The benefits of cold showers
Cold showers are a preemptive strike on depression, illness, and aging. For those who are not yet familiar with the powerful and life-changing advantages of taking cold showers, here is a short summary with additional commentary from my own experience taking cold showers for years.
1. Stress Reduction: Cooling Down for Mental Well-being
Cold water exposure activates the body’s stress response, leading to a decrease in cortisol levels. This contributes to an overall reduction in stress and anxiety, offering a refreshing approach to mental well-being through daily cold showers.
100% true, when I take a cold shower, I feel good and relaxed all day. It’s like you do a preemptive strike on stressful situations that might occur throughout the day. It’s like you already went to war with your mind & comfort zone at 5am and anything that comes your way won’t phase you and you will be a much calmer version of yourself for the rest of the day.
2. Immune system power house: Build resistance with a daily cold shower
Daily cold showers are associated with a reduction in reported sick days at work. Cold water exposure boosts white blood cell count and may lead to positive adaptive changes in the antioxidant system, enhancing the body’s readiness to combat stress factors.
Also true. I cannot remember the last time I caught a cold and when it does feel like something is coming it dissappears before it even started.
3. Inflammation reduction: A cold shower for permanent vitality & chronic health
Chronic inflammation is linked to various diseases and illnesses, but habitual exposure to cold showers decreases inflammatory responses over time. By activating the sympathetic nervous system, cold showers lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to a healthier inflammatory profile.
4. Improved skin glow: Cold showers impact on skin health
Cold water can invigorate and tighten the skin, improving its overall health. The cool temperature helps constrict pores, reducing the likelihood of acne and promoting a refreshed complexion.
5. Muscle building properties: Swap hot for cold for gains
Opting for cold water post-workout contributes to enhanced muscle gains. A study from 2015 indicated that cold water immersion could attenuate long-term gains in muscle mass and strength, potentially influencing key proteins and satellite cells in skeletal muscle.
6. Testosterone Boost: Cold Showers and Hormonal Harmony
Research suggests that cold water exposure has a positive impact on testosterone levels. Cold showers stimulate the production of testosterone, a key hormone associated with muscle growth, energy levels, and overall vitality. The influence of cold showers on your hormonal balance adds another intriguing aspect to their benefits.
Couldn’t agree more. Cold showers bring out the animal in you and you can feel every cell inside your body man up.
7. Sexual Health Support: Cold Water's Influence on Intimate Well-being
Cold showers contribute to improved sexual health by promoting blood circulation to the genital area. The vasoconstrictive effect of cold water, followed by vasodilation as the body warms up, enhances blood flow to the sex organs. This increased circulation plays a role in maintaining optimal sexual function and overall intimate well-being. The link between cold showers and sexual health adds a noteworthy dimension to their numerous benefits.
Confidence and a better sex life come with the Testosterone boost and mindset you get from regular cold showers. This is definitely a must for serious lovers, and it’s what women like.
8. Effective exercise recovery: Cold water for muscle health & restoration
Following intense workouts, cold water immersion constricts blood vessels, reducing muscle swelling and inflammation. As the body warms up post-shower, vasodilation occurs, pumping fresh, warm blood into tissues, aiding in the delivery of nutrients and oxygen for effective exercise recovery.
Again 100% true, muscle recovery without the cold showers is a difference of night and day.
9. Blood sugar management: Cold showers as a therapeutic approach
Cold water therapy, particularly through swimming, has shown promise in hindering the development of Type 2 diabetes and improving its management. Studies indicate that female swimmers with lower body fat percentages experience increased insulin sensitivity, reduced insulin secretion, and resistance, offering a potential avenue for holistic diabetes care. aiding in the delivery of nutrients and oxygen for effective exercise recovery.
10. Mood enhancement: A daily boost of peace & happiness
Cold showers are a natural mood booster, triggering the release of mood-regulating neurotransmitters like endorphins. The stimulation of cold receptors in the skin sends powerful electrical impulses to the brain, alleviating depressive symptoms without noticeable side effects.
Yes, probably one of my favorite benefits you get from cold showers and that’s just feeling good. It’s such a rush and gets the happy molecules bouncing around all day inside your temple.
10. It will wake you up fr fr
You know how it usually takes 2 cups of coffee and some time to get out of that sluggish feeling after you wake up and it can take hours before you are really awake and reach peak alertness? Those days are over once you get in the habit of taking cold showers. You will be alert and awake alright because every cell in your body is fully awake, has assumed its position, and is ready to go.
The science behind taking cold showers
The science behind taking daily cold showers revolves around the body’s intricate physiological responses to cold water exposure. When subjected to cold temperatures, the skin’s cold receptors send robust electrical signals to the brain, activating the sympathetic nervous system. This activation triggers a cascade of physiological changes, including the release of hormones such as catecholamines, norepinephrine, and β-endorphin. These chemicals play a crucial role in elevating mood, increasing alertness, and mitigating symptoms of depression.
Additionally, cold water exposure has been linked to improved blood sugar management, immune system support, and exercise recovery. Studies also suggest potential benefits for hormonal balance, with indications that cold showers may influence testosterone levels. The vasoconstrictive and vasodilatory effects of cold water contribute to enhanced blood circulation, impacting not only overall health but potentially supporting sexual organ health. While further research is ongoing, the existing scientific understanding underscores the multifaceted benefits of incorporating daily cold showers into one’s routine.
How to take a cold shower
From experience, here are my suggestions on how to get into a lasting habit of making cold showers an enjoyable routine. I don’t recommend jumping straight into a cold shower unless it’s right after a workout. This is for your daily morning shower. It is important to get a full range of temperature, don’t get stuck on the cold part.
Start your shower the way you always do, nice and warm doing your wash-up routine. Make it focus to fully relax all muscles and relieve all tensions throughout your whole body. If you have the space, stretch any part of your body that you can. Do some head roles and relax your neck muscles. Throughout this process, you should slowly increase the temperature to as warm as it feels comfortable to you. Do NOT test yourself on how much heat your body can take. When it feels uncomfortable, then it is too hot. This should take 3-5 minutes.
Now, turn it to cold. When doing the switch for the first few times, you might want to take a deep breath and hold it. Once you master the cold shower routine, you will be able to do it by breathing calmly and relaxed. Don’t do the switch from hot to cold slowly, man up and go for it. This is the hard part but you will get used to it. The reason for making an instant switch from hot to cold is the shock effect on your body and the instant activation of all body resources to protect all your systems from the temperature change. Your blood circulation, increases, delivering freshly oxygenated blood to affected areas which is your whole body. The levels of leukocytes (white blood cells) levels increase, powering up your immunesystem. Your body’s pasture starts straightening out and testosterone levels increase because you’re in a fight for “survival”. Try to give your body equal time under warm and cold water and make sure the cold water hits all your body parts. It’s all about balance.
Last but not least, treat your body with a nurturing moisturizer like Bitter Oil body oil which is 100% preservative, additive, and chemical free, infused with 12 powerful root extracts to give your skin the glow it deserves.
By no means is this the only way to take cold showers, to each her/his own. I have tried many different ways, but I can tell you that giving your body the full spectrum of temperatures is what makes sense, because both hot and cold have their own healing properties.
Daniel Florian
