Cold water helps stimulate your immune system by strengthening the white blood cells to fight off potential infections
To feel energised, improve immunity, and reduce inflammation, you do not need expensive massages and treatments. According to experts, just a 30-second cold shower can have an amazing impact on your physical as well as mental health. Studies say those who take a cold shower are nearly 30 per cent less likely to report being sick.
Half a minute under the cold water is super beneficial as it helps your body fight off colds and other bugs.
How does cold water help boost immunity?
According to experts, cold water helps stimulate your immune system by strengthening the white blood cells to fight off potential infections. Many studies have also suggested that exposure to cold water lowers your risk of infection and helps your body tolerate stress better. There is also evidence it could help regulate blood sugar levels.
Going from a hot to a cold shower may protect you from circulating viruses. The shock of cold water stimulates the blood cells that fight off infection. Research from the Netherlands found that people who switched to cold showers for 30, 60, or 90 seconds for 90 days called out sick from work way less than those who did not.
Also, cold showers relieve the symptoms of depression by boosting your mood. Experts believe those who take daily cold showers for several months report decreased depression symptoms and lower levels of anxiety.
Improve blood circulation
Cold water strains your body; it goes into “survival mode,” working hard to maintain its core temperature. This stimulates your body to increase blood flow circulation. Increasing circulation redistributes blood and delivers freshly oxygenated blood to areas of the body that need to recover.
It also lowers the time it takes your muscles to recover after exercise. And so, with time, your circulatory system becomes more efficient, helping the blood move more quickly through your body, helping anyone with high blood pressure or diabetes.
How to use your cold shower as therapy?
If you are interested in dipping your toes in cold water immersion, you can do it in the following ways:
- Make sure to keep the water below 15 degrees Celsius to reap the maximum benefits.
- Make sure to take it slow as you can start with 30 seconds of cold water and then, each time you shower, begin to work up from 30 seconds to a minute, then to two to three minutes, so that it can help achieve your goals.
- The best way to maximise cold shower benefits is by alternating hot and cold water. A contrast shower reduces inflammation, especially after exercising and workouts. Simply shower with hot water for three minutes, followed by a cold shower for one minute. Repeat this a couple of times and always end on a cold shower.
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