Life as an experiment - Cold showers
Experiment: Take cold showers.
Why: It is supposed to bring a lot of benefits to your health and life.
How long: 1 month (Started on May 01, 2022).
Status: 22 days without hot showers. (while I'm writing this post)
I was watching some videos about taking cold showers. And one video after another, something that caught my attention was that no one of the people who took the challenge of taking cold showers got regrated, and this new habit became something they incorporate into their lives.
I decided to dig a little bit and I've found a lot of exciting information about the benefits and reasons why everybody should try it.
Benefits
There is a list I've found in the video (Which I strongly recommend you watch) What Happens after 14 Days of Cold Showers that blew my mind!
A cold shower a day, keep the doctors away!
I decided to copy it here to show some of the benefits could exposure brings to those who take the challenge.
1. Enhances immune system function
• Increases monocytes
• Increases Lymphocytes
• Increases T-helper cells
• Increases T-suppressor cells
2. Promotes noradrenaline
• Increases mood
• Supports alertness
• Helps reduce the risk of depression
• Improves focus
3. Supports weight loss by triggering brown fat
• Increases metabolism
• Increases Energy
• Decreases weight
• 100g of brown fat can burn 3400 calories per day
4. Increases insulin sensitivity
5. Reduces inflammation
6. Boosts antioxidant
7. Has neuroprotective effects
8. Improves longevity and promotes autophagy
9. Lowers cortisol
10. Supports fast recovery
Strategies & Dangers
It never is easy, mainly in the first seconds! But you can try some approaches to get through it:
Relax (At least try to): if you try to fight against the cold, you will lose. So, try to relax, allow yourself to feel the cold, and be aware of how your body reacts to it.
Breathing is essential to relax. Try some circles of deep breaths, release all the air out of your lungs, and hold your breath how long you can, breath in and hold a little bit. Try different breath techniques and check which one works for you best.
Temperature: My approach is to get under the cold water at once, but some people decrease the temperature of a warm shower, to get some minutes of the cold shower at the end of the shower.
Never overpass your limits. It's not supposed to be painful (pain is different from discomfort)
DANGER! If you have some special medical condition, do not try it without talking with your doctor. You are the ONLY one responsible for the risks you decided to take on. Be careful!
So far it's been a very interesting experience, and to be honest, I never thought I would get so far, but I'm liking it, and I'll try to complete the experiment to decide If I'll incorporate this routine into my life.