Cold exposure appears to reduce inflammation and may help fight inflammation-related pain and swelling. There's even evidence that cold showers help reduce pain and inflammation in people with inflammatory arthritis.
Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. A body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well.
The results indicate that short-term whole-body cold-water immersion may have integrative effects on brain functioning, contributing to the reported improvement in mood.
Running out of hot water during your shower might actually be a good thing. A cold shower — even just for a few minutes — can work as cold therapy to help you heal, recover and generally feel good, especially after exercise.
When you get a cold, your body makes antibodies against the virus that caused it. If you're exposed to the virus again, the antibodies remind your body how to fight it. While it is helpful for your body to make antibodies, there are more than 200 different viruses that cause colds.
Cold temperatures (and cold water) keep your skin tight, vibrant, and radiant. Spending some active time outdoors during the winter helps with increasing the blood circulation in both the face and the rest of your body. That leads to reduced inflammation and naturally less-puffy eyes.
Low temperatures can increase the likelihood of getting sick. The body is not as effective at fighting a virus when cold air enters the nose and upper airways, so viruses such as the common cold, the flu and COVID-19 often spread more easily in the winter.
Taking cold showers every day for 30 days may lead to increased energy levels and alertness as well as improved overall health. Your skin and hair may feel and look better due to the reduced drying and irritating effects of a hot shower. However, remember, individual responses to cold therapy vary.
Boosts Metabolism and Weight Loss
Regular cold showers stimulate the production of brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat by burning calories. Over time, this can aid in weight management and potentially support weight loss efforts when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
Cold exposure appears to reduce inflammation and may help fight inflammation-related pain and swelling. There's even evidence that cold showers help reduce pain and inflammation in people with inflammatory arthritis.
As a result, cold therapy can produce a feeling of calm, happiness, and well-being, which can support the mitigation of mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety. A typical session lasts about 2 – 5 minutes, it may be recommended you engage in multiple sessions depending on your needs.
One study showed that a cold plunge at 57°F caused a 250% increase in dopamine levels, and a 530% increase in noradrenaline levels that lasted for several hours. Dopamine is often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone, and is associated with feelings of happiness, motivation, alertness, and focus.
“Cold exposure stimulates the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which ultimately boosts mental clarity,” explains Klisanin. What's more, getting outside can also help lift your mood, which is especially important to help curb those winter blues.
The benefits of a cold shower on the immune system have been studied widely. Cold water helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defenses.
Powell, a vascular surgeon, says cold plunging is safe if you're reasonably fit and have no history of arrhythmias, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor circulation or heart problems. He also advises that anyone with Raynaud's phenomenon, which causes decreased blood flow to the fingers, avoid cold plunging.
It seems that long-term ice-cold water has deleterious functional and structural effects on the liver. Avicenna, Gruner OC, Bakhtiar L, Shah MH. The Canon of Medicine of Avicenna.
Cold showers are reported to offer a number of physical and mental health benefits. Cold shower benefits may include improvements in circulation, immunity, energy, mental clarity, and skin and hair health.
Taking a cold plunge in an Ice Barrel can activate the brown adipose and muscles in your body. Once activated, irisin and FGF will be released (irisin and FGF are cold-induced endocrine activators of brown fat function in humans). These two hormones burn up the white fat tissues resulting in weight loss.
Long-term exposure to the cold – especially if the body's core temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit – can lead to hypothermia, frostbite and other problems.
Cold air can cause your airways to narrow. This can increase the amount of mucus you produce and make it harder to breathe.
The winter months can cause havoc with your hair, leaving it dry and prone to breakage. Colder temperatures versus central heating along with woolly hat wearing and the after effects of a 'full-on' festive period can all have a negative impact on your hair's overall health, leaving it in need of some TLC.