Cold Shower Benefits: 8 Reasons to Rinse in Icy Water

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If you’re like most people, nothing is more relaxing than a nice hot shower coupled with your favorite Dr. Squatch soap to top it all off.

While most of us would never dare shower in cold water, health experts say you may want to reconsider.

Although the thought of taking cold showers may not get your all excited, it can actually do the body good—in more ways than one.

Here’s how:

1. Fights Fatigue, Creates Alertness

As soon as the chilly water from your faucet touches your skin, you’ll instantly come awake. Medical experts say there is a good reason for it. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, when they exposed people to ice water, they performed better on a standard alertness test. Anesthesiologist James Zacny, PhD believes this may happen because when we encounter a stressful situation, our bodies often release noradrenaline, an energizing hormone.

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2. Boosts Your Mood

Cold showers gives you an instant rush, making you feel awake and alive. Cold water releases natural endorphins into your blood stream and brain, shifting your mood. There are many scientists who even believe cold showers can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

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3. Reduces Aches And Pains

According to researchers, icy, cold water reduces blood flow to the part of the body in pain, which can help to alleviate painful swelling and reduce inflammation. It also has a numbing effect on the area, and it slows down the pain messages sent from your nerves to your brain.

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4. Burns Fat

Scandinavian researchers found that exposure to cold temperatures increased the metabolic rate of brown fat by fifteen fold, which could help a person drop nine pounds in a year if sustained.

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5. Detoxifies The Body

Cold water stimulates the release of endorphins and gets your heart pumping. The cold water supports expansion of the muscles, hence the release of toxins. Cold water has more oxygen which is more alkalizing to the body.

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6. Promotes Healthy Skin And Hair

Cold water helps to close pores. Closed pores keep your skin looking smooth and healthy, without drying your skin out as hot water can. The cold water helps keep your hair shiny and your skin soft, rather than itchy, ashy, and dried out.

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7. Improves Blood Circulation

Immersing yourself in a cold tub of water brings down your heart rate and increases your circulation, minimizing inflammation and helping you recover faster. In fact, cold-water baths appear to be significantly more effective than rest in relieving delayed-onset muscle soreness, which typically occurs one to four days after exercise or other physical activity.

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8. Boosts The Immune System

A study from England found that taking daily cold showers increased the numbers of disease-fighting white blood cells (compared to people who took hot showers). The investigators at Britain’s Thrombosis Research Institute suggested that as the body tries to warm itself during and after a cold shower, metabolic rate speeds up and activates the immune system, which leads to the release of more white blood cells.