Does cold shower help you lose weight
It’s tempting to take a hot shower to warm your body and get fully relaxed before bed, but you may also benefit a lot if you try to fit a cold shower into your daily routine. Here’re the main health benefits cold shower offers.
A cold shower increases your circulation
People naturally get shocked by a blast of cold water. When cold water hits your body, the circulation of your skin automatically gets constrained. On the other hand, your deeper tissues circulate at a faster rate in order to warm your core and vital organs. During this process, your heart pumps more efficiently, and you’ll get an improved overall circulation after taking a cold shower.
A cold shower improves your immune system
Researches have found that even 30 seconds of a cold shower following a warm shower can help boost immune function. This is because your body will release the anti-inflammatory norepinephrine, which makes you more resistant to illness.
A cold shower makes your hair and skin healthy
A cold shower doesn’t dry out your hair and skin as much as a hot shower, as it is less likely to strip away the natural oils which keep them hydrated and shiny. Besides, cold water will also help smooth the cuticle of hair strands so that your hair will be healthier and stronger over time.
A cold shower helps you lose weight
Your body burns brown fat to generate heat to keep warm in cold conditions. It is a fat cell that’s widely seen around your neck and shoulders, so taking a cold shower may help weight loss, but never consider it as the main route.
Conditions when you shouldn’t take a cold shower
Despite the multiple benefits, you should stay away from a cold shower if you are already cold or feeling sick, as a cold shower wouldn’t make things any better. A cold shower is also unfriendly to those with heart disease. The shock the cold shower brings to you will put more stress on your heart, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
Tips for a cold shower
It’s not easy to turn yourself from a hot to a cold shower in a short time, but you can drop the water temperature moderately and give yourself time to adjust to the cold.
Instead of immersing yourself in cold water from start to finish, you can also easily do it by finishing your normal shower with 60-90 seconds of a cold shower or alternating between a normal shower and a cold shower (1 minute for a cold shower) for several times during your shower.