5 Benefits of Cold Showers That You May Not Know About

 Life comes with many hidden mysteries that we uncover as time goes one, oftentimes through trial and error.

One of those mysteries that has been known for some time, yet ignored by many, is that all the things we should be doing to improve our health and benefit our daily lives are simply difficult to do – and sometimes it is exactly because they are difficult that they are good for us.

In a fast–pace society such as ours where people often look for the most expedient way to success, doing difficult things isn’t necessarily on everyone’s mind. (“Work smarter not harder,” as they say).

But it ought to be.

Doing difficult tasks and accomplishing challenges throughout our life is what makes character and, in the end, always prove to make us WAY happier – and oftentimes this will permeate to those around us.

For instance, the benefits of cold showers have been studied – although at a tremendously slow pace – for some time, and all conclusions point to the fact that although it may be the most dreaded morning experience you can think of, it helps many areas of our well–being.

And yes, it is beneficial partiallybecause it’s challenging.

Have you ever tried to turn the water to a cold temperature? Or better, have you ever even thought about doing it?

Even the thought is frightening enough to send chills crawling through my skin. No one actually wants to be drenched with cold water, unless of course they have been experiencing the benefits of cold showers for some time now and have come to enjoy it.

But think about it… there is a challenge on YouTube called the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” and it’s a “challenge” for a reason.

Cold water is simply uncomfortable.

So, to make taking cold showers easier on your mind, we have comprised a list below of some of the reasons why you should probably start taking cold showers to experience the benefits yourself.

But before we go any further, let me explain why “taking a cold shower” may not be what you think it is.

Some people see or hear about the benefits of cold showers and immediately think, “well I can’t do that because I just love taking hot showers too much, even in the summer.”

I understand. We all know the people who love taking 15–minute showers (or longer) inching up the heat every 3 or 4 minutes. (I say this from experience).

But you wouldn’t have to give up your hot showers.

You can obtain the benefits of cold showers simply by turning the water to a colder temperature for a few minutes at the end of your shower before you get out.

These are often referred to as the “hot–to–cold” showers, and the fact that we can get the same benefits of a cold shower while still enjoying the warmth of the water for a while is great news for anyone who simply can’t take the cold.

That means me, my girlfriend, and I’m assuming you since you’re here.

And if you want to know about a possible quick solution to many of your daily ailments, then keep reading.

Below are the 5 benefits of cold showers that you should probably know and will hopefully convince you to make the switch over to ending your shower with a cold wash–down.

Because it convinced me, and I have never looked back.

People have a lot of things going on, no matter where they live or what careers they are in. Kids, family, friends, jobs, and chasing dreams all take up significant time.

And that’s why it’s important to be as healthy as you can be.  

A study conducted in the Netherlands found that for those who changed their shower routine for 30 days by ending their showers wither either 30, 60, or 90 seconds of cold water blasts were sick 29% less than those who continued to shower with only hot water.

So, if this is a big issue in your life, I would definitely consider trying out at least a 30–second cold shower.

You may be wondering about why cold showers help your health.

Well, one of those ways is by strengthening your immune system.

Taking cold showers has been shown to increase white blood cells in our bodies responsible for fighting off disease. Although it may not be fully understood why, it is fully understood to be the case.

And if you’re anything like me or my family, you’re looking for any way to combat flu season and prevent the ones around us – especially the little ones – from getting sick as well.

We’re all battling the daily stresses that wear down on us.

Some people may have bigger stresses than others, but I think we can all agree that everyone looks for ways to not allow these stress–filled times to take away from our happiness during the day, week, month, and even year.

And one thing that we can all do is let that cold water run.

All of the benefits of cold showers help you make the most out of your day, not just by preventing illness, but by preventing the little things to eat at us.

Don’t just take my word though – humans have been performing “hydrotherapy” for centuries.

Depending on what the occasion calls for, both warm and cold water have been and are continued to be used to treat human illnesses.

Among the benefits that cold showers give is decreasing certain stress hormones.

But decreasing stress hormones is just one improvement for your life.

Increasing the circulation of your blood flow is also among the most important benefits of cold showers.

And it does so by the amazing heat conserving reaction that our bodies exhibit when experiencing cold water. When we’re sub merged in cold water, blood is forced to flow inward supplying our brains with necessary nutrients fresh blood.

It may sound gross, but this is CRUCIAL for our mental health.

Because without a happy brain, we’re generally not happy either.

It always seems like a hassle to be healthy.

But that’s exactly the point.

The benefits of cold showers, among other difficult tasks in life whether large or small, help your mental health by challenging you to do a difficult thing immediately to start your day.

It’s as if by tackling one challenge in the morning, your mind says, “OK, bring it on. I’m ready for anything the day throws at me.”

And not only that, but you will be more alert while you take on the obs30Do Any of These Benefits of Cold Showers Stick Out?tacles of the day and the goals you set for yourself. So, maybe instead of only doing one or two tasks per day, you can fly through more than you could expect, freeing up more time on your weekends and nights.

If that isn’t another way to reduce the stress of wondering if you’ll ever get a moment to enjoy your life, then I don’t know what is.

If so, then seriously… try it out.

You never know, it could be a simple 30–second solution to a lot of the problems you’re facing.

I know when I made the switch, it changed a lot of things for me. The biggest one being number 5 on this list. I started my day off with a small challenge that allowed me to think better about tackling bigger ones my day always presented.

And my girlfriend appreciated my improved alertness, as well – I started noticing those little things they never say but want you to know.

Also, since I was more energetic in my mornings, I was cooking breakfast and brewing coffee earlier and more often, making both mine and my girl’s life that much brighter to start each and every day.