Cold showers are usually thought to be bad, something that you only give to your worst enemies. In fact, some people love to get in a hot shower at the end of the day or the start of the morning, but you could be missing out on a few HUGE benefits from taking a cold shower — yes a cold shower.
1. Cold Showers Burn Fat
There are two kinds of fat in your body: white fat and brown fat. White fat is bad and brown fat is good . White fat is the body fat we all know and struggle to get rid of. When we consume more calories than our body needs to function and we don’t burn those calories for energy, they are stored as white fat, which tends to accumulate at your waist, lower back, neck, and thighs. Brown fat is the good guy you might have never even heard of, and its function is to generate heat to keep your body warm.
Here’s the good news: when brown fat is activated due to extreme cold, it burns calories to keep you warm, which could provide a helpful assist in your weight loss plan. How much of an assist? Scandinavian researchers found that exposure to cold temperatures increased the metabolic rate of brown fat by fifteen fold, which could help a person drop nine pounds in a year if sustained.
2. Cold Showers Boost Recovery After Exercise
After you exercise, many of us want to hop right into a hot, steamy shower to wash off our sweat, right? Well, athletes often take ice baths after vigorous training do reduce soreness after their workout. You can obtain a similar benefit with a quick cold shower after your training sessions.
MUST READ: Do You Use Washcloths In Your Shower? Maybe You Shouldn’t
3. Cold Showers Increases Alertness And Mood
Who doesn’t feel a bit groggy when they take that first step out of bed? This is something everyone struggles with, but if you’d like to put some pep in your step first thing in the a.m., take a cold shower before you go to work. When cold water pours over your body, your breathing deepens in response to the shock of the cold (this is…
… your body trying to keep you warm by increasing overall oxygen intake). Your heart rate will also increase, resulting in a rush of blood through your body that will help you get energized for the day.
4. Cold showers Strengthen Immunity and Circulation
The increase of your metabolic rate activates your immune system, which releases virus-fighting white blood cells that will help you get sick less frequently. Cold showers also increase your overall blood circulation, which can help you avoid hypertension and the hardening of arteries.
5. Cold Showers Help Your Hair and Skin
If adult acne is a problem, cold showers could help. Hot water dries out your skin, while cold water tightens your cuticles and pores, preventing them from getting clogged. You can also use cold showers for shinier, more attractive hair that your partner can’t resist playing with. Cold water will close your cuticle, making it less likely dirt can accumulate in your scalp. For further reading that will help you improve your skin appearance.
READ: 5 Things You’re Doing In The Shower That’s Damaging Your Skin
If you need a little time to warm up (pun intended) to the idea of a cold shower, try starting out with a warm shower for 30 seconds, then switch to a cold for a minute then back again. Do that for a few days until you can stand a cold shower. Then try a cold shower for a week to start to see differences in your body.
Happy showering! 😉
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