Health Benefits of cold showers

We must leave out comfort zone

Cold exposure is not a new concept.

Our bodies and minds want the advantages that are brought with cold and heat exposure, this has been known since the ancient Romans, New scientific studies shed some light on the physical and mental value of saunas, hot tubs and ice-baths.

We don’t need to go to painful extremes.

Existing scientific literature sheds some light on a wide range of health benefits of leaving our comfort zones. This includes mood-enhancing effects that reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. We don’t need actual ice baths, although that probably has it’s own health benefits, most of us don’t want to freeze our tootsies in the ice water, and we have an aversion to roasting like a lobster in extra hot water.

Our body and mind combine to create chemicals for survival.

The human body creates various chemicals like norepinephrine  “fight-or-flight”response, short term serious health situations. exposure of 3 to 5 minutes at 50 to 60 degrees seems the maximum, for me

Cold water immersion and brown fat.

All mammals have small amounts of Brown Adipose tissue in their bodies that are important for regulating their temperature. Recent research tells us that cold water immersion has potential health benefits with cold water immersion. Cold water therapy can help brown fat regulate our body temperature by activating the stored energy in brown fat to produce heat.

Cold can strengthen our immune system

Exposure to cold temperatures through cold showers or even standing in the cold air can help strengthen your immune system. When we stand out in the cold with minimal, or no clothing, the stress can  cause the brown fat to be activated and do a better job of controlling our body temperature.

We must assist the pores in our skin in doing their job.

The full benefit won’t happen overnight, although we will notice an immediate mental benefit in the vim and vigor. Our skin uses about sixteen percent of our oxygen just to help keep us alive. Cold water helps to activate the millions of hungry little mouths in our skin that work night and day just to keep the skin breathing.