Why I Should take Cold Showers. Part I

Why Should I take a Cold Shower ?

As you will no doubt have guessed by now at I believe that good health, vitality and enjoying life to the max are our among the most important things in the world for us.

Which is exactly why I so often write about them in our regular top tip features!

This weekend I have another absolutely great tip for staying fit, healthy and mentally strong.

What's especially great about this tip is that it is pretty much free, very quick and easy, and best of all you can almost certainly do it everyday without having to set aside any extra time.

So, what makes having a cold shower every day such a great idea for your well being? Well, despite it not sounding very enjoyable at first, amazingly for something so simple the benefits are literally out of this world. Plus once you start having them every day, you get used to them really quickly and believe it or not they get more and more easier!

But just two things first;

a) Because they can be a bit of a shock initially, make sure you don't have any underlying health issues (or even any minor concerns). Ask your doctor or a medical expert first.

b) I recommend always starting off with the shower at your normal ‘hot’ temperature and only have the cold bit at the end maybe starting off for just a minute or two at first and then making it longer as you get more experienced.

After you get used to them you might want to try alternating hot and cold every 10 or 20 seconds.

With those points out of the way, lets take the plunge and see today 3 reasons why cold showers are so fabulous:

1

They Boost Your Immune System

The effects of cold water on the body automatically stimulates and strengthens our immune system by making our body produce more white blood cells (called leukocytes). We use these blood cells to protect us against infections and other foreign invaders trying to attack us. Naturally, when we have a cold shower every day the white blood cells build up more and more thus making our immune system super strong and better at fighting off every day infections, bugs and nasties we might encounter.

2

They Help Weight Loss

If you think about it weight loss and cold showers actually make a whole lot of sense. Let me explain. The immediate drop in body temperature produced by the cold water hitting the body alerts our nervous system to rapidly increase our metabolism, and that includes activating our subcutaneous fat deposits to start keeping us warm the quicker the better. Not surprisingly when fat is activated to release its energy (i.e. burn calories) it also leads to its reduction and therefore a loss of body weight. Simple chemistry really!

3

They Speed Up Muscle Recovery

Have you ever wondered why some athletes take ice baths after competitions or really rigorous workouts? Well it’s because it helps heal muscles and reduce soreness and inflammation by improving circulation, removing lactic acid and draining the lymphatic system. But guess what, you don’t need to have an ice bath to get most of those benefits! That’s right a nice cold shower can have pretty much the same restorative healing effects. Bet you didn’t know that did you?

So whether you usually take cold showers or today is the first, please leave your comments below and let other Steemians know how to improve their overall health. I'll be back tomorrow with a few additional reasons to take a cold shower. Some of them may surprise you.

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