There I stood, 5:30 am naked as all get out with a cold shower running in the middle of December. I was going to do this. I read about the benefits (more on those later) of cold showers, and I was going to get in for 5 minutes. I was, and then I wasn’t, and then I was again. It took me longer to convince myself to take a cold shower than the shower itself lasted. “How bad could it really be?” I kept asking myself and then BOOM!!
It was like thousands of ice cold and angry drops of water, mad at me for forcing them from their slumber deep within the pipes. The cold water steals your breath, and you begin to hyperventilate. The oxygen is running from you, and the cold shower challenges you to catch it while dealing with the freezing water. You do get a little use to it, but it proves Einstein’s theory of relativity because those first seconds feel like an eternity. I rushed to do my regular shower routine, you know get all my 2000 parts (That's a soap joke).
Just as I rinsed off, the timer went off letting me know that I completed my first cold shower. I turned the water off and thought. “I did it.”. I felt like I had just slain a Dragon and had a feeling that this was the worst thing I’d go through for the rest of the day. It’s a pretty good feeling and a hell of a confidence boost. Since I started taking cold showers, I have seen the difference and wanted to share with you some benefits of taking them.
Benefits:
1. Improved Hair & Skin- Cold showers can help our hair and skin by preventing them from losing natural oils. If you suffer from dry skin, cold showers could be a remedy for you. Some men claim to have had their hair loss completely stop from cold showers.
2. Increase Testosterone & Sperm Count- Just to be blunt our balls like to be cool. That is why they hang away from our bodies. Studies in mice have shown a substantial decrease in testosterone after having their testes heated up. Even small amounts of heat have an effect on the protein synthesis in the male testes. Test show that cold showers will increase testosterone production in the body. Cool testes will produce more sperm.
3. Improved Circulation-Cold showers improve circulation by sending more blood to your organs to warm them up. This helps improve overall cardiovascular health. Switching back and forth between hot and cold intervals will have a greater impact.
4. Lose Weight- We have two types of fat, brown fat & white fat. White fat is the body fat that we all hate and is not good for us to carry. Brown fat is beneficial; its function is to keep us warm and when activated increases our metabolism, thereby helping us burn the white fat throughout the day. Brown fat is primarily located in the upper chest and upper back. This fact is useful when you are dancing in a circle trying to deal with a cold shower.
5. Fight Depression- One key benefit from cold showers is fighting depression. Cold showers have been shown to help combat depression due to the amount of cold receptors in our skin. The brain sends an overwhelming amount of electric impulses to peripheral nerve endings creating an antidepressant effect and improving our mood.
6. Shatter Your Comfort Zone-Hot showers are almost synonymous with relaxation. In order to grow and be better men we have to leave our comfort zone and this is a way to leave your comfort zone without leaving the house.
7. Improved Willpower- There is a reason to believe our power is like a muscle and cold showers act as a work out for your willpower muscle. If you want to say no to the carbs at lunch, you can start by saying yes to a cold shower before breakfast.
Now, what are you waiting for? You have a Dragon to slay.