It’s Time to Take the James Bond Shower

5 Surprising Benefits of Taking Cold Showers
Have you ever tried taking a really cold shower? Then you’re familiar with the bracing sensation of the icy cold water pouring over your showerhead down to your just-warm skin. Sure, it can give you the chills and numbing sensation, but taking the so called ‘James Bond Shower’ – or freezing cold shower – can actually provide some amazing benefits not just on your skin, but on your entire body as well.

1. Boosts Alertness and Energy. Stepping into a cold shower will really shock anybody. But this shock will also give you the energy boost that you need through a deep breathing response. This response is what increases our oxygen intake and keeps us feeling warm throughout the bath. With this, our heart rate also increases, releasing a good amount of blood throughout the body and giving us a dose of energy that we need to last throughout the day.

2. Refines Skin and Hair. If you’re looking into more a natural way of maintaining the appearance of your skin and hair, then we suggest that you make taking cold showers a habit. Unlike hot shower, cold shower aids in tightening the pores and cuticles, preventing them from being clogged with dirt. When it comes to haircare, taking a cold shower aids in increasing your hair follicles’ ability to grip the scalp, resulting to a hair that looks stronger and healthier.

3. Improves Circulation and Immunity. Taking cold showers is also believed to improve blood circulation in your organs, combatting skin- and heart-related problems. When cold water hits your body, its ability to get blood circulating helps your arteries in pumping blood more efficiently, thereby boosting your heart health, lowering blood pressure, clearing blocked arteries and improving your immune system.

4. Eases Stress. Had a rather stressful day? Then try jumping into a cold shower to relieve your stress. Cold showers are believed to promote an increased tolerance not just to stress, but to certain diseases as well. Some studies also showed that the cold stimulus triggered an increase in glutathione, making the remaining antioxidants perform at their optimal levels.

5. Relieves Depression. Other than easing stress, taking cold showers – or cold hydrotherapy – is also believed to relieve depression. The intense impact of the cold water into the skin sends electrical impulses to the brain, producing an anti-depressive effect that boosts one’s mood.

Turning off the heat on your shower may not sound appealing to you, but these benefits are already enough to make you want to take some cold plunge on a daily basis.