Start the Day Cold
Taking a cold shower in the morning seems more horrifying than soothing, but the response it gives your body is more than worth it.
First, the lower temperature of the water will cause a reaction from your body that results in deeper breathing and ultimately leads to increased oxygen consumption. Boom: deep breathing exercises done!
Next, your heart rate is elevated to start pumping blood throughout your entire body which of course promotes a healthier circulatory response. Hello veins and arteries! This also lowers blood pressure, clears blocked arteries, and improves our immune system.
Cold showers also aid in weight loss.
The human body contains two types of fat tissue, white fat and brown fat. When activated, brown fat heats up the body increasing caloric consumption. A 2009 study found that exposure to extreme cold temperatures activated brown fat by a 15-fold increase, meaning someone could lose up to nine pounds in a year if they kept this practice up.
Finally, Cold showers can make ya happy! When we activate the “cold receptors” on our skin, we simultaneously send electrical impulses to the brain that “turn it on”. Scientists have found that this produces an antidepressive effect, and boosts moods, making it a pick-me-up. A 2008 study found that cold hydrotherapy has an analgesic effect, and does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence. This treatment included one to two cold showers of 38 degrees Fahrenheit, two to three minutes long, followed by a five-minute gradual adaptation to make the procedure less shocking.
DISCLAIMER: Night-time shower takers, take this advice with a grain of salt. Most of the benefits a cold shower boasts revolve around alertness, increased brain function, energy, and things of that nature. If you take showers before bed, It’s hard to say if it will keep you up.