It's winter time and what is better than taking a ice cold shower in the morning. I know what you are thinking, I already have MD and now he wants us to suffer in cold also :) Nothing could be further from the truth. I have personally found it to be a very quick hack in term of energizing the body and clearing the mind of stress.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine used to have his patients take cold baths and sun baths as part of a holistic health plan more than 2000 years ago. The usage of cold baths was made popular again in 18th century by a German doctor by the name of Dr Hahn. His book On the Healing Virtues of Cold Water, Inwardly and Outwardly Applied started a new cold bath movement for health and vitality and became extremely popular in Europe. Many famous personalities such as Charles Darwin, Thomas Carlyle and Florence Nightingale are known to be believers of the health benefits of cold bath treatment.
In the last 30 years, the famed Ice Man (Wim Hof) has made cold baths popular again. Wim Hof has done amazing feats that are mind blowing like swimming 100 meters under ice sheets, climbing Mount kilimanjaro in shorts :) etc. He attributes his ability to withstand immense cold to doing breathing exercises and cold baths. Before you say that he is a freak of nature, he has trained thousands of normal people to learn his ways of taking conscious control of their physiology.
According to Wim Hof, "Exposing your body to acute cold conditions, such as taking a cold shower or splashing cold water on your face, increases stimulation of the vagus nerve. While your body adjusts to the cold, sympathetic activity declines, while parasympathetic activity increases."
Scientifically, new research is confirming the many physical and mental benefits of cold water therapy and this list is likely going to grow overtime.
Personally, I have been taking cold showers (few weeks at a time) for more than 5 years and can personally attest to their health benefits.
Mental Benefits:
Massive reduction in stress levels
Calmer state of mind and well being that lasts for many hours
Reduces depression symptoms
Reduces cortisol levels
Increase nor-epinephrine and beta-endorphins (also called Happiness hormones)
Builds resistance / tolerance to cold (Fear of cold lessens)
Builds commitment / discipline (it requires discipline to take cold showers every day)
Builds a deep sense of accomplishment
* You just feel so ALIVE after the shower is over :)
Potential physical benefits of daily cold showers:
Massive boost in energy
Boosts immunity towards cold / flu
Reduced uric acid levels
Lowers Inflammation / pain
Strengthens the body
Promotes lymphatic drainage
Improves blood circulation
Speeds up muscle recovery after exercise
Improved quality of sleep
Improved and shinny hair
Improves symptoms of certain auto-immune conditions
High levels of alertness - great alternate to caffeinated drinks such as coffee or tea
Improves athletic performance
Lowers heart rate and blood pressure
Aids in weight loss by stimulating "brown fat"
Most of us look forward to taking a nice long warm bath in the morning (specially in winter). We turn on the shower, let the steam build in and than step in the warmth of the shower. What happens when the shower comes to an end? We dread stepping out of it! We know, we will be hit with the cold temperature the moment we turn off the warm shower. In some ways, it is similar to any short term pleasure in life. We enjoy eating tasty / rich foods as its gives us short term pleasure, but than we pay for it later through illness and weight gain etc.
When we take a cold shower, the initial few minutes are obviously uncomfortable and you will come up with 101 excuses to come out of it - maybe even send some choice cuss words towards me :) However, after you are done with it, I bet you will feel a whole lot better with a great calming feeling. if you do it like me first thing in the morning, your whole day is set. I suggest trying it for at least 10 days to see how you really feel.
Best time to take cold showers and for how long?
Ideally mornings are the best as you can experience the benefits for the rest of the day. But if you can't do it in the morning than any time of the day is good. I find taking cold showers in the evening to be too energizing and hence may disrupt sleep schedule. But you can try and see for yourself. Between 3-5 minutes is good enough for a cold shower and you are set for the rest of the day.
Not ready to jump in the cold yet, try contrast showers first?
If you feel a bit fearful of starting cold showers, you can start with contrast showers first. This is how you do it. When you enter the shower turn on the shower knob towards warm and slowly go as hot as your body can tolerate. When your body is sufficiently warmed up ( about 60 - 120 seconds), move the nob all the way to max cold. Immerse your whole body (back & front) in the cold shower (count till 30 sec, more if you can). Now, turn the knob all the way to the hot (the water won't feel as hot now) and stand under it for about 30 seconds. Now go back to the cold for 30 seconds. Repeat this process for 5-7 times. It's important to end with cold water. Aim to increase the cold shower timings few seconds every day, till you end it with 2-3 minutes in cold water.
Combining Cold Showers With Breathe Work & Meditation
Believe it or not, you can further improve the benefits of cold shower by incorporating powerful breathing exercise like "SKY Breath Meditation" in your daily routine. A combination of these two can gives a huge boost in energy levels that lasts throughout the day.
Disclaimer:
As always, I recommend doing your own research before starting any new therapy for physical or mental health.
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