Healthy saving: Why cold showers are healthy for us
Energy crisis, gas prices are soaring. We all have to rethink now, from water consumption to heating to beauty routines. Shorter showers have long been recommended, but how about cold showers? With a cold shower, you can save a lot in times of energy shortage, and it's even better for your health! We clarify what you need to consider and what advantages cold showers bring!
What do you need to consider?
Best to start gently, first warm, then cold – regularity is what counts.
With cold showers and contrast showers, you always start with a warm phase of one to two minutes. This is followed by a cold phase lasting about 10 to 20 seconds. Contrast showers end with a cold application. The cold water should have a temperature of 10-16 degrees. It is also recommended to start at the legs and then slowly rinse upwards. This can be practiced and improved day by day – our body also gets somewhat used to it.
By the way, the cold shower should not last longer than three minutes. That is more than enough to take advantage of the positive effects. For stimulating blood circulation and activating certain fat cells, 30 seconds is sufficient.
Cold showers are not only energy-saving but in most cases not dangerous and even promote health! We'll tell you why.
The many benefits of cold showers:
Cold showers strengthen the immune system
Pastor Sebastian Kneipp invented water therapy, which among other things strengthens the immune system. Scientists at the University of Jena have proven its effectiveness in studies: regular cold dousing on the body strengthens the defenses. Test subjects had more defense cells in their blood afterwards than before.
Cold showers make you resilient & stimulate blood circulation
Properly harden yourself. Be insensitive to cold. Who among you can still do that?
Nowadays, unfortunately, we hardly practice this anymore because our homes are comfortably heated and functional clothing never lets us get cold.
Basically, the idea of hardening is very good because it trains your vessels: they constrict in the cold and dilate again in the warmth. This stimulates blood circulation and makes you wide awake.
By taking cold showers, you can train your resilience, for example with contrast baths.
Cold showers reduce stress levels
Because with cold water, you not only strengthen your blood vessels but also your nerves. More precisely, you train a shift from the sympathetic nervous system (the performance nerve) to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's recovery.
Cold showers are good for skin and hair
Warm shower lovers often have to deal with dry skin and hair. The reason: showering too hot removes moisture. Cold water has the opposite effect. It keeps the skin's natural protective film intact by closing the pores of the skin and hair. This helps prevent wrinkles and split ends.
Cold showers make you happy
Research has shown that contact with cold water improves mood. The cold activates the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn increases the levels of endorphins and noradrenaline. These are hormones the body releases in stressful situations. Some researchers even recommend cold showers as a treatment measure for depression.
Cold showers help with weight loss
Sounds crazy, but it isn't. Cold stimuli activate brown fat cells in the body. They work like a combustion engine: they produce heat and burn calories in the process. White fat cells, on the other hand, store excess energy in the body. Also known as love handles. So, you would have to be able to turn white fat cells into brown ones. And, wow!
If that's not enough good reasons to start turning the shower water cold from now on! Your gas bill and health will thank you!
Stay healthy and have fun trying it out,
your Eva!
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About the author:
Eva Staudinger is a German model signed with international agencies in New York, London, and Paris. With her many years of professional experience, skincare, beauty, and wellness are topics she engages with daily and with great enthusiasm. Business trips to New York, Sydney, or London allow her to always gain insight into the latest beauty trends, which she will share with us in the SoSue Beauty section. In addition to her work as a model, the native of Bergisch Gladbach has also completed her bachelor's degree in economics at the University of Cologne. She has since relocated her base from the Rhineland to the north in Hamburg, where she lives with her boyfriend and where her German agency “PMA” is located. She regularly takes her followers on her Instagram account "evastaudinger" on her travels around the world and shares insights from her latest discoveries in beauty, wellness, and food – anyone interested is welcome to take a look.