy, a hot shower will only intensify that feeling of weariness. Instead of feeding the fatigue, try battling it with a potent weapon that is a cold shower.
Exposing yourself to a blast of cold water, will help you feel alert and make your energy levels skyrocket!
How Do Cold Showers Work?
After the initial shock, you’ll feel wide-awake, motivated, and extremely energized. And there’s a reason for this.
Showering with cold water improves your circulation, boosts the testosterone level in your body, and increases the metabolic rate.
Cold water will send your blood rushing to protect the internal organs from the temperature drop. This sudden increase in blood flow will boost your energy in an instant.
Poor circulation slows you down and makes you feel sluggish, but a couple of minutes under a cold shower will get you going like nothing else.
Another energizing effect of showering with cold water is the production of norepinephrine, a hormone, and a neurotransmitter.
Norepinephrine triggers the release of glucose from energy stores, boosting your energy immediately. Low levels of norepinephrine are linked with depression and lethargy. Stimulating the production of this hormone is an efficient way to feel supercharged.
If you’re starting your day with exercise, a cold shower will help you prevent soreness, as well as maintain your high energy level.
Reduced Muscle Pain and Inflammation
Most athletes turn to cold showers to avoid muscle pain and inflammation. If you’re a morning jogger, the feel of cold water on your skin will be a pleasant relief.
If you’re afraid you’ll catch a cold if you skip on warm morning showers altogether, don’t be.
Improved Immunity
Prolonged exposure to so-called “cold stress”, or showering with freezing water, can actually improve your immunity.
Cold showers are responsible for the increase in white blood cell counts, which prevent you from getting sick in the first place.
The Health Benefits of Cold Showers
You can benefit your health by starting with lukewarm water, then gradually increasing it to colder and colder water.
1. Improve Blood Circulation
Cold water is a great way to increase your blood circulation, which is not only good for better energy and a number of other specific health benefits, but for overall wellness as well.
2. Increase Your Alertness
If you have ever had a cold shower early in the morning, you probably already know that it can help tremendously with making you more alert. There is a gentle shock to the system when you take a cold shower, making it especially beneficial for the mornings when you are already more tired than usual. Not up for a shower? You can also get similar benefits by splashing your face with water.
3. Ease Depression
Henry David Thoreau was an American historian who suffered from bouts of depression. Taking cold showers was one of the things that he did in order to alleviate his depression. Researchers have found that cold showers can be effective for reducing depression symptoms. Cold showers can stimulate the release of noradrenaline. This is a chemical that can reduce depression symptoms.
4. Stimulate Weight Loss
Did you know cold showers can also help to stimulate weight loss naturally? There are a number of different reasons for this, from its fat-burning ability to giving you more energy, which helps you get through workouts during the day. Regardless, it is a great way to start your day.
You can stimulate burning fat activity when you take cold showers. There have been numerous studies that look at the overall health benefits of cold showers, including how they might aid in your weight loss efforts.
5. Improve Skin and Hair Health
Hot water can dry out your skin and hair. Cold water can make your hair and skin healthier. The cold water can close up your pores, which can improve the overall health and appearance of your skin. Cold water can also help to provide more moisture to your hair, which improves its shine and vitality.
6. Improve Your Immune System Functioning
Research studies have also looked at the benefits of cold water and taking cold showers for the health of your immune system. It can boost many response systems in your body, including boosting your immune system and how it functions. This is great for overall health.
How to Introduce Cold Showers Into Your Routine
As an alternative to hot showers, gradually introduce showering with cold water into your routine.
At first, you might dread the very thought of going in the shower just to be blasted with a freezing spray of water. But after of few seconds of adjusting, your body will learn to appreciate the experience.
As time passes, cold showers won’t feel as disrupting and uncomfortable as they did in the beginning. You’ll get used to colder temperatures in the shower.
A cold shower will give you an instant burst of energy, and the effects will last throughout the day. Your newly formed morning routine will make you ready to tackle everything the day ahead has in store for you.
