A hot bath is the way to go, especially after a hard day at work. But, it is actually cold showers which make you get fewer sick days at work!
While many people dislike cold showers, they come with surprising benefits! Cold showers could help improve health in a dozen ways, from relaxing the mind to improving the skin and to reducing fats.
Showers are a form of hydrotherapy which could lead to days with more energy and increased levels of happiness. In 19th century, a monk called Father Sebastian Kneipp invented hydrotherapy. The process involved alternating between hot and cold water and was called contrast hydrotherapy. It is a treatment that still exists today in modern days.
Cold water causes your superficial blood vessels to constrict. This moves blood away from the surface of the body and towards organs. On the other hand, hot water causes these vessels to dilate, which can activate your sweat glands and removes waste from your body.
Cold showers can decrease inflammation as well as stimulate circulation and lymphatic drainage. Except for improving immunity, cold showers help us to reach some pretty desired health and emotional goals. They promote fat loss by activating brown fat, which generates heat around the body. The increased activity of the “good fat” burns calories to keep the body warm. Research showed that cold temperatures can boost brown fat by 15 times higher than the normal amount.
On the other hand, it promotes emotional resilience by developing a nervous system that is resilient to stress. The effort alone serves as a small form of oxidative stress, which the body would adapt over time and teach the brain to prepare for stress. As the brain learns how to deal with stressful situations, cold showers could also help cut the levels of uric acid and boost glutathione in the blood, which helps reduce stress. Cold showers have been found to relieve symptoms of depression by stimulating “the blue spot” on the brain that releases noradrenaline, a chemical that plays a role in alleviating depression.
It makes you prettier! The benefits of taking a cold shower not only give better health, but also make people look better. Ice cold water can help reduce the risk of losing too many natural oils on the skin and hair.It also helps make the hair appear shiny and strengthens their grip to the scalp.
And lastly,, who doesn`t want a great night of sleep? A 10-minute ice bath could help people get incredible sleep at night, according to a book titled “The Four Hour Body.” The book states that taking a cold shower gives elephant tranquilizer-like effect that will put you straight to bed.
Sources: Microsoft News, Medical News Today
