All the benefits of a cold shower - and why it should be on the morning

There is no good time for a cold shower like the Israeli summer, but it is not suitable for everyone.

Studies have examined whether it improves our physical and mental health and that is what they have found

Walla!

health

10/05/2022

Tuesday, 10 May 2022, 07:18 Updated: 07:23

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

• Share on general

• Comments

  Comments

Are cold showers better for health?

(Walla! News system)

The weather is warming up and it's time to be mule from the boiling showers that characterized the winter.

We asked to check what are the benefits of a cold shower for our health and how to do it correctly without freezing?

The largest study on the subject is a study conducted in the Netherlands in 2016.

The study sought to examine whether cold showers really strengthen our immune system and improve concentration and thought, or whether it is a myth.

More on Walla!

Love long showers?

Here are 5 weird things they do to the body

To the full article

For the study, the researchers recruited 3,000 people who for a month were divided into several groups: some were required to shower only in cold water, for a fixed period of time, while others showered in hot and lukewarm water.

The results showed that those who met the task and showered in cold water for a month, felt better than their peers and also took fewer sick days from them later in the year.

The most impressive part of the study, is not necessarily its results, but the fact that two-thirds of the subjects continued to shower in cold water, even after the end of the experiment.

The reason, they claimed, was that it was a more stimulating solution than a cup of coffee in the morning.

Better than a cup of coffee in the morning.

Woman showering in cold water (Photo: ShutterStock)

The reason why cold showers may prevent people from getting sick is still unclear.

Some studies show that it strengthens the immune system.

A Czech study showed that immersion in cold water (14 degrees Celsius for one hour) three times a week for six weeks gave a slight boost to the immune system of "young athletic men", the only group tested.

Others claim that cold water activates the cardiovascular system, thus improving its function.

When taking a cold shower, heart rate and blood pressure rise.

There is evidence that cold water activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is the controlling part of the “fight or flight” response (an automatic physiological response to an event that is perceived as dangerous, stressful, or frightening).

When this mechanism is activated, such as during a cold shower, an increase in the hormone noradrenaline is obtained.

This is what most likely causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure observed when people swell in cold water.

More on Walla!

• This doctor has not used soap for 5 years, and that is what happened to him

• A new 90-second shower method ensures you wake up right in the morning

• Natural and home treatment for knee pain - with reimbursement from the health insurance fund

Cold water immersion has also been shown to improve blood circulation.

When exposed to cold water, the blood vessels in the skin become smaller, reducing blood flow.

When the cold water stops, the body needs to warm up, so there is an increase in blood flow as the blood vessels grow due to dilation.

A study that examined immersion in cold water after exercise found that after four weeks, blood flow to and from the muscles improved.

On the other hand, a cold shower may be less good for heart patients because it increases heart rate and blood pressure.

It can adversely affect those with heart disease as it can accelerate a heart attack or irregular heartbeat.

Cold showers are also considered to be good for mental health.

The Dutch study may not have found improvements in anxiety with cold showers, but they may reduce the symptoms of depression.

The suggested reason for this is that people have a high density of cold receptors on our skin and a cold shower activates them and sends a huge amount of electrical signals to the brain, which can have an antidepressant effect.

There is also research among adults that suggests that cold water applied to the face and neck is associated with temporary improvements in brain function, including improvements in memory and attention.

How do you do it right?

Of course you do not have to have the whole shower cold, and it is possible just before you finish showering with hot water to spray cold / frozen water on yourself for 30 seconds, then return to the hot water and then transfer to the cold again before you turn off the water.

These sudden changes from cold water to bread and then again to cold open the capillaries under the skin and increase the blood flow in the body.

Cold showers are not for everyone, so if you are still looking for other ways to get up fresher, try to start the morning by drinking water and make sure you have as calm and long a night's sleep as possible.

• health

• My health

Tags

• shower

• immune system