Hopping into a cold shower does the trick to wake you up in the morning, but did you know it has health benefits, too?
Cold exposure or cold therapy like ice packs and cold water baths have been used for centuries, and today, researchers still vouch for its health benefits. Although you may not have enough ice on hand to fill a bath, try cold therapy by taking an icy cold shower.
It helps after exercise
Those aches and the burn you feel after a hearty workout can be eased with a cold splash. Take a quick cold shower after exercising to reduce inflammation or soreness.
It lifts your mood
If you’re groggy as soon as you get out of bed in the morning, a cold shower will help. When cold water hits your body, your breathing quickens in response to the cold. Your heart rate speeds up and you feel a rush of blood through your body which will give you an energy boost.
It’s a fat burner
There are two kinds of fat in your body, brown and white fat. White fat is what you try so hard to burn in the gym. When you eat too many calories and your body isn’t able to burn it, it gets stored stores as white fat. This usually latches around your mid-section, thighs, lower back and neck. Brown fat, on the other hand, keeps your body warm by generating heat. A cold shower can get that brown fat burning.
It strengthens your nervous system
Cold temperatures are like a workout for your nervous system, which teaches it to adapt and become stronger. Researchers, along with extreme athlete, Wim Hoff proved that cold exposure can help you learn how to control your autonomic nervous system, a part of the nervous system responsible for control of breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes. This can be achieved by using cold exposure like a cold shower.
It’s an immune system booster
A cold sprinkle might be just the thing your immune system needs to work at its best. Research found that cold exposure to the point of adaptation and recovery can up the immune response. A man sat for 12 hours at five degree Celsius and had higher levels of immune cells after being treated. This means that a slight change in your body’s homeostasis (balance); like taking an icy dip; can help keep your immune system on its toes in case of emergencies. Be careful, though. Don’t expose your body to the point of hypothermia (having an abnormally low body temperature).