Why having a freezing cold shower is great for your health
Having a freezing cold shower can help and improve your mental health, wellbeing and cardiovascular system, a new study has found.
Experts at the University of Greenwich discovered that the rush of cold water, while an initial shock to the system at first, will close the pores of your skin and slow down your heart rate.
Standing under ice-cold water might not be the most appealing start to the day, but researchers want to encourage more people to give them a go — even if it's just once a week.
Dr Abigail Rickard, an associate professor at the University of Greenwich, told the Huffpost UK: "The effects of cold showers are positive for the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, giving us an immune boost, giving us better mental health, giving us a boost to our metabolism, potentially burning brown fats and potentially even making you more beautiful.
"You've got a lot of blood in the centre of your body, primed because it's got lots of oxygen meaning that your brain, your heart and your lungs are working at their optimum. Having a shower with cold water will close pores in your skin and also make the cuticles in the hair lay flat so your hair will appear glossy, shiny and healthy," Dr Abigail says.
This isn't the first time cold showers have been praised for their health benefits, either. For centuries, people have been turning on the cold tap to increase circulation in the body and to help fight fatigue.
Elsewhere, a previous groundbreaking study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, found that having regular cold showers can even help to fight depression. "A cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect," the study explained.
When was the last time you had a cold shower? Why not turn the tap to cold the next time you have one...
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