Why Take Cold Showers?
Jul 19th 2023
While a cold shower can wake you up and keep you alert throughout the day, there are many other proven benefits. From strengthening your immune system to boosting mental health, taking a dip in ice-cold water throughout your week can do wonders for your mind and body.
View Our Drinking Water Systems
Here are five benefits of cold showers and how to work them into your daily routine.
1. Improves Circulation
Cold showers are good for you for various reasons, with improved circulation being one of the most significant positive impacts. Blood vessels constrict in cold water, which can improve blood flow throughout the body and brain. The body essentially enters "survival mode," working overtime to maintain its core temperature. This stimulates your body to increase blood flow circulation, with more oxygen and nutrients delivered to the muscles, organs, and tissues.
Over time, your circulatory system can become more efficient and move blood throughout the body more quickly, making cold water potentially beneficial for those with diabetes or high blood pressure.
2. Strengthens Immune System
Some studies suggest cold water could strengthen the immune system. Repeated exposure to cold water could boost levels of lymphocytes and acute-phase proteins. After repeated cold showers, an increased metabolic rate from muscle shivering and increased heart rate could activate the immune system.
Another study concluded that just mild cold exposure slightly increases circulating mRNA levels of genes involved in our blood's immune cells. Over time, this can boost the immune response to ward off infections and reduce the frequency of illnesses. Cold showers could also prevent inflammation-related conditions like infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.
Using a filtered water shower head could offer other health benefits, from not breathing in chlorine found in tap water to enjoying particulate-free water that's better for your skin and hair.
3. Reduces Inflammation
Cold water can help reduce inflammation in your muscles, relieving sore muscles and speeding up recovery after exercise. If you're an athlete or hit the gym regularly, a cold shower might help you recover faster and perform better.
One study found that short-term immersion in cold water followed by exercise increased cytokine levels, which are known to be anti-inflammatory. Cold water's ability to increase metabolic rate and spike certain neurohormones in the body may also contribute to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Another study found that athletes immersed in cold water post-exercise had better muscle function and reduced soreness and inflammation than those without. Researchers concluded that reduced muscle damage could be from reduced muscle blood flow from the cold water.
4. Promotes Shiny Hair
Cold water can also give your hair a healthy glow. When hair cuticles are open, the hair can appear frizzy and tangled, allowing moisture to escape and dull the hair. When you take a cold shower, the water closes your hair follicles, sealing the natural oils produced in the scalp.
Ultimately, cold water maintains healthy moisture levels and nourishes the hair strands, contributing to the overall appearance of shiny, healthy hair. A shower filter can also make your skin and hair softer and appear younger. This occurs due to the filtering of chlorine from the water, which can cause dry and itchy skin. Using cold filtered water ensures your skin doesn't come into contact with particulates and chlorine, creating a smoother, more attractive appearance.
5. Boosts Mental Health
Cold showers also provide many mental health benefits. Many people have stated that cold water helped them feel invigorated and clear-headed. Others say it has helped them deal with grief, depression, and anxiety.
Current evidence suggests cold showers can improve mood and well-being. One study found that participants had greater improvements in mood and well-being after taking a 10-week course to learn to swim in cold seawater. When immersed in cold water, our bodies release endorphins, feel-good chemicals, which can lead to happiness and optimism.
View Our Drinking Water Systems
How to Take Cold Showers
Cold showers can be refreshing and offer various benefits for physical and mental well-being. Here's how to take cold showers effectively:
- Start slow: When you're ready to experience the benefits of cold showers, it's best to ease into the practice gradually. Slowly introduce cold water into your usual shower routine by starting with lukewarm water and decreasing the temperature over time. That way, your body will acclimate to the cold and make the experience tolerable.
- Focus on progressive exposure: Begin by exposing your arms and legs to the cold water. Then work your way to immersing the entire body. The gradual approach helps you ease the shock of cold water.
- Control your breathing: Take deep, slow breaths as you step into the water. This can calm your body's stress response and help you stay in the present. Breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth as you relax and adjust to the cold temperature.
- Stay mindful and present: It takes a mindset shift to begin tolerating cold showers. Remember they are for health — not warmth — and taking cold showers will become second nature. Embrace the sensations of the cold water on your skin and maintain a focused mindset to enhance the mental benefits of a cold shower.
- End with warmth: If the cold water is too intense in the beginning, end your shower with a brief period of warm water to bring your body temperature back up.
Are Hot Showers Bad for You?
While hot showers aren't necessarily bad for you, they can have disadvantages, such as drying and irritating your skin and hair. And while they can relax and soothe you at the end of the day, they're not best for the first thing in the morning when you're trying to wake up. That's because hot water activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which makes us tired.
Additionally, breathing in higher chlorine levels from hot showers can also increase your risk for lung-related problems. As a result, it's crucial to invest in a filter to reduce chlorine and reap the benefits of your shower.
Invest in Clean Water With Multipure's Aquashower
Cold showers can offer mental and physical health benefits, from promoting shinier hair and improving circulation to releasing the body's feel-good chemicals. And when you pair your cold shower with a water filter, you can appreciate the health benefits of reducing chlorine and particulates from your water.
To invest in clean water and promote the health and well-being of your family, look no further than Multipure's advanced water filtration systems. The Aquashower reduces chlorine in both hot and cold shower water, which can help reduce the health effects of the harsh chemicals.