Are you a person who takes warm shower regularly? Do you know the benefits of switching from warm to cold bath? Cold water running down your body can feel very uncomfortable but the benefits for your heath cognition and your performance are enough to prove yourself the reasons of cold shower. If you actually commit to doing this every morning when you first wake up you will feel very different and positive that can make you even start enjoying cold showers.
THE SCIENTIFIC REASON BEHIND COLD SHOWER
INCREASES THE NOREPINEPHRINE
Do you know just by taking 20 minute cold shower can increase the norepinephrine by two to three hundred percent. When you increase this neurotransmitter which is made by your adrenal glands and other parts of your body you can really drop inflammation, you can increase your anti oxidant networks including glutathione and your ability to detox protect against DNA damage is improved. Also your mitochondria increase can generate more energy which is really amazing.
ENCOURAGES ENERGY TO MOVE INWARD AND LONGEVITY
Cold is one of the things that had been shown by modern science to promote longevity. This is one of the reasons that yogis have spent so much time in the Himalaya in places where it is very cold. One of the benefits to a yogi of living in a place which is very cold is that it promotes Pratyahara. It encourages you to move your energy inwards because you have to keep your energy inwards in order to maintain your internal warmth. So there is great benefit in taking a cold shower from this point of view. You encourage the energy to move inward, you promote good warmth in the core of your body,you encourage the fire in the central part of the body to be strong that assist with your digestion. If you have taken a cold shower after a few minutes the contraction that happened in your circulatory system because of the cold will relax and then your body will feel warm.
ANALGESIC EFFECT
A study from the Czech republic showed that when athletic young men were immersed in cold water three times a week, for six weeks boosted their immune system. A study performed in 2008 showed that cold shower produces an analgesic effect that doesn’t lead to any dependence or negative effects. They help our muscles to recover fast. Another study has shown that exposure to cold reduced the uric acid level in the participants. The study also noted an increase in our body’s glutathione levels, an enzyme that serves as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and natural blood purifier.
OVERALL BENEFITS OF COLD SHOWER
-
- Energy and alertness
A cold shower is a good cure for your sleepy morning as it changes the body temperature sends your body into a slight state of shock, which instantly boost your alertness and the feeling of being awake. The cool water is going to get your heart pounding, lungs pumping and eyes wide open. When you get hit by the cold water, it’s like entering a meditative state. Your heart rate will also increase and you will have extra energy to be more productive and tackle the rest of the day.
-
- Improves circulation
Our ancestors bathed in cold water in rivers and streams for many health benefits include improved circulation .When you first step in a cold shower you automatically take a deep breath. This deep breath automatically make you breathe deeper that improves the oxygen levels in your blood .The cold water on your skin will improve blood circulation on your skin and improve circulation in your internal organs ,will also speed up recovery time of the damage of your internal organs by doing this. Good blood circulation is vital for overall cardiovascular health. It also speeds up recovery time from demanding exercises and work.
-
- Improves willpower and mental peace
You may be thinking , how can a simple cold shower influence our mood and even fight depression? Our skin has cold sensors which send electric impulses to our brain whenever it is in contact with cold water, causing an anti-depressant effect on our body. It is also found that when you take cold showers before bed,sleep would be better and this is because your body temperature lowers and since it is lower, your sleep would be more peaceful.
-
- Increases Immunity
What more interesting is that in one study they found that even 30 seconds of cold water exposure can improve your immune system. The participants of the study who took cold shower for 30 seconds or more, were less likely to get sick. Taking a cold shower in the morning will increase the amount of white blood cells in your system which improves your immunity to viruses and bacteria.
-
- Increases metabolism
People who take a daily cold shower show an increase in metabolism. The reason is increased activation in brown adipose tissue (good fat) which is used to generate heat and insulate us against the cold. It’s the type of fat we want and kicking it into action boosts metabolism.
SIGNIFICANCE OF TAKING COLD BATH IN RIVERS
Our Indian ancient culture says that there is an important beneficial factor of bathing other than just cleaning your dirt off. That is it cools the body off. Our daily activities heat our body and mind which is needed to be cooled in a perfect way. As all the nerves connecting the major parts of the body have their path under our feet, the feet should be cooled first. Afterward, the rest of the body parts should be encountered with cool water, slowly the head in order to soothe the body in a healthy way. A sudden gush of cool water on the head might cause severe health problems, and hence this is a better way, which is perfectly achieved through bathing in rivers. Taking bath in the nutri-rich river water naturally improves your health.
HOW TO TAKE A COLD SHOWER
As all the nerves of our body are connected to our feet, it is best to start bathing from our feet and then slowly upwards of our body. In this order, the heat of our body slowly flows from bottom to top, otherwise causes health issues.  Initially, start with room temperature water and slowly switch to cool water as much as you can. It doesn’t have to be ice cold,just cold as much as possible or a bit lower than the room temperature. Every single day you do it,it gets easier. You just have to condition your body to get used to the cold,just like with any other training.
THE TAKE AWAY
Along with a physical boost and energy taking a cold shower first thing in the morning will also give you a psychological boost that can improve your performance and your productivity throughout the rest of the day. It is can be a better idea to gradually decrease the temperature of the water, so your body can slowly adapt. Anyhow healthy diet is also needed to see favorable outcomes.
Even the smallest changes in our daily routine can create incredible ripple effects that expand our vision of what is possible.