- Benefits of showering or bathing with cold water
- 1-Improve your physical health
- 2-Psychological benefits
- 3-Improve your mood
- 4-Increased energy and faster recovery
- 5-Treatment of inflammations
- 6-stress tolerance
- 7-Lymphatic movement
- 8-detoxify your body
- 9-Improve sleep
- 10-Better appearance of skin and hair
- 11-Increase in testosterone
- 12-Improve breathing
- 13-Increase the metabolic rate
- 14-Improve your willpower
- 15-They can improve your self-esteem
- The benefit is in the habit
- Situations in which to avoid cold showers or baths
- Starting with the cold showers
- My experience with cold showers
- Share on social networks (hover over the image)
The benefits of bathing in cold water are numerous; improves physical and psychological health. Some of its effects are to improve mood, increase energy, reduce inflammation or improve the quality of sleep.
Cold showers have been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for general health and well-being. In fact, until the last century taking hot showers was a luxury that most of the population could not afford.
Spartans used to get up from their wooden beds, exercise for two hours, and then take a cold bath. They thought that hot water was for the weak and that cold water conditioned their bodies and minds to be strong, vigorous, and always ready for battle.
The first showers with heating systems were developed by the Athenians and it seems that luxuries like these are what helped the downfall of the Spartan society that is admired today.
Several cultures around the world use cold water as part of their religious ceremonies. For example, the Japanese Shinto practice a ritual called Misogi, which involves sitting or standing under a waterfall to purify their souls.
In countries like Russia or Finland, a popular pastime during the winter is rotating between the sauna and going outside to jump in frozen lakes surrounded by snow. In modern times, world-class athletes use ice baths to lighten the recovery process and improve performance.
Before I start with the benefits: I would like to know your experience. Have these showers worked for you? What effects have you observed? Any other comments? Knowing your opinion will help us to draw better conclusions based on more people.
Benefits of showering or bathing with cold water
1-Improve your physical health
The force of the cold water on your skin makes your heart beat faster and your muscles flex. This sends blood to your muscles and vital organs. Hot water does the opposite, moving blood to the surface of the skin.
Alternating between hot and cold water while in the shower is a great way to stimulate and improve circulation. This also works to improve the functioning of the nervous system.
2-Psychological benefits
The ancient samurais of Japan used to pour buckets of ice water on their heads in the morning to cleanse their body and spirit.
They believed it helped them start each day and adventure fresh. Cold showers release chemicals in the brain that improve your mood, decrease stress and anxiety, and relieve depression.
3-Improve your mood
Cold showers can stimulate the secretion of norepinephrine in the brain, which is associated with improving mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder.
When cold water touches your body, your breathing is deeper in response to the shock generated. It is the body's way of trying to keep you warm by increasing oxygen intake. Your heart rate also increases, resulting in a rush of blood through your body that makes you feel energized.
4-Increased energy and faster recovery
Besides there is nothing like cold water to wake you up, cold showers can increase your energy levels as the nerve endings in your skin are activated. Your heart starts to beat faster and you start to breathe fast.
On the other hand, cold water makes you recover sooner after playing sports. In fact, athletes often take ice cream baths after strenuous exercise.
5-Treatment of inflammations
Ice baths are often used by athletes to reduce inflammation after a training session. Veins contract throughout the body and toxins are removed from the blood.
6-stress tolerance
In general, exposures to cold improve your ability to manage stress. Over time, this leads to a strengthening of your immune system.
Cold showers have also been used to reduce chronic pain, kidney function, and improve sleep quality.
7-Lymphatic movement
The lymphatic system is separated from the blood vessels and is responsible for transporting waste from cells and fighting pathogens. Lymphatic fluid contains waste and white blood cells, which fight infection.
Cold showers cause the entire body to contract and this is very good for the lymphatic system as the fluid spreads throughout the body. If the lymphatic system is not efficient, fluid accumulates in the extremities (usually the feet) and this can result in damage to health.
8-detoxify your body
Cold water encourages toxins to be flushed out of the skin. Therefore, they do not remain inside the body, where they can cause infections.
9-Improve sleep
For some reason it helps improve the quality of sleep. This could be due to the feeling of well-being and relaxation after the shock with the cold shower or bath.
10-Better appearance of skin and hair
Hot water opens your pores and cold water closes them. Using hot water to clean your pores and then using cold water to close them will improve the appearance of your skin. The same treatment works with the hair.
11-Increase in testosterone
Heat is known to kill sperm. On the contrary, cold water baths have the opposite effect, as they increase the level of testosterone in your body, which leads to an increase in sperm production and improvement of fertility.
12-Improve breathing
As soon as you take a cold shower, you are likely to hyperventilate, which is a natural response. However, panic will only make the experience somewhat more unpleasant so it is in your interest to calm down and take a deep breath.
13-Increase the metabolic rate
Cold showers increase the metabolic rate. Cold temperatures force your body to continuously regulate its temperature, which uses up a lot of calories.
14-Improve your willpower
If you are not used to it, showering with very cold water is not pleasant, especially if it is winter. Doing so requires willpower. When you do it several times, you will build that strength to do difficult things and your resilience.
15-They can improve your self-esteem
One of the best ways to improve your self-esteem is to do things that are difficult for you. If you are used to showering with hot water and changing to cold water is a challenge, by doing so you will have achieved something that will help you to have more self-confidence.
The benefit is in the habit
Although a cold shower has immediate benefits, waking you up and energizing you, the greatest benefits are seen in the long term; After a few weeks. Studies confirm that getting used to it is the most beneficial.
Getting used to the cold takes approximately 10 days in humans, and the main change is a hypothermic response. With constant exposure to cold air or water, humans can acclimatize and increase norepinephrine and thyroxine, which are considered "good stress" hormones. It will also guide fatty acid mobilization and fat loss in 1 to 2 weeks.
Situations in which to avoid cold showers or baths
As with everything, there is a good time to take cold showers and also a time to avoid them.
Cold showers should not be taken by pregnant or menstruating women because their body is already in a stressful situation.
Of course, also avoid taking them if you have a cold or feel weak.
Starting with the cold showers
Now for the action, how can you start showering with cold water?
- Recognize that new habits require discomfort: as soon as you recognize that the great goals you want to achieve and the new habits you want to have in your life require discomfort, it will be easier for you.
- Little by little or suddenly: there are people who feel more comfortable doing it little by little and others prefer to do it suddenly. If you notice that doing it little by little you regret it and you end up not doing it, try to do it suddenly so you do not have the option to back down.
- Do not think long term: if you consider that you will have to take cold showers the rest of your life it will be much more difficult.
- Sweat first: even if you live in a country with a cold climate, you can exercise first and then take a shower. It will also be a way to refresh yourself and prevent fatigue and muscle pain after long sessions of exercise.
- Focus on your breathing: you will have to keep the focus on your breathing. I recommend that you read about mindfulness to learn more about it.
My experience with cold showers
I noticed:
-Higher resistance to frustration or if you want to call it, more courage: the simple thing is to turn on the gas or heat the electric bottle and use hot water. However, showering with cold water requires courage because it is a stimulus that, especially at first, is unpleasant. This is also related to stress tolerance, discussed earlier.
-More fat burning: although I usually exercise and I am fit, I have noticed a lower percentage of fat in my body.
-Greater sense of well-being and health in general.
-Greater sense of self-control.
-Increased motivation. In this sense, I also recommend you write down several motivational phrases.
-Increased ability to concentrate. At this point I recommend that you do the following: when you are showering with cold water, calm down and do not get nervous. Take a deep breath and focus on an external point, it could be the sponge or a tile on the bathroom wall. You can also focus on the sensation that the water produces, but being aware that it is you who controls the reaction you have to it. You can tell yourself that it is a pleasant or unpleasant sensation, you choose.
-Sensation of relaxation: both during the day and at the end of the shower.
Share on social networks (hover over the image)
References
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8925815
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17993252