Women's Wellness

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Why you should take a cold shower

jclerke , , , , ,

Who’s crazy enough to purposely turn the water dial to cold, especially in Canada?

Photo by Skyler King on Unsplash

I always thought people who could take cold showers or ice baths were insane until my recent Nordic spa experience where you cycle hot and cold baths for ultimate relaxation.

And I fell in love with the feeling of a cold bath. With that quick dunk, my body felt more awake and aware of my surroundings. I left the spa feeling inspired to bring this feeling into my everyday activities. That’s when I started doing more research on cold showers.

Keep in mind, I’m talking 60 seconds in the cold, not 15 minutes. But those 60 seconds could have an impact on your health. Adding a cold shower to your daily routine may help improve symptom relief and general well-being.

Benefits of taking a cold shower include:

  • Calming itchy skin
  • Increased energy
  • Increased circulation
  • Reducing muscle soreness post-workout
  • Potentially boosting your metabolism
  • Glowing hair and skin

Not enough reasons to persuade you to turn that dial cold?

What about improving your mental health?

There are many reasons to hop on the cold shower train but the biggest one for me is the increase in endorphins to help combat mental illness. Hydrotherapy is a holistic method of increasing endorphins. 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.

For people with depression, cold showers can work as a kind of gentle shock therapy. The cold water sends electrical impulses to your brain. They jolt your system to increase alertness, clarity, and energy levels. Endorphins, which are sometimes called happiness hormones, are also released. This effect leads to feelings of well-being and optimism.

How to take a cold shower.

The ideal way to take a cold shower is to ease into the habit. Start by slowly lowering the temperature at the end of a usual shower. Get the water cold enough that you start to feel uncomfortable. Then, stay underneath the water for 2 or 3 minutes.

Discover More: Check out this cool article on the curious ways walking helps us.

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