Self Care Saturday: Why taking a cold shower is good for you.

For a while now, I have ended my morning showers with about a minute of standing in freezing cold water. Before you think I’ve totally lost it, bare with me here… I remember probably about 5 years ago reading SOMEWHERE that this practice was good for my hair… that it made it more shiny or something like that…. At the time that was enough for me to turn the knob almost to the off position, and dose myself in a splash of cold water before getting out.

Then a couple of years later I read somewhere else that rinsing in cold water was good for Lymphatic circulation… as a health and wellness nut, I really geeked out on this one. Apparently, Coldwater immersion causes your lymph vessels to contract, forcing your lymphatic system to pump lymph fluids throughout your body, flushing the waste out of the area. #signmeupforthat

Tony Robbins explains this in better detail on his Health & Vitality blog:

“Unlike your blood, which is constantly pumped through your body by the heart, your lymph fluid doesn’t have a central pump. Instead, your lymphatic system relies on muscle contraction to pump the lymph fluid through the vessels. So if you don’t exercise or your lymphatic system itself becomes slow or inefficient, the fluid stagnates and toxins build up, manifesting in colds, joint pain, infection and even disease. Cold water immersion causes your lymph vessels to contract, forcing your lymphatic system to pump lymph fluids throughout your body, flushing the waste out of the area. One of the many cold shower benefits is that they trigger the immune system’s white blood cells, prompting them to attack and destroy any unwanted substance in the fluid. It’s sort of a domino effect – the cold water affects the lymphatic system, which in turn affects the immune system, which ultimately keeps you feeling happy and healthy.

www.TonyRobbins.com

You guys all know I do the best I can to keep my body healthy, so I figured 60 seconds of cold water each morning was a solid trade off to have a better working lymphatic system. I also didn’t hate the fact that standing in cold water for a minute totally woke me up too. #moveovercoffee 😉

As I have researched more in the world of cold showers, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that there are even MORE benefits to this practice and I am certainly not the only crazy lady doing it.

5 Reasons Cold Showers are good for your Physical & Mental Wellbeing

1. It actually helps increase Happiness. I know this sounds kookoo-bananas. You’re probably sitting there thinking hell-to-the-no freezing my butt off first thing in the morning will NOT make me happier. BUT it actually does you guys… and it’s science. When you’re standing butt-naked in cold water, a flood of mood-boosting nuerotransmitters are released into your nervous system causing you to get a hit of that feel-good happy hormone dopamine. The same effect happens when you routinely swim in cold water. This both increases your happiness and your energy. ALSO, not for nothing, I think after standing in a cold shower for a minute or more, you have the right to high-five yourself for doing something that isn’t easy first thing in the morning. Starting your morning with some well-deserved pride is a great way to kick off your day.
2. Improves your Immunity and Circulation. I know I already touched on this briefly, but it’s worth repeating down here. Coldwater can help to improve your circulation by encouraging more blood flow to your vital organs. In addition, coldwater immersion helps our arteries be more efficient in pumping blood around our bodies, which boots our overall health and wellness. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a leading natural health expert, it can also help lower blood pressure, clear blocked arteries and improve our immune system.
3. Speeds muscle recovery and eases’s muscle soreness. As we all know, applying an icepack to an injury immediately after it occurs helps tremendously with inflammation and healing. On a whole-body scale, immersing yourself in cold water minimizes inflammation on a larger-scale and helps to relieve delayed onset muscle soreness… you know that feeling when 3 days later your muscles are screaming at you?! So next time you finish up a tough workout, try jumping into a cold shower instead of a warm one.
4. Increases Alertness This one I can speak to personally. When our body is flooded with cold water, we naturally take a deep breath in response to it… some might call it a gasp, but I digress… This deep breathing response actually increases our overall oxygen intake and helps wake us up a bit. Our heart rate also increases with the cold water rush, which gives us a natural energy boost. Running your hair and face under the cold water feels oddly refreshing you guys … I swear.
5. Refines Hair & Skin I know I mentioned this earlier, but this is worth explaining a bit more. Although hot water feels delectable in a shower, it’s actually pretty crappy for our skin and hair. Unfortunately, hot water has a tendency to dry out our skin and strip it of its healthy natural oils. Coldwater, on the other hand, has a tightening effect. Coldwater ‘seals’ the pores in both your skin which helps prevent dirt from getting in and clogging them. Leading to healthier, cleaner and tighter skin. When it comes to hair, the coldwater has a similar effect and actually flattens hair follicles which makes hair appear shinier and healthier and increases its ability to grip the scalp, which leads to a fuller and thicker mane.

There is one more reason cold water showers are good for our health, but this one is a little more science-y and should be interpreted with caution… meaning please don’t immerse yourself in cold water for hours on end after reading this…. BUT some studies have shown that cold water showers/baths/swims can actually help with weight loss and increase metabolic functioning. YES, you read that right… cold water showers can actually help you reach those weight loss goals.

The premise here is that our bodies contain two kinds of fat; white fat and brown fat. White fat is the ‘not good’ fat. It is accumulated when we consume more calories than our body needs to properly function. It is most likely to show up on our waists, thighs, butts, and necks… and it can be tough to get rid of. Brown fat on the other hand, is the ‘good’ fat. It is packed with energy-producing powerhouses called mitochondria and actually burns fat instead of storing it. Brown fat is a heat-generator and helps to keep our bodies warm, especially when we are exposed to extreme cold. By cooling your body, you are triggering your brown fat cells to get moving and burn up some of those pesky white fat cells.

Now please be careful with this one, although it can be helpful there is NO need to stand in a freezing cold shower for hours in the name of weight loss. Healthy eating and exercise are also VERY effective in that quest and probably a bit more tolerable day-to-day. This is simply an additional health benefit of a cold-water-rinse. As a side note, another way to boost metabolic functioning is to drink ice water first thing in the morning, and/or sit with an icepack on your shoulders or upper back for 30 mins, for the same reasons described above.

As always, if you have any serious medical issues please consult your doctor before trying any kind of cold-water/ ice therapy. Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

My cold water therapy at this point consists of only about 60 seconds a day but after writing this post, I am hoping to double that and see what happens. I will keep you all posted… and if you decide to try this for a few weeks please let me know how it goes. I’d love to know if you feel or see any good health benefits too!

Ok you guys… I think it’s time to think like a penguin and jump on in.