For two years I’m taking cold showers on a daily basis. Yes, even in Winters! I can’t even go without anymore. However, when I wash my hair with shampoo, I start with a warm shower and end with a cold shower, otherwise, I get a brain freeze because my head stays under the cold water too long to rinse out the shampoo.
Cold showering has many advantages, but what does science say about cold showers?
In short, is it worth all the pain and effort to exchange that nice warm water for ice-cold rays that hurt when they touch your skin?
Cold showering is nothing new. Already in the 19th century, people were advised to take a cold shower because it would help against various diseases and would be beneficial for other things. However, there was never any scientific evidence for it. The doctors who recommended this were soon labeled as quacks. Yet these doctors were not nearly as crazy.
Nowadays, scientific research has shown that cold showering is healthy and that it can improve your health in several aspects. So, with something as simple as turning off the hot water tap, you can achieve both physical and mental benefits and get more out of life! Isn't that great?
This article explains 11 benefits of why cold showers boost your health. It’s a mix of my own experiences after months of cold showering and benefits based on scientific research.
This article explains why cold showers boost your health!
1. It's energizing
Okay, that’s a slam dunk. But it does give you a lot of energy in the morning! Therefore, I never take cold showers before I go to sleep.
The reason cold showers are energizing is that your whole body is activated to protect itself from the cold. Your body is, so to speak, out of its comfort zone.
2. It boost your immune system
One of the main advantages of cold showering is that it boosts your immune system.
Why is this?
A 1993 study by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England shows that by frequently exposing your body to cold water, the amount of white blood cells increases.
So, your immune system is briefly stimulated and is briefly under an increased stress level. The production of white blood cells that fight diseases as they enter your body is increased. This makes your immune system stronger.
3. It improves your blood circulation
Cold showering improves your blood circulation. When you take a cold shower, vessels constrict, causing the blood pressure to temporarily rise and keeping your organs in the core of your body warm. The process of narrowing and dilating your vessels again increases your vascular flexibility. Stimulating your cardiovascular system in this way is great for your cardiovascular health.
A question that is asked many times is: Isn't cold showering dangerous when you're dealing with cardiovascular disease?
Whether cold showering is dangerous with cardiovascular disease depends on the type and severity of the condition. In some cases, it can indeed be dangerous to start cold training. But in other cases, it can be very beneficial and is not dangerous.
It is therefore difficult to give an unambiguous and concrete answer. Whether cold showering is dangerous should, therefore, be considered on an individual level. It is therefore always best to consult with a doctor or specialist.
4. It activates your brown fat
Can you lose weight by starting cold showering? Oooh I'm sure you're going to like this answer!
It is certainly true that cold showering helps you to lose weight. Don't expect miracles, but it's definitely worth it. I'll explain to you why.
Many people don't know this, but there are two kinds of fat in your body.
Brown fat and white fat. You're probably not so happy with the white fat, because white fat takes care of those straps around your waist. Brown fat, on the other hand, is very good for you. The function of brown fat is to quickly generate heat and keep your body warm.
The moment you step under the cold shower, brown fat is activated. You get more energy and burn more calories to keep your body warm.
Studies have shown that regular cold showers can substantially increase your brown fat. Because you have more brown fat, which converts white fat into energy and heat, this helps you to lose weight. Isn't that awesome?
When you've trained well you can see if you can even go a little further by taking a cold shower to see what your body and mind are actually capable of!
5. It makes your skin and hair healthier
Hot water dries out your hair and skin. The natural oils in your skin and hair are lost due to the hot water. If you want to avoid itchy dry skin and a dry bunch of hair, turn off the hot tap. Besides that, cold water automatically closes your hair cuticles, making the hair look less dull and frizzy. The same applies to the skin scales. Your skin is more glowing, which makes you look fresher.
In addition, cellulite is also prevented. These are in fact accumulated fat pillows. You can counteract this by improving blood circulation. Because of the cold water, skin doesn't become flabby and wrinkly, but smooth and tight. I really noticed the difference in my skin after cold showers compared to hot showers. Even my boyfriend did! My body feels and even looks tighter!
6. It improves your lymphatic system
Your lymphatic system takes care of the removal of waste products in your body and helps protect you against diseases.
If your lymphatic system is blocked or not working properly, this can result in frequent colds, infections, and pain in your joints.
Cold showering provides more flexibility in the lymphatic vessels. This is partly because of your muscles contract when you step under the cold shower. The movement of the muscles causes the lymph fluid to move. This causes accumulated waste products in the lymphatic vessels to be pumped out.
Basically, the same thing happens when you exercise. This results in a stronger immune system and a healthier body.
7. It improves your physical performance
Recent research has shown that cold showers help reduce fatigue and promote muscle recovery. It also provides relief from muscle aches and pains. Athletes were able to do more after taking a cold bath or cold shower during the next workout.
Not surprisingly, more and more top athletes are using cold showers to improve their physical performance. I never forget the pictures of Cristiano Ronaldo, taken ice baths after soccer matches ;-).
8. You build willpower
Do you think it's easy to take cold showers every day?! Get under it. It's not easy. Certainly not in winter.
Doing something you don’t like daily, takes a lot of mental strength. So you need quite a bit of willpower to make this a regular part of your morning routine. However, you are training your willpower every day when you step under a cold shower. This mental superpower can be used in all kinds of other areas of your life that require willpower and discipline (almost anything worthwhile).
9. It improves emotional resilience
Are you often frustrated, anxious, angry, or stressed? Cold showering can help.
Cold showers train your nervous system to be more resilient and cope with stress.
Cold showers put a small amount of stress on your nervous system, so your body learns to deal with this stress. In the long term, this can lead to a calmer response to stressful situations.
10. It makes you more alert
Because the sudden shock of cold water on your head puts some stress on your nervous system, you inhale deeper and fuller. This is a natural reaction of your nervous system which causes more oxygen to enter your body. As a result, your heart rate goes up and your focus and alertness are increasing.
So have you been studying or working for a long time? A good way to get your focus back is by stepping under the cold shower for a while. The uncontrolled breathing triggers your stress system which makes you more alert. During cold showers, it is important to get your breathing after a while under control and not to get stuck in the stress reaction.
11. It helps against depression
Research points to the possible positive effects of cold showering on depression. Cold showers stimulate a certain part of the brain which produces the substance norepinephrine.
People with too little norepinephrine often feel depressed and are emotionally unstable. The cold water, therefore, counteracts this. The hormone norepinephrine is produced more and relieves the symptoms of depression.
Pros and cons
Cold showering has become enormously popular because of the Wim Hof Method. There are nowadays large communities online that swear by the benefits of a cold shower. And science confirms this.
Many people indicate that cold showers:
- Helps with many different ailments
- Develops more mental resilience
- Ensures a better focus and more control over fears and emotions
- Provides more energy
- Gives generally a much better and stronger feeling
Are there also disadvantages of cold showering?
It can be uncomfortable to turn off the hot tap and feel the icy rays on your body. With warm weather, this is not so bad, but especially in winter, it can be an obstacle.
But actually, this is not a disadvantage, but part of the process and the way you want to train yourself. If it would be easy, you wouldn't train yourself.
Starting with cold showering
Would you like to start showering in cold water after reading these benefits? Then do as follows:
Just start with a hot shower and turn off the hot tap at the end, and turn on the cold tap. Don't do this in phases. It might look easier for you to get used to the cold in stages, but it is not. (My boyfriend used to change the warm water tap slowly to cold water, also in stages. I told him many times that it is more easy to change the tap directly to cold water, but he didn't want to listen, haha. After a year, he finally followed my advise and had to admit it was indeed more doable the way I did. But, everyone is different of course, but it's a little advice from me to you. ;-) )
If necessary, first drop the cold water on your arms and legs only.
Once you are used to this, you can put the rest of your body, and possibly also your head, under the cold shower.
See if you can control your breathing and continue to breathe normally and calmly.
When your breathing is under control and you are a little used to the cold water, you have had your training stimulus. Usually, this is between 1 and 2 minutes.
Build it up slowly, start with a few seconds, and build it up to a few minutes.
If you keep shivering after the cold shower and stay cold for a long time, you have gone too far. Next time; take it a little slower.
After the cold shower, stay focused, and aware of your breathing for a few more minutes. See if you can notice how the heat is spreading through your body again.
If all goes well, you may soon be ready for a real ice bath!
Enjoy and feel stronger than ever!
Wim Hof Method
Our Dutchie, Wim Hof, created a simple, yet powerful method, based on the foundation of three pillars; Breathing, Cold Therapy and Commitment. It's the combination of these three elements that makes the Wim Hof Method uniquely powerful.
If you want to know more about the Wim Hof Method, go to this website!
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