Cold Shower Benefits
You’re enjoying a lovely warm shower, the water is at the perfect temperature, steamy but not too hot, and then you hear the distant sound of a tap being turned on, the toilet flushing, or the dishwasher kicking into action. Theres only a few seconds to react… and if you’re too slow… hello instant shock as that beautifully warm water turns freezing cold, like a bucket of ice has been thrown over your head. It only lasts a few seconds… but those few seconds can feel like pure torture.
Most of us have been in the same situation, meaning that even the thought of a cold shower is going to send most men running for the hills. So why would anyone even consider going through the whole experience on purpose? It seems crazy, to put yourself through that for no reason? Unless of course there is a VERY good reason…
Cold showers are not quite becoming THE new trend, but there is a reason why some men are switching up their morning routines, ignoring the warm tap, and instead spinning that cold tap. This is not just to start the day with a ‘refreshing’ icy blast but improve the overall wellbeing of your body.
Think you could stomach a cold shower in the morning after your alarm clock goes off. Take a look at the top 15 benefits of taking the plunge and turning your shower cold!
1. Get Energized
The first benefit of a cold shower is an obvious one – that icy blast is going to wake you up. If mornings are not your thing, then starting your day will a cold shower and a coffee is one of the best ways to become alert, energized, and ready for the day ahead.
2. Breathe Better
Partially behind the boost in energy you’ll feel, is the difference in breathing that you’ll experience. That deep breath when you get into the shower, and the faster breathing as you get accustomed to the water, is all going to give you a massive energy boost to start your day right.
3. Get a Better Night’s Sleep
As shocking as it sounds, a cold shower is not just going to wake you up in the morning but put you to sleep in the evening. If you’re in favour of evening showers, then that cold shower is going to help you get to sleep. For those who have difficultly getting into a regular sleeping pattern, a cold shower could be the solution.
4. Let Your Muscles Recover
Cold therapy, such as taking an ice bath, is popular amongst athletes, especially after training. You experience something similar when you take a cold shower – your blood circulation will be improved, and your muscles will be given chance to recover.
5. Improve your Immunity
Improving your immunity is a massive benefit of taking a cold shower. Its be shown that having cold showers on a regular basis can boost the body’s production of white blood cells by triggering the immune system. White blood cells can help you to fight diseases and infections.
6. Boost your Circulation
A significant health benefit, a cold shower is going to warm up your organs as you body rushes to send more blood to where its needed. The triggered circulatory system stimulation will improve the blood circulation in your body.
7. Better Defend your Body
Another major health benefit, when you switch up your shower between cold and hot, is to the lymphatic system. This system is responsible for removing the waste in cells, which in turn gives your body extra protection. A hot and cold shower will encourage the system to kick into action and strengthen your immune system.
8. Boost Testosterone
It has been proven that a cold shower gives men a testosterone production boost. Heat can be damaging to testosterone production, so switching to semi-regular cold showers could alleviate the stress and make sure that your body is producing the right amount of testosterone.
9. Reduce the Symptoms of Depression
A very surprising benefit, but one that is very important, is the reduction in depression symptoms. The initial cold blast of water causes a shock to the body, triggering the stimulation of noradrenaline, which well known for reducing the symptoms that accompany depression.
10. Lose Weight
It is possible to simulate weight loss with a cold shower, and not just as you burn calories jumping about trying to get away from the cold. When the body is exposed to the cold, it instantly tries to get warm. In this case, its going to trigger the brown fat in your body, helping you to burn calories, and also give you more energy.
11. Increased Fertility
Hot showers/baths and cold showers/baths are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to boosting fertility in men. Exposure to hot water on a very regular basis will likely leave you will a lowered sperm count. Switching a few hot showers a week to cold showers, could see your sperm count increase.
12. Improve the Appearance of your Skin
While hot showers make the skin dry and itchy, cold showers improve the appearance of your skin by closing your pores. It’s still important to make sure your pores are clean with facial cleaners, but avoiding hot showers and keeping your natural oils intact, will really benefit the overall heath of your skin.
13. Strengthen your Hair
Just like with your skin, your hair is also going to receive a health boost when you take a cold shower. A cold shower will keep your hair follicles healthy and give your hair a shinier appearance. The extra strength that this gives your hair can help to combat problems like hair loss, especially when combined with the right shampoo, such as dandruff shampoos.
14. Lower Stress Levels
There is something to be said for starting the day stress and worry free – something that a cold shower is going to be able to help you with. Your body will see an increase in glutathione levels, which will help to relieve you of stress, and start your day in the right way.
15. Train your Body to Withstand Stress
Just as your body is going to feel less stressed by taking a cold shower, it will also train itself to be more resilient. While initially diving into that chilly water is going to be a stressful experience, it will slowly build up your resistance to stress. Your nervous system will begin to train itself to deal with stress over time, eventually making a cold shower as easy as a walk in the park.
Is Your Willpower Strong Enough to Take the Challenge?
The true test of the day is to your willpower, and whether you’re brave enough to give a cold shower a real chance. You may be happy to know that as time goes by, those cold showers can help strengthen your willpower – but of course, that doesn’t help you dive in initially and give it a go.
The best piece of advice is to find that inner courage, take the plunge, and dive straight in. Give yourself a time frame, and if it doesn’t work out, and least you can say that you tried. Whether you learn to live with cold showers, or even learn to love them, you can’t deny that there are benefits to be found; to your health, wellbeing, and appearance.
