Former Victoria Secret model Lindsay Ellingson starts every morning with a glass of warm water. She learned that the body supposedly has an easier time absorbing warm water and it helps soothe the stomach. On the other-hand there are several studies that show that cold water is better, especially in the morning, for boosting our metabolism and inducing weight loss. The theory is that our body must work harder to bring the cold water up to our internal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Further, several studies show that we benefit more from cold showers than warm.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF COLD SHOWERS
Cold showers have several benefits we should be aware of. These benefits have been known for a long time. Katherine Hepburn was a fan of cold showers and would regularly take ice cold baths and showers to increase energy and alertness. In addition to the cold water shock, the increased breathing we do when cold increases our oxygen levels in our blood, giving us a long lasting energy boost.
Cold Showers increase metabolic rate
A study from England found that regular cold showers help increase he metabolic speed rate and the amount of white blood cells in the body. This leads to a better ability to fight diseases.
Cold showers improve circulation.
Cold showers stimulate the circulatory system by sending blood down to your organs to keep them warm which is important for your overall cardiovascular health.
Cold Showers improve skin and hair quality
Further cold showers will help reduce the loss of our skins natural oils too quickly. It will also make your hair appear shinier and stronger by flattening hair follicles and increasing their ability to grip the scalp. In addition, the increased blood flow around our organs (as a way to heat our body up) has cardiovascular benefits including lowering blood pressure, clearing blocked arteries and improving immunity. Lastly, a 1994 study found that cold waters decreased uric acid levels and increased dramatically the amount of electrical impulses from nerve endings to the brain, thus having an impact on stress and depression levels.
The benefits of cold showers are profound, and you should include cold showers in your life. Maybe not every shower you take is cold, but try to throw a few cold showers into your weekly schedule… your hair, skin and stress level will thank you.