Yes, you read that right! You probably think cold showers are appalling, something you would never put your body through of your own free will, until and unless really forced to do so.
But… what if I told you taking cold showers bear benefits? If you switch from hot to cold, you are doing your body and specially your waist a huge solid favour of a lifetime. And here are 5 crisp reasons why:
Burn Fat
I want you to think like this – there are two types of fat in our bodies: the good and the bad. The bad fat is the body fat we all want to get rid of. When we eat more (calories) than needed by our body and utilised daily, they get stored as bad fat, which usually accumulates at your waist, belly, lower back, neck, thighs and arms. Whereas the good fat on the contrary generates heat to keep your body warm. Now when your good fat gets activated due to sudden cold and temperature change, it starts burning calories a.k.a the bad fat to keep you warm, which could be a perfect assistance to your weight loss plans. According to a team of Scandinavian researchers cold temperatures increased the metabolic rate of good fat by fifteen fold, which helps an otherwise healthy person to drop nine pounds (approximately 4kg) in a year if sustained.
Healthy hair and skin
If you want to reduce those awful acne marks, cold showers might help you out. Hot water dries out your skin, but cold water tightens your pores, preventing them from getting clogged. You can also use cold showers for shinier, more attractive hair because they close your cuticle, making less dirt accumulate in your scalp. And the increased blood flow, provides the much needed but often ignored nourishment.
Strengthen Immunity and Circulation
We now already know that cold showers speed up your metabolism. This sudden rise activates your immune system, which then releases white blood cells that help you fight against sickness. Your overall blood circulation is also improved which helps you to avoid hypertension and heart blockage – choked arteries, weak cardiac muscles etc.
Increase Alertness
Who does not feel like sleeping those extra minutes in the morning? This is something everyone struggles with exception of the early riser’s clan. But if you really must attend to something very urgent, and you are failing terribly to shake off that lethargy, then drag yourself under a cold shower before you begin your work. When cold water first touches your skin, your breathing deepens as a result to the stimuli of cold – shock. This happens because your body tries to keep you warm by increasing the oxygen intake. Therefore, your heart rate will also increase, with a rush of blood flowing through your entire body that will wake you up for the today. Best tip for people who do not take coffee or tea first thing in the morning.
Boost Recovery and Ease Soreness
You have often seen athletes taking baths after their training sessions (mostly in advertisements) – but what you might not know is that they take cold showers. Athletes who train very hard for rigorous sports often take ice baths to reduce soreness. Obviously, you do not have to take ‘Ice Baths’ but a quick cold shower session will help a lot in reducing muscle soreness and pain. This is a natural penniless way of avoiding dread while you walk to your fridge for a glass of water after sweating out in the gym!
