You’ve heard so many people speak of cold shower benefits, but do you really know what they are? Or even how you too can take advantage of these?
What if I told you that there is a natural way that you could boost your immune system which will make less prone to getting the flu or sick again.
Would you be willing to do whatever it takes to get to this level?
Even if it meant being uncomfortable?
Cold water therapy (or cold showers if you like that term better) has been an age old practice for centuries and a form natural therapy used to heal people with various illnesses, and boosting of immune systems.
I clearly remember being a young child and listening to my grandmother. She had always practiced various forms of alternative and natural health, and would often talk about how she lives by daily cold showers. And how they are so good for you.
Naturally I thought she was old and mad, but over the past few years these memories have slowly creeped back into my mind. And I now find myself obsessed with daily cold showers, and have been reaping the benefits from cold showers ever since.
A Brief History Of Cold Water Therapy And How Long Humans Have Been Practicing This Therapy
Let me give you a quick history of cold water therapy, and then move onto its benefits and how we can all take advantage of this natural health booster!
Hot water was considered a luxury in ancient times due to lack of technological developments. People bathed and showered ONLY in cold water and it is thought to be believed that when the Ancient Greek civilisation developed water heating systems, they continued bathing in cold water for its health benefits!
Many cultures also included cold water immersion in their religious ceremonies from Native Americans bathing in icy rivers. Russians would take frequent plunges in cold icy rivers for spiritual cleansing and Ancient Japanese warriors would stand under icy waterfalls to cleanse their spirits.
In the early 1800s, the Germans were the first to call this new medial treatment, “Hydrotherapy”. They used it to cure all medical ailments, from broken bones, obessity to male erectile dysfunction!
“Hyrdotherapy” really took off once popular figures such as Royal Families, famous musicians and artists started doing it and this therapy quickly spread across mainland Europe and Britain. By 1846 the first Hydrotherapy centre had opened in the USA and very soon their were 200+ “Hyrotherapy” centres by the end of 1900 in the USA alone.
The turn of the 20th century saw the medial industry move to drugs as a form to treatment to illnesses and the pharmaceutical industry was formed. This meant most Doctors used conventional medicine as a form of treatment and holistic medicine was seen as taboo.
Cold water therapy was seen as crazy and tossed out the back door.
It is not a coincidence, though, that with the increased use of “conventional” medicine by using drugs and other pharmaceutical products to cure illnesses and disease, more and more illnesses have creeped in. And people are actually sicker now than ever before.
Makes you think that you are of no good to governments and pharmaceutical industries if you healthy!
7 Cold Shower Benefits
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There are quite a few benefits that come from cold water showers and cold water therapy.
Below are 7 cold shower benefits you need to know:
#1: Boosts Immune System
Scientific studies have shown that taking cold showers increases the amount of white blood cells in your body. These white blood cells protect your body against diseases.
#2: Increases Blood Circulation
Increased blood circulation is vital for overall cardiovascular health and speeds up recovery time after strenuous exercise. Cold water causes blood to move towards your organs to keep them warm and warm water causes blood to move to the skin due to the reverse effect.
#3: Reduces Stress
Cold showers put a certain stress on your body called ‘Hardening’ which means your nervous system gets used to moderate stress levels. This hardening process helps your stay relaxed and focused the next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
#4: Increased Levels Of Concentration
Cold showers wake up your body creating a higher state of alertness. The cold water makes you take deeper breaths which decreases the level of carbon dioxide in your body which in turn helps you concentrate and keep you focussed.
#5: Weight Loss
Scientific research has shown that cold showers and exposure to cold weather in general increase your metabolism as well as generate brown fat. Brown fat is a type of fat tissue that generates energy by burning calories which makes taking cold showers or cold water therapy a good tool for people who want to lose weight.
#6: Increased Willpower
The exposure to cold water is a mental challenge that needs a strong mind to endure the cold for long periods of time. Strengthening your willpower by doing cold showers will help in many other aspects of your daily life!
#7: Relieves Depression
Depression is common amongst most men! Scientific evidence has proven that short, cold showers may stimulate the noradrenaline which is a chemical that could help mitigate depression.
Why You Should Be Doing Cold Showers
Cold water therapy is difficult for most people as being exposed to extreme cold water or temperatures is very very uncomfortable in itself, let alone if you are not used to it.
People in general don’t like being uncomfortable and resist change wherever possible making cold water therapy the perfect thing for you!
As I mentioned above, one of the benefits of cold water therapy is increasing your general willpower.
Willpower teaches you discipline… and discipline gives you freedom and confidence in your everyday walk in life.
Incorporating cold showers into your daily will greatly benefit you as a human being and can be utilised in almost any aspect on your daily life going forward!
So How Do You Incorporate Cold Showers Into Your Daily Routine?
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If you are new to this, then cold showers should be incorporated into your daily shower routine slowly at first.
It can be a big shock to the system if you have spent your entire life taking hot showers, then suddenly you turn the hot water off!
So if you have never showered cold before, then I suggest you first start off by doing the last 30-60 seconds of your morning shower with cold water only. You can then slowly increase your exposure to cold water on a daily or weekly basis until you get to a level where you are doing 3-5 minutes of direct cold showers twice a day!
It’s also best to gradually decrease the temperature of the water, so that your body can adjust.
Also, if you suffer from any of the following, then it is NOT recommended you do cold showers:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Overheated body temperature
I personally take a cold shower in the morning and a cold shower in the evening and have seen numerous health benefits.
Its always important to remember that this process isn’t a comfortable one and that you will be challenged mentally and physically so learn to embrace cold showers and the cold in general.
Yes cold showers in the winter months are tougher than the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere (USA and Europe) for obvious reasons!
You will start feeling the benefits of cold showers and the exposure to the cold in no time, and it’ll soon become part of your daily shower routine.
A good tip is to have a stop watch from a visible distance in your bathroom so that can time yourself and keep improving your cold showers exposure time!
Have You Heard Of The Wim Hof Method?
If you are familiar with cold showers and exposure to the cold and you want to take your cold water therapy to the next level, then I suggest you follow the Wim Hof Method!
Wim Hof has broken numerous records related to cold water and general cold exposure.
In a nutshell, he believes that every human can tap into their minds by using the cold as a teacher, creating an optimal state of body and mind by using 3 powerful pillars:
- Cold therapy
- Breathing
- Commitment
The good news is that he has a really good online program, called The Wim Hof Method that has various online courses and live seminars in cities worldwide.
If you fancy taking your cold water practice to the next level, then check his stuff out. There are some really cool Youtube clips with him too!
I recently tried out ice baths with a few friends, and it was pretty intense! We filled up a jacuzzi with blocks of ice, and did 1 minute intervals submerged up to our necks.
This is, of course, a bit more extreme than cold showers. But it was a good experience and something I want to start implementing on a weekly basis.
Conclusion
In concluding, I really believe every man should incorporate cold showers into their daily routine as you’ll start seeing the benefits after the very first shower, and you will feel like a new man!
Cheers,
Will