I spent most of my life taking hot showers, recently my darling told me that cold shower is good for our health. I'm curious about it and ask him what is the benefit. Then I try. Sooooo cold. For the first time I take the cold shower is a bit funny, I was jumping like a crazy bunny, my heart almost jumped out of my chest. I take the cold shower from the beginning until finish. Is cold but after few minutes I don't feel cold already, but I feel fresh and very energetic. My darling said I should start off with the hot water, and then turn it down to cold for the last few minutes.
From that day I started shower with cold water. I didn’t know the proper name for this type of shower, so I just called it the " James Shower ". If you are a James Bond fan, you will notice about the book version of James Bond was that every time he took a shower, he would start off with the water nice and hot, and then turn it down to cold for the last few minutes. Maybe when you start bathing with cold water, you will not be familiar and will feel very cool inside. But try this way, start with hot water and end up with cool water for the last few minutes. You will feel very refreshed and excited.
Benefits of Cold Water Shower
- Improves circulation
If you’re not motivated by feeling better, or looking better, then be motivated by being healthier.
Cold showers improve circulation by means of sending blood down to your organs to keep them warm. This stimulation of the circulatory system is great for your overall cardiovascular health.
- Keeps skin and hair healthy
Hot water dries out skin and hair. If you want to avoid an irritating itch and ashy elbows, turn down the temperature of your showers. Also, cold water can make your manly mane look shinier and your skin look healthier by closing up your cuticles and pores. Ice cold water can help our skin by preventing it from losing too many natural oils. And your hair gets the same benefit.
Along with that, one of the benefits of cold showers is how they will help your hair appear shiny, strong & healthy by keeping the follicles flat and increasing their grip to the scalp. This is great news for any of you guys who are scared of losing your hair!
- Increases energy and well-being
Every time I end a shower with cold water, I leave feeling invigorated and energized. Your heart starts pumping, and the rush of blood through your body helps shake off the lethargy of the previous night’s sleep. For me, the spike in energy lasts several hours. It’s almost like drinking a can of Diet Mountain Dew, minus the aspartame. And while it hasn’t been studied, many people swear that cold showers are a surefire stress reducer.
- Relieve Depression
One of the most noted benefits of taking cold showers is that they offer relief for symptoms of depression. Cold showers stimulate what is known as “the blue spot,” which is the brains primary source of noradrenaline – a chemical which plays a role in alleviating depression. Plus the mild electroshock delivered to the brain by the cold shower (you’ll know exactly what I mean) sends an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect. There is a high density of cold receptors in the skin, much more than there are for registering warmth.
- ** Improve Immunity**
One of the most important benefits of cold showers is the fact that they increase your immunity. A study from England showed that taking regular cold showers increases the amount of disease fighting white blood cells, compared to that of those who take regular hot showers. The hypothesis was that the boys attempted to warm it’s self during the cold shower, resulting in an increase in the metabolic speed rate and activation of the immune system. This then leads to the release of more white blood cells.
- Increase Testosterone
One of the coolest benefits of cold showers, for men, is that they will cause a rise in testosterone levels. How much is hard to say, but according to this study, heat (even in small amounts) has an effect on our DNA, RNA & protein synthesis in the male testes. Fun fact: This is why our balls hang outside of our body, to stay cool. This study backs this, showing that just 15 minutes of increased heat in rat testes showed a big drop in testosterone. All that, and the fact that Russian weightlifters used to sit out in the cold before competitions, leads me to believe there is something to this cold shower and testosterone theory.
- Increases fertility
Another interesting benefit of cold showers is that they will boost your sperm count and increase fertility. Taking hot baths has been proven to be an effective male contraceptive. Men who took a half hour hot bath every other day for 3 weeks were rendered infertile for the next 6 months! On top of that, a study at USCF showed that men who stopped taking regular hot baths showed a sperm count increase of up to 491%. While a hot shower won’t be as devastating on your sperm, it will have an effect. Remember, those testes want to be nice and cool, so if your trying to conceive – do them a favor and opt for cold showers.
- Reduce Stress
Along with increasing your adaptation to stressful situations, they will lower levels of uric acid, and boost levels of Glutathione in your blood – making you less stressed in general.
- Speed Up Muscle Recovery
If you’re an athlete than you know that taking an ice bath after intense training is one of the best things you can do to recover faster. But you don’t need a high tech training facility with cold water submersibles to be able to achieve these benefits. Just take a cold shower. Although it won’t be as effective as a fully submersed ice bath, it will improve circulation, and help remove some lactic acid. Try alternating between very hot and very cold to let the blood come and go to the surface. Your muscles will thank you.
- Stimulates Weight Loss
Cold showers can aid weight loss in an unexpected way. The human body contains two types of fat tissue, white fat and brown fat. White fat is accumulated when we consume more calories than our body needs to function, and we don’t burn these calories for energy. This body fat piles up at our waist, lower back, neck, and thighs, and is the one we all struggle to eliminate. Brown fat is the good fat, which generates heat to keep our bodies warm, and is activated when exposed to extreme cold, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. Thus, cold showers can promote brown fat activity.
A 2009 study found that exposure to extreme cold temperatures activated brown fat in 23 and 24 participants by a 15-fold increase, meaning someone could lose up to nine pounds in a year if they kept this practice up.
Take a cold shower for your health ;)