As of late, I’ve started a new practice into my lifestyle: cold shower body hardening. Those of you who follow me on social media and subscribe to my newsletter (you know who you are, and thank you!) already are up to speed with why I’ve really grown to like it. For today’s post, I wanted to talk even more about it, and provide some interesting research. Afterward, I’ll share with you how I started out, and what I’ve worked up to at this moment.
Here are the benefits of cold showers:

#1: They Provide an Advantage for Burning Fat
Even though there’s no silver bullet for burning fat, there are a number of things that, in combination, can give you a greater advantage when it comes to burning fat. Ironically, it influences what body fat you do have into burning calories.
Let me explain.
In our body, there are two dominant* types of fat- white fat, which is the stubborn kind of fat we struggle to lose, and brown fat, a metabolically active fat that functions to keep our body warm. In order to create enough heat, the brown fat needs to burn off extra calories that are often stored away in our white fat. [1]
One of the ways we can get stoke the metabolic flame of our brown fat is by exposing it to cold temperatures. And cold showers are awesome at achieving this. You’re drowning yourself in cold, after all!
This phenomenon has been validated by science. Researchers in Scandinavia were able to observe the metabolic rate of brown fat go up by fifteen-fold. [2]

*Technically, there is a third type of fat (yellow/beige) but for the purposes of this post, I’m going to be focusing on brown and white.

#2: Increases Recovery & Circulation
Cold showers are also good for your cardiovascular health. This is due to their ability to stimulate the circulatory system into reducing inflammation, which therefore helps to prevent both hypertension and hardening of your arteries. On that note, the same increase in circulation also improves recovery from exercise or any hard, strenuous work. Although you may not be comfortable at first, your muscles will actually start to relax and begin the recovery process. If you’re ever feeling particularly sore (especially after a ZGYM workout!), hop in the shower and run it cold- it may just do the trick and provide some relief! [3]
Need more proof? Back in 2009, a study analyzed seventeen trials comparing participants who either chose to simply reset or expose themselves to cold water after exercising. After analyzing over 360 different participants, the researchers concluded that the ones who did cold water immersion were able to recover effectively. [4]

#3: Keeps Your Hair & Skin Healthy
A lot of people swear by cold water when it comes to maintaining glowing skin. The reason why that may be has to do with how the pores of your skin react to certain temperatures. Ever gone to a spa or gotten a facial where they steam your face? In doing so, they open up the pores of your skin, helping them to be more receptive to the relaxing treatments. With cold water, you close the pores, making it harder for dirt to seep in and cause trouble (think pimples and blackheads!). The same can also be said for the cuticles on your scalp. One of the many things you can do to grow luscious, long lengths is by taking care of your scalp. And cold water or showers can do just that. The extra blood flow to the head increases circulation and stimulates the scalp, encouraging more growth. [5] And as for the hair itself, the benefits keep on rolling. According to Chicago dermatologist Jessie Cheung, MD, “… the cold will flatten the ruffled cuticles and lock in moisture to prevent breakage.” The good doctor also has more to say about the benefits for your skin. “Cold water will initially help constrict blood vessels in your skin to temporarily tighten pores and decrease redness and puffiness.” [6]

#4: Improving Your Mental State
Not many realize that willingly bathing yourself in cold temperatures requires inner resiliency. If you’re still frightened of the prospect of an icy bath or chilly shower, take a step back and look at what’s blocking you. It’s really just a head game. Renowned athlete and Guinness World Record holder Wim Hof (the “Iceman”) not only tolerates freezing cold temperatures on a regular basis, but he’s also perfected the act of doing so into an art. According to the Iceman himself, cold showers help to harden the body. The act of hardening simply means you have an ability to handle stress; your mind or your will, rather, have hardened to stress, and you can remain a cool (pun intended!) and level-headed, especially when things go astray. Another benefit that comes from cold showers is the sudden rush of alertness it gives you. If you’re looking for a new way to snap yourself awake in the morning, then look no further than your shower. Trust me, you won’t be dosing off or reaching for that extra cup of coffee after a vigorous cold shower! [7]
Finally, yet another reason why cold showers are good for your mind is that they can help to put you in a better mood. Our skin contains cold receptors which, when activated, send signals to the brain that create a sort of anti-depressive-like sensation. While more research is needed, early studies show that “Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well….cold hydrotherapy can relieve depressive symptoms rather effectively. The therapy was also found to have a significant analgesic effect and it does not appear to have noticeable side effects or cause dependence.” [8]

Getting Started
Here’s what I recommend you do when starting out with cold showers. The first and obvious step is to remain consistent. It’s quite easy to become spoiled by warmer temperatures, so stick with the cold shower and make it a habit.
The next step is to start off slow. What I did was 20-30 seconds under the cold shower before bolting off.
After that, the next step is to slowly increase your time. Maybe after every two or three days, you add another 20-30 seconds, building your way up over time. After two weeks of doing those very brief seconds, I was able to make it up to two full minutes. Crazy, huh? It’s really not that bad!
Another tip that I’ve seen is saving the cold shower for the end of your regular shower. What you do is go about your business as you normally would in the shower, washing as soon as you can, before turning the temperature down and making it very, very cold. And it’s during that time that you start to practice the cold shower. This sounds like a good compromise for beginners, with the goal being to replace most (if not all) of your shower with cold water.

But talk to me. How has cold showering helped you, if you do practice it? Would you consider giving a cold shower a try? (Maybe we should start a challenge?) Share with me in the comments!

Sources:
[1] https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-fat
[2] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102964807
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-vs-hot-shower#2
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19357407
[5] https://www.medicaldaily.com/benefits-cold-showers-7-reasons-why-taking-cool-showers-good-your-health-289524
[6] https://www.health.com/beauty/benefits-cold-showers
[7] https://www.wimhofmethod.com/benefits-of-cold-showers
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17993252