Sometimes, nothing feels better than a hot shower after a long day of work at a desk or at the gym. But experts say there are many health benefits to adding short cold showers into your weekly routine. I know, if you never done it before it sounds scary, but when you pass your fears (yes, as always it is a mental thing….) you see that the benefits are very high.

And if you are familiar with Wim Hof you probably have heard him talking about the ice baths!

The practice of using cold water therapy has existed for thousands of years. Ancient Greek and Roman accounts of using cold water for therapeutic purposes date back as far as 3500 bc. And since the 1960s there has been research into the benefits of cold water immersion as a post workout recovery strategy. But not everyone has access to a cold body of water to submerge themselves into regularly, so these days, experts recommend the benefits of short cold showers.

The benefits of a cold shower

Researchers have found that cold water stimulates our bodies for multiple mental and physical health benefits. So, how does it work?

Improves longevity – When using cold therapy, or cold shock (as well as hot shock) we create some stress in the body, little stress that we give to our bodies creates a response that makes us healthier and stronger, we are basically giving a low dose of something that would be harmful in high doses, in order to change homeostasis.

Decrease depression by increasing Endorphins

Cold water sends electrical impulses to your brain, which causes endorphins to be released. Endorphins are also known as happiness hormones. A clinical trial has found that people with depression who took a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2-3 times a week, experienced relief in their symptoms.

Cold shower activates dopamine, a sustained release of dopamine, which is what we’re all trying to get more of for pleasure, focus, attention, feeling good, alert, and just able to really do stuff. And it’s really quite amazing.

Supports weight loos by increasing metabolism

There is evidence that taking a cold shower can help activate brown fat, which is a type that helps generate heat for your body by burning calories.

It’s amazing for the skin and hair as its improves complexions

Cold water tightens the pores and seals moisture into our skin and hair, while also preserving natural oils. The restriction of blood vessels may make the face appear less red or inflamed.

Increases blood circulation which helps with injuries and inflammations

Decreasing the temperature of an area of the body speeds up the delivery
of warmer, higher oxygenated blood to the area. This is why athletes will ice and injury to bring down inflammation. A cold shower, or a cold swim, creates the same effect but for your entire body. This increase in circulation can also benefit people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or poor circulation.

Boosts immune system

The shock of cold water stimulates leukocytes, which help fight infection in the body. And a 2016 Study found that participants who practiced a hot-to-cold approach of showering were 29% less likely to need to call in sick to work. The hot-to-cold shower is a hot shower followed by a 30-90 second burst of cold water.

Increase confident

There is always an element of mindset in doing something that is different then what we are comfort with, managing cold showers (or baths) is getting over your fears which will boost your confident!

**To add to all the benefits- you should always advise your health giver if you have health conditions that may be a risk with cold therapy

 

At Pure Natural Salon i use during the ULTRA HYDRAFACIAL cold therapy and the results are amazing!

You can read more about the ULTRA HYDRAFACIAL here and BOOK YOUR TREATMENT here