For several months I have been reading tons about the health benefits of cold showers. A little while ago I decided to give cold showers a try and see what all the fuss was about. I am not going to lie to you; cold showers at first were pretty shocking to say the least. Once you get a couple cold showers under your belt, you will get used to them and they won't be a big deal anymore. To start I recommend getting into a hot shower and alternating between hot and cold until you get used to them. For the winter I am temporally back onto hot showers, but during the other seasons I like to start with cold and end with a quick 10 second burst of warm or hot water to take the edge off of getting out of the shower. So what are a few claimed benefits of cold showers?
Immune system benefits
The claim is that cold showers strengthen your immune system. Online several people make reference to a study by the Thrombosis Research Institute that showed people who took daily cold showers saw an increase in the production of white blood cells compared to people who took hot showers. The exact percentage increase of white blood cells was not mentioned. Personally I did not get sick during my cold shower phase, but have gotten sick while off the cold showers. I tend to think my recent illness has to do with recently putting my daughter into daycare and it now being winter.
Healthier Skin and Hair
I personally haven't noticed any changes to my hair or skin, but to be honest I haven't really was not paying attention to the texture of my skin or hair during my cold shower phase. I have heard that hot water dries out your skin and hair so this is believable.
Treatment for Depression
The theory behind this is that the cold water activates parts of our nervous system and causes endorphins levels to increase in our blood. Also, since we have tons of cold receptors in our skin, exposure to the cold water sends impulses to our brains. Basically cold showers are a natural antidepressant. Don't tell the drug companies! I can say from experience that cold showers had a positive effect on my mood.
Better Circulation
This makes sense when you think about it. In order to protect our organs during a cold water shower, the body moves your blood towards your organs. The opposite happens when you take a hot shower, your blood moves towards your skin. The better circulation happens when you switch between cold and hot water. There are also claims about being healthier and looking younger due to increased blood circulation from switching between cold and hot water during showers. I am neutral on this claim since I did not notice looking any younger from them.
Improved Energy
I am not a morning person to say the least. The instant that cold water hits my body I am 100% awake. It's like injecting red bull straight into your body. Invigorating! This is one claim I can say I agree with no doubt. Cold showers always gave me a boost of energy that seemed to last awhile.
To summarize I am all for cold showers. You might not look any younger, have better looking skin, or prevent sickness, but they will give you a morning boost and make you feel pretty invigorated. Give them a shot, just remember to start slow. They can be very shocking at first.