Surprising Benefits of Cold Showers – Why You Should Occasionally Take Cold Showers
We are going to look at the many benefits of taking cold shower which can be surprising good for both body and mind.
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You’ve probably been in the distressing situation where someone flushed the toilet while you were taking shower and, suddenly, the tap went dry. The situation can be worse especially during the cold winter months. As you stand there, you become cold and bitter waiting for the hot water to start flowing again. Surprisingly, this experience can be very beneficial to your health. Below, we are going to look at the benefits of taking cold shower. This includes:
Increases Alertness
Although taking a cold shower in the morning can be scary, the session causes your body to crave for more oxygen. As a result, blood rushes to all parts of your body, leading to an increase in energy levels. This improves your alertness at school or at work. In the end, you become more productive.
Smooths Hair and Skin
If you want to have a refined hair and skin, you can adopt taking cold showers in the morning. This is because, unlike hot water, cold water does not dry out your skin. Actually, cold water closes skin and scalp pores and this prevents them from getting clogged with dirt. From this, you get a healthy skin and silky looking hair. The closure of skin pores happens naturally and prevents any form of dirt from getting lodged into the skin. Therefore, your skin is able to preserve most of its natural oils. In addition, cold shower flattens your hair follicles thereby making your hair look stronger and shinier.
Boosts Immunity and Improves Blood Circulation
Cold water boosts blood circulation by moving blood from the skin to the inner organs. During cold shower therapy, the heart and arteries become more active in pumping blood thereby distributing more oxygen to different parts of your body. In addition, a cold bath has other benefits such as lowering blood pressure, unblocking arteries and improving the immune system. A cold shower will do you a lot of good than harm.
Promotes Weight Loss
As we explore more cold shower benefits, it is imperative to state that it promotes weight loss. The body contains two types of fat: white and brown fat. White fat accumulates on the waist, abdomen, neck and chest. It is formed as a result of consuming more calories than we need. With no other option, body stores this extra food as fat. On the other hand, the brown fat provides your body with instant warmth. This is the process that leads to cold shower weight loss. When exposed to extreme cold, the body breaks down brown fat in an attempt to generate heat. Therefore, constant exposure to cold shower challenge can help you lose weight by burning up brown fat in the body.
Helps Muscle Recover from Soreness
It is a common sight for athletes to take ice cold showers to relieve sore muscles once they come back from training. You can borrow a leaf from this practice and consider taking cold shower just after working out – Doing so will help in relieving sore muscles. Over time, people have identified cold showers as simple and cost effective ways of healing from soreness in the muscles.
Reduces Stress
By jumping into a cold shower or diving into cold ocean water, you will bring a lot of health benefits to your body. The process will not only harden your body but also, improve your tolerances to stress and disease. In fat, scientists have found that a cold shower can stimulate production of glutathione – an antioxidant that keeps other antioxidants working in order.
Relieves Depression
Cold showers can relieve a lot of stress from your body. As cold water hits your skin, nerve receptors pick impulses before sending electrical signals to your brain. Such signals are so overwhelming that they trigger a calming effect that works well for your body. This is done by triggering an anti-depressive and mood boosting feeling in your mind.
As we have seen above, hydrotherapy has many health benefits for the body ranging from toning the skin, reducing stress to relieving sore muscles. If you utilize this therapy well, you can achieve a healthier and more vibrant body. The good thing is you get these benefits at no cost at all.
