Select Smart Health

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Taking Cold Showers

Most of the people find the idea of taking cold showers odd and torturous. However, this practice can be the answer to many health problems.


Advertisement:

Benefits of Taking Cold Showers

By turning the temperature to cold at the end of a shower for about 30 seconds, you can significantly improve your overall health.

The cold showers can help you to enhance your physical health, increase your energy, and improve your focus and concentration. Here are 5 amazing health benefits of taking 30-second cold showers on a daily basis.

Improve Your Circulation and Immunity

The cold water will increase your blood circulation, and, therefore, it will help you to combat many skin and heart problems.

By encouraging the arteries to pump more blood, you will strengthen your overall heart health. The cold showers can also help you to clear any blocked arteries, reduce the blood pressure, and improve the immune system.

Increase Your Alertness and Energy

Taking a cold shower in the morning can help you to enhance your alertness and energy. When you are exposed to cold water, your body will respond to the shock by deep breathing.

This will increase your oxygen intake, your heart rate, and your blood circulation. As a result, you will be provided with energy for the entire day.

Relieve Depression

One of the most noted benefits of the cold showers is that they can relieve the symptoms of depression.

The cold receptors respond to the low temperature by sending a high amount of electrical impulses from the peripheral nerve endings to the brain.

This produces an anti-depressive effect. A 2008 study showed that cold hydrotherapy provides great analgesic benefits without causing any side effects.

This treatment involves taking 1 to 2 cold showers of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. The showers should be 2 to 3 minutes long, followed by a 5-minute gradual adaptation in order to make the process less shocking.

Promote Weight Loss

The cold showers are very effective in stimulating weight loss. The body has two types of fat tissues, white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which perform opposite functions.

The accumulation of white fat occurs when you consume more calories than your body needs, and you don’t burn these calories. This fat builds up in your waist, neck, lower back, and thighs, and it is very difficult to be eliminated.

Brown fat, on the other hand, is good fat. This fat generates heat to maintain your body warm. The brown fat is activated when you are exposed to cold temperatures.

A 2009 study discovered that the exposure to very low temperatures can activate the brown fat by a 15-fold increase, which can result in a weight loss of 9 pounds per year.

Improve Your Skin and Hair

Taking a cold shower is one of the best natural ways to maintain your skin and hair healthy and beautiful. The hot water will make your skin dry, and the cold shower will help you to tighten your pores and to prevent them from getting clogged.

Also, the cold water will flatten your hair follicles and increase their ability to grip your scalp. This will make your hair healthier, stronger, and shinier.