Did you know there were some amazing benefits of cold showers?
You may look at someone who takes cold showers, especially in cold winters, as if they have lost their mind.
The next time your loved one insists on a cold bath, try not to stop them.
Cold showers have positive effects on your well-being and health, but so do hot ones. You may ask if you should take warm or cold baths.
16 reasons you should be taking a cold shower
There may be more positive benefits of cold showers than you realize. They improve your physical well-being in unexpected ways.
1. Reduces stress
According to experts, swimming in cold water significantly decreases cortisol. Splashing your face with it slows your heart down. It is an apt treatment for unusually fast heart rates.
2. Improves mood
Cold showers increase your beta-endorphins and noradrenaline blood levels, which will lift your mood.
3. Enhances skin quality
Cold water tightens your skin’s pores and reduces under-eye puffiness. To experience its best effects on your skin, do wash your face with warm water first.
4.Improves alertness and focus
Cold showers may enhance your concentration. A combination of hot and cold water accelerates your breathing rate and oxygen intake.
5. Prevents depression
Cold showers are ideal for people with chronic depression or inflammation. Triggering cold receptors is therapeutic. Cold water constricts your blood vessels, allowing the body to conserve heat. It also sends fresh blood to the brain and other organs, oxygenating them. With fresh oxygen and nutrients, you are bound to feel refreshed.
6. Improves hair quality
Cold showers drastically improve your hair quality. Cold water moisturizes and conditions your hair naturally. Cold water smoothens hair follicles and retains moisture.
7. Treats sore muscles
There may be more benefits of cold showers that you probably expect, especially with ice-cold water. Their advantages make them favorites among athletes and fitness experts.
Chris Beakley from the University of Ulster found that treating sore muscles with cold water was more efficient than doing nothing. It reduced muscle soreness by 20%. Athletes Kobe Bryant and Lechon James use it to treat their sore muscles and inflammation.
8. Prevents Varicose Veins
Cold water can help an older person stand up without any pain in his legs. It is one of the best remedies for varicose veins, a common malady among the elderly. Cold water stimulates the smooth muscle that links vessels and causes them to contract.
9. Stimulates Immune System Function
Cold water encourages blood cells to gather around your organs. It allows the arteries to pump blood efficiently, therefore increasing circulation and boosting overall heart health.
Renowned natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola attests to its ability to lower blood pressure. It also clears blocked arteries and purges waste from the body, therefore boosting your immunity.
10. Enhanced willpower
Willpower is an emotional muscle that needs to strengthen and grow. It is a higher predictor of success than IQ. Take a cold shower to increase it. A cold shower in the morning works as well as doing 100 push-ups.
11. Encourages weight loss and fat burning
Cold showers increase your metabolic rate and enhance your fat-burning capabilities. They also encourage the build up of healthy brown fat, located around the neck and collarbone. Brown fat determines if your body mass is healthy, and people often associate it with trimmer waistlines. It also helps to regulate blood sugar.
12. Boost Fertility
Cold showers are a boon for fertility levels, and explain why testicles are the only organ outside of the body. They need to have a lower temperature to preserve sperm. Some old school powerlifters had the habit of freezing the ballsack before big competitions.
Studies performed on rams and monkeys by J Androl. et al. showed that animal cells exposed to heat could not secrete testosterone.
13. Increase emotional resilience
If you feel put out because of a tough day, a cold shower will help you. According to a study by Siems WG et al., winter swimmers secreted more antioxidants and less cortisol than people who did not swim in cold conditions.
Their bodies adapted better to the cold.
14. They wake you up
An ice-cold shower is a way to get you up in the morning. If you have trouble getting up for the day, a cold shower provide assistance.
15. And help you sleep
Cold showers can wake you up in the morning, and help you get your beauty sleep as well. In The Four Hour Body, Tim Ferris states that a 10-minute ice bath acts like a powerful tranquilizer that puts an elephant to sleep.
16. Improves the lymphatic system
The lymphatic system ferries waste from your cells. Like all objects, your lymph vessels contract in cold temperatures and expand in warmer ones. The adaptation results in a stronger immune system and better health.
The Side effects of taking cold showers
Although there are benefits of cold showers, they are not perfect health boosters; they can have detrimental effects, especially after rigorous exercise.
Since they cause blood vessels to constrict, you will want to avoid them if you have heart diseases or hypertension. The narrowing of the veins will reduce blood supply to the brain, which could lead to a stroke.
Why a hot shower may work
Hot showers are a practical alternative if you feel tense and anxious. Hot water can soothe aching muscles. It massages your back, shoulders, and neck.
Hot water also raises oxytocin, the hormone that creates a soothing, “cuddle” effect. It reduces anxiety and makes sleep easier.
Hot water opens pores and behaves like a natural decongestant. The steam will keep your nasal passages moist.
Experiencing the benefits of both hot and cold showers
Cold showers have benefits, as do warm ones. Alternate them to boost your well-being.
You may finish off a hot shower by rinsing yourself in cold water for a few minutes. Alternating hot and cold water will work as well. Start with your upper body to prevent a sudden increase in blood pressure.
Enjoy good health by having the best of both worlds.
… and if you are a cold swimmer and know some extra benefits of cold showers from your personal experience, let us know in the comments below!
References:
Original article and pictures take www.lifeadvancer.com site
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