Cold Water Therapy: Cold Showers Aren't Just for Disappointed Lotharios

Most people love a hot shower in the morning. Even those who don’t live in cold climates. For many people, they just can’t get started on their daily routine without that hot shower. As those of us who have lived through the aftermath of hurricanes in recent years can attest, one of the first things you miss about not having electricity is not having hot water. But maybe it’s time to rethink the whole hot water theory. More and more evidence is coming out to support the historically-based anecdotal concept that starting the day with a cold shower is better for you.

Cold water helps to keep your blood pressure stabilized. One of the reasons that people have been known to survive for a long time while submerged in freezing water is because the body has a natural reaction known as the autonomic nervous system. This system controls such bodily functions as breathing and heart rate. Cold water works by triggering the autonomic nervous system, which raises blood pressure. The more you expose your body to cold water, the stronger the autonomic response gets. So by showering with cold water each day you may in fact be also stabilizing your circulatory system for the long run.

Cold water doesn’t just trigger the autonomic nervous system, it also causes cytokines and similar substances in the body to be released. Cytokines and those other substances are essentially like hormones, and their triggered release is thought to improve the body’s immune system. Several studies have found that patients who underwent cold water therapy actually experienced an increase in levels of white blood cells, which are used to stem off disease.

As if that weren’t enough, consider also that cold water stimulates the body to release endorphins. Endorphins are those hormones that not only give you that “runner’s high” after any kind of intense workout (including sex), but also are key in fighting off pain. In essence, endorphins are the body’s own natural pain relievers and, unlike certain pharmaceutical companies, the body doesn’t charge you an arm and a leg to use them.