Why I Take Cold Showers And You Should Too
For the past three years I’ve taken a cold shower almost every
single day. You might think I’m crazy and at first; trust me, at first I thought
I was too. But hold your judgment, hear me out, give it a try and then you can
thank me.
What are the benefits of cold showers?
1. Improve
Mood
A 2007 study looked at how cold showers affected people with
depression. Here is what the authors of the study hypothesized:
“Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous
system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to
increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally,
due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is
expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral
nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect.”
The study ended up finding that cold showers of 2-3 minutes
helped to relieve some of the symptoms associated with depression (1).
2. Relieve Stress
A 1994 study found that short term cold water exposure helped to
reduce the blood levels of uric acid and glutathione which suggest a decrease
in the stress response (2).
Cold showers are a form of “stress” on the body. Just like the
body responds to exercise (also a “stress”) by becoming more resilient and
resistant to all types of stress, the body adapts to cold showers and becomes
more resistant to stressors. Therefore, cold showers can help improve your
ability to handle stress on a daily basis.
3. Fat Loss
The body has two main types of fat, white fat and brown fat.
White fat
is reason why most of us don’t have 6-packs all year round. White fat a site of
energy storage and is involved in the
body’s hormonal response, In other words, when you eat too much food on
thanksgiving, it gets turned into white fat.
Brown fat
is more closely linked to our metabolism and is most well-known for helping to keep us warm.
When the body is exposed to the cold, brown fat is activated and
burn more calories in an attempt to keep us warm. A 2009 study found that
exposure to extremely cold temperatures increase brown fat activity by 15% in
95.8% of subjects (3). In other words, cold showers cause your body to burn
more calories, which can help you lose weight if that is your goal.
4. Improve Circulation
When the body is exposed to the cold, the blood vessels near the
surface of our skin constrict in order to minimize heat loss. Blood rushes from
the surface of our skin in towards our internal organs. According to natural
health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, cold showers can help lower blood pressure,
improve the health of our circulatory system and help our heart more efficiently
pump blood (4).
5. Build Will Power
This one is simple… cold showers aren’t appealing and aren’t
comfortable (at least at first).
It’s easy to whimp out and turn the dial towards hot; trust me,
there were a few failed attempts before I actually took the plunge. It’s not
easy to will yourself to get into a cold shower. BUT, if you can successfully
conquer cold showers and become comfortable forcing yourself to step into an
uncomfortable situation, you can create a habit that will carry over into other
areas of your life.
References:
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