Few things are better than a long, hot shower. When you are cold, when you want to warm up your muscles in the morning or just when you want to gain inspiration. Cold shower? Brrrr - you mustn't think about it. But although I have to admit that my shower jets are rarely below 30 degrees, cold showers do have a number of major benefits for yourself and the environment. It is not for nothing that it used to be done by entire tribes.
These are the reasons why from now on you want to shower cold every morning, also during the weekend:
Gives an energy kick
You might not expect it, but taking a cold shower will cause much more adrenaline in your body. Hello energy kick! Cold showers also cause more stimuli on your skin, in other words: more signals from the peripheral nerve endings to your brain. And you just think that taking a hot shower was good to wake up.
Improves your body performance
According to research, cold showers ensure a better recovery of your muscle functions after a workout. In this way you would be able to deliver better performance with the next effort. A shower of 10 minutes would even be more effective than an equally long cooling down! An ice-cold shower is also good to prevent inflammation and injuries after a workout.
Speeds up your blood circulation
Cold showers cause vasodilation and vasoconstriction, dilation and narrowing of blood vessels. This speeds up the blood circulation in your body. Your heart rate goes up, which means that blood flows from your heart to your organs faster. That is good against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. You may not even know that your cardiovascular system existed at all, but you now know that cold showers make you happy.
Better for the environment (and your wallet)
Heating water costs a lot of gas, which you all save if you just leave the water cold. In addition, there is a good chance that your items will remain in a cold for less than a hot shower for less time, and therefore also save water. Your wallet will also be happy with that gas and water saving.
Makes you happier
Cold water causes the release of endorphins in your body, a substance that is also generated during exercise, pain, spicy food and orgasms. Endorphins are not only natural painkillers (another benefit for after exercise), but they also ensure a higher level of happiness. In addition, it has been proven that regular cold showers can help against depression better than antidepressants.
Good for your skin and hair
Where warm water tends to dry out your skin, cold water rather provides a protective layer that helps against clogged pores. Hot weather and dry air may cause itching but it also ensures that your hair becomes stronger and shinier.
Changes the fat in your body
There are two types of fat in your body: white fat tissue that you get if you eat too many calories and that is hard to get rid of, compared to brown tissue, which is burned when you get cold, for example. According to a number of studies cold temperatures would create a hormone system that turns white fat into brown fat - provided you shower cold of course every day. This would also make you lose weight faster.
You are better prepared for the day
This all sounds nice and nice, but cold water is and remains a stress factor for your body. However, the more of those stress factors you have to deal with, the better your body can handle them. The more often you take a cold shower, the more your body gets used to stress and the more powerful it becomes.
In short: cold showers are super healthy (also for the earth). But how do you do that? The easiest way is to get used to it slowly, by turning the temperature a little lower. Only a cold shower after a workout is also possible; maybe that's even nice. By the way, be careful: too long cold showers can eventually cause hypothermia. Even people with heart problems do not always benefit.
Misty Jhones