Patriot Health Digest
Much research has been done on the benefits of cold showers after waking. One of the main benefits is to immediately be awakened, leaving behind the drowsiness of waking up. Also, your whole body is energized and you experience more vigor and strength for your day.
Greater mental clarity is another benefit of cold showers because your neurons get fired up and you are more mentally alert. That’s why it makes perfect sense for many high achievers and executives, and other very productive people to use this in their morning routine. And if you want to know exactly, here are all the other benefits of cold showers:
1. Improves overall health
As your heart beats at a faster rate, your muscles tense, and the movement of blood throughout your body is improved, aiding your circulation.
2. Stimulate hormones and fights depression
Depression is often accompanied by a change in certain hormones, especially dopamine, serotonin and cortisol. Cold water in some cases can help prevent or heal this problem.
3. More energy
The rubbing of cold water on your skin increases your energy levels, because your nerve endings are activated by cold water and you breathe faster and your heart beats with more strength.
4. Easier stress tolerance
Cold water can help your stress management, and as a result, improve your immune system. Medically, cold water has been used to lower chronic pain, help kidney function and improve sleep quality. It has also been shown to improve the appearance of your skin and hair.
5. Increases breathing capacity
When you take a cold shower you may hyperventilate, meaning you will breathe fast and deep. This is a response to the shock, and, as you try to calm yourself down and turn the experience into a pleasant one, you will take a big breath, which will help your breathing capacity.
6. Strengthens your willpower
Showering with cold water is not fun at first, so doing so takes willpower. By repeating this every day, your mind will be strengthened, and you can use that willpower in multiple parts of your life.
7. Overcoming a challenge
Anything that overcomes a challenge helps you build self-esteem. At first it might seem difficult, you will eventually start to feel more security about your ability to face challenges. When you take cold showers there is also an increase in norepinephrine and thyroxine, which are two hormones known as “good stress” hormones.
