Stepping into the bathroom thinking of taking a cold shower may not be one of your favourite things to do. Though one may accept this offer generously during summer seasons or hot, humid climates, many would just shudder and think twice before taking a cold shower during colder seasons.

Don’t worry, you and I are in the same boat. And many of us think alike as we are thinking now. But whether we like it or not, cold showers are very beneficial to us.

Cold shower benefits

Cold showers have been taken since ancient time weather in India, Egypt, Rome or Greeks. In ancient times in India, sages would take bath before sunrise during any type of climate. They knew the benefits of taking a bath early. Earlier people used to take baths only in cold water as they thought this would make them stronger. Ancient Greek and Romans used to bath in big public places. They developed the heating systems for their public bath. But bathing in hot water was a luxury in those days. Even in modern era Finnish flocks enjoy the ice hole swimming.

Taking a 5-10 minutes cold shower bath has many health benefits which one should consider to improve their overall health. If one can withstand the icy cold water then you should definitely check out the benefits of cold showers.

Cold shower benefits

Let’s see the cold shower benefits to our mind and body

1)Immunity booster:- When one takes a cold showers it increases the white blood cells in our body. When our white blood cells are increased it will help our body in fighting off the diseases. When one takes a cold shower it increases our metabolic rate in our body which will make our body generate more heat in our body and thereby activating the immune system. Numerous studies have shown that people who take cold showers regularly fall less sick then compared to peoples who do not.

2)Lowers Stress Level:- When one is suffering from anxiety or stress then one should expose themselves to cold temperature. Bathing in cold showers will help us in keeping oneself calm by regulating the cortisol level and is made in adrenal glands. When we are exposed to cold it activates our nervous system and increases our blood level. This will help in increasing our glutathione (GSH) which is also known as master antioxidant. Their main function is to alleviate the oxidative stress. Glutathione helps in fighting free radicals which can damage our body cells.

3)Helps in fat loss:- When you take a cold shower, the body starts reacting by heating up the body. It starts burning up the calories and energy to keep itself warm. The more it warms the body the more fat it starts burning than the normal mode. Cold showers activate the brown fat which in turn helps in burning the fats by releasing two hormones and helping our body to stay warm. There are two types of fats which are known as ‘white fat’ and ‘brown fat’. White fat gets stored as and when we have calories rich foods. There are many places where these foods get stored some of them are our hips, stomach, lower back and thighs. Brown fat on the other hand is a good fat which helps in keeping the body warm and gets activated when we are exposed to cold weather.

Cold shower benefits

4)Tones our skin and makes healthier hair:- Hot water baths tend to make our skin dry and on the other hand cold water helps our skin to tighten our pores. Cold water also helps in opening our pores and also helps in unclogging it. As per studies conducted cold water is very helpful in making our hair shiny, healthier and stronger. It closes the cuticle making the hair stronger. It also helps in preventing dirt accumulating in your scalp.

5)Improves alertness:- When cold water falls on our body it triggers increased heart rate and our breathing increases simultaneously. Because of this the blood pumps at very high levels and it provides our organs, body and brain with fresh blood cells. It removes the laziness of previous night sleep. The blood which runs in our whole body oxygenates our cells and keeps us alert. Go through cold showers early morning and see your alertness stay for the next whole 7-8 hours to come.

6)Better Circulation:- Cold showers improve the blood circulation which is food for organs and your cardiovascular health. When we take hot water it moves the blood to the surface of our skin but cold water does the opposite by making the blood pump more into the organs and go to that point to keep them warm which will help indirectly in good blood circulation.

Cold shower benefits

7)Controls pain and speeds up recovery:- When one is exposed to cold temperature their blood vessels constrict which will help in reduction of swelling and eases the pain. It is said that cold lessens the muscle fatigue and soreness, and is often used to ease inflammation and musculoskeletal pain for conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. People who often exercise should do cold showers after their workout. You will find many sports persons (Athletes, Runners, Rugby) when they are injured they are applied ice first or when their game ends they jump directly under cold showers or take ice baths.

8)Enhance Testosterone and fertility:-Cold showers are good for testicles as the cold water brings down the temperature of the testicles which will boost the testosterone levels. It can be a stress reliever to many men as it can increase the potency in men.  Cold showers can play an important role in maintaining healthy sexual desire. Studies have shown that men who take hot baths have struggled with their fertility but the same can be reversed when cold showers are taken.

Cold shower benefits

How to prepare yourself to take bath in cold showers

This is a challenge which everyone faces when they try it for the first time. Should I do it from today or should I postpone it tomorrow. Why is it so necessary, why I shouldn’t try for an alternative? All these questions arise when early morning you are being told to stand below a cold shower or you are doing this yourself without being told by anyone.

You can try these below things to prepare your mind. Though not a hard and fast rule to follow the below point but one can try these things when getting ready to take a cold shower.

a)Put your leg or hands in water first so your body gets used to the cold temperature of the water.

b)Instead of directly standing under showers you can splash some water on the dry area of your body like face, torso, arms.

c)Bend your waist so only your head is under showers. Run your face and hair under running water so as not to wet your whole body

d)Fill the cold water in a bucket and dip a cotton towel and rub it on your body. This will make your body get used to the temperature of cold water.

e)Keep on repeating in your mind that your body would love this activity and it is for the benefit of our body. You will feel motivated when you repeat these positive sentences.

f)Keep soap, shampoo ready and be ready with a dry towel and clothes which should be kept nearby on stand or nearby chair. Because once you have finished with cold showers your body will be already cold and with a cold body you do not need to run after towel or clothes to make yourself dry.

Below are few disadvantages or things to consider before taking cold shower

Things to consider before implementing cold shower as cold shower are supposed to have a healing effect on you rather than doing physical torture on oneself.

a)When you go in a cold shower there is a sudden shock which passes to our body this might cause heart attack or stroke.

b)If you are already sick then this is would not be an ideal time to go for cold shower as when you bath in cold shower body temperature go down and the body which is already recovering from illness can’t warm the body fast

c)Bathing in cold showers can’t be done by everyone in all seasons especially winters. One should accept that and respect our body.

If you haven’t done it before and want to try it for the first time, then see to it that you enjoy the cold shower in smaller doses such as 1-2 minutes.

Though the cold shower has lots of benefits, if you go beyond your limits then it can be dangerous. If you stay longer under showers or jump in ice lakes, then chances are, you can get hypothermia, ice burns, and frostbite. Enjoy the cold shower benefit, but at the same time be careful and stay wise.

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