How Cold Showers Can Protect You Against Viruses And Illnesses.

Wim Hof born on 20 April 1959 is known for his ability of enduring freezing temperatures. Known as the Iceman, he is a holder of 26 world records, Yes! You heard that right 26 different world records, some of them which are the longest ice bath (1 hour, 52 minutes, and 42 seconds) hence the name iceman or when he swam 57.5 meters under a frozen lake. Wim Hof has created a series of methods and exercises to live a healthier, happier, and better life, it is called the "Wim Hof Method",  cold showers are one of the most important parts of the  "Wim Hof Method", thousands of people around the globe are reaping the benefits of cold showers by them into their daily routine.

Here are some of the scientifically proven benefits of cold showers.

Effects On Illnesses  

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Cold showers are proven to reduce the chances of us catching a cold by strengthening our immune system and making us more energetic to push through the illness.

A Clinical Study was held in the Netherlands, the aim of which was to determine the impact of cold showers on our daily life, productivity, and illnesses

There were 3018 volunteers in the clinical trial with no previous history of any severe diseases or routines of regular cold therapy, they were told to take cold showers for 30 to 90 seconds for the following 30 days, the outcome of which was a decrease of 29% in the people calling in sick for work.

Interestingly, there was no decrease in the rate of illness between the people who took cold and regular showers but the people who took cold showers had more energy in their bodies to regularly continue their day despite feeling ill.

Our bodies are made in a way that they create immunity and resistance against any harmful elements gradually over time. Being exposed to colder temperatures can make our bodies better at resisting colder environments, making us more resilient against diseases like the common cold or flu.  

Cold showers are also proved to be beneficial for Cardiovascular Circulation, cardiovascular circulation is responsible for supplying all the necessary nutrients and oxygen to different body parts through blood circulation, having poor cardiovascular circulation can cause irregular blood flow which puts stress on the heart, and can be responsible for problems like blood pressure, cramps, headaches, etc. When Cold water comes in contact with our body the heart starts to efficiently pump blood so the blood can reach and surround the vital organs and maintain a stable temperature, the blood then starts to go through the vessels providing all the body parts with necessary nutrients and oxygen. Adding cold showers to our daily routine will gradually improve our blood flow, making our bodies healthier.

Effects On Daily Life

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Let's start from the beginning of the day, Mornings. The majority of people struggle to wake up in the mornings, and one of the first things they do after waking up is hopping into a warm and steamy shower to get rid of the drowsiness and feel more energetic to get ongoing with their day, but that's only making the matter even worse.

The soothing feeling of warm water hitting your body starts to relax the muscles and enables a system called The Parasympathetic Nervous System, the purpose of which is to conserve energy for it to be used later, which makes us feel tired, so taking a hot shower isn’t the best option if you are looking for a quick boost of energy to jumpstart your day.

But on the other hand, taking a cold shower enables a system called The Sympathetic Nervous System or “Fight or Flight Response” which puts the human body in survival mode increasing the activity of your body, your heart rate, and oxygen intake which substantially boosts your alertness and focus making you more productive and creative.

Taking a cold shower after an intense workout session can also work as a pain-reducing therapy, cold water constricts blood vessels which leads to lesser blood flow in the body reducing the feeling of pain, after the shower blood vessels gradually start to open increasing the blood flow which boosts the regeneration/healing process resulting in lesser muscle soreness.

Impact On Mental Health

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Cold showers are mainly practiced for their physical benefits, but a cold shower can considerably affect the mental side of things.

As we mentioned above, cold showers can help you with blood pressure and heart rate. Some of the main symptoms of anxiety are increased blood pressure and heart rate, taking regular cold showers can help you be better at coping with your anxiety.

Cold showers are also proven to be beneficial for you if you're feeling depressed, but they should not be considered as an alternative to cure depression, but as a way to help you with it, with that being addressed, when you take a cold shower, the sensation of cold water hitting your body works as an electroshock therapy (Electroconvulsive Therapy) by sending small waves of electrical impulses to your brain which results in the release of Endorphins, a group of peptides that increase your levels of happiness, they also help by reducing the feeling of pain and discomfort.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that the next time you hop into a shower, turning the temperature down can not only provide you with numerous physical benefits, it can also have a good impact on your mental health.

The only downside is that if you already have any pre-existing heart problems, taking a cold shower can put additional stress on your heart, which might cause more harm than good. You should also avoid taking cold showers if you are suffering from any illnesses like the common cold or flu, as it might take your body even longer to stabilize its temperature.