Cold showers are any showers with a water temperature below 70°F. They may have health benefits. Water therapy (also called hydrotherapy) has been used for centuries to take advantage of our bodys tendency to adapt to harsher conditions. As a result, our bodies become more resistant to stress.
Cold showers are not a main source of treatment for any condition, but they may help improve symptom relief and general well-being. Check out the benefits of a cold shower below.
Increases Endorphins
Depression affects at least 10 percent of American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many drugs treat depression, depending on the severity or duration of symptoms. One holistic method of treatment thats gaining popularity is hydrotherapy. Taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week, was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression in a clinical trial.
Helps Improve Metabolism
White fat is the fat we associate with conditions such as obesity and heart disease, but we are all born with brown fat. Researchers have found that brown fat plays an important role in adult health. Healthy levels of brown fat also indicate that white fat will be at a healthy level. And brown fat is activated by exposure to cold temperature.
People that are obese ca not simply start taking cold showers to lose weight without changing other lifestyle habits. But taking a cold shower 2 or 3 times per week may contribute to increased metabolism. It may help fight obesity over time.
Improves Circulation
It can feel uncomfortable to immerse our bodies in cold water, but it can also be invigorating. Thats because water thats colder than our natural body temperature causes the body to work slightly harder to maintain its core temperature. When taken regularly, cold showers can make our circulatory system more efficient. Some people also report that their skin looks better as a result of cold showers, probably because of better circulation.
Athletes have known this benefit for years, even if we have only recently seen data that supports cold water for healing after a sport injury. Its the same reason that ice brings down inflammation when we bruise or tear a muscle. By bringing the temperature of an area of the body down, we speed up the delivery of warmer, freshly oxygenated blood to that area. And that speeds up recovery time. Some people may benefit from cold showers as a way to help their blood move through their body more quickly. These include people with poor circulation, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Helps Fight off Common illnesses
One study even indicated that cold showers could make the body more resistant to certain types of cancer. And a clinical trialTrusted Source in the Netherlands showed that people who took cold showers called out of work less.
People that are preparing for surgery or other disease treatment that could lead to decreased immunity might want to start taking cold showers in preparation.
This means that taking cold showers can help your resistance to common illnesses, like colds and the flu
Limits and Risks
Cold showers are not a magical cure-all for any condition. They should be used as a supplement to traditional treatments, but not as a replacement.
Please remember that people taking medication for their mental health should not stop their drugs abruptly in favor of any alternative treatment.
If you are feeling sick, have recently been released from the hospital, or are otherwise immune-compromised, wait to try out cold showers. While the cold shower habit is beneficial for most people, the habit takes some getting used to. The body may be taxed by the process of getting used to it.
