I took a cold shower daily for a month: this is what happened to me

They say the cold keeps you young and healthy, so nothing like going to Siberia a time if you want to look eternally jovial. As the ticket is still a bit expensive or you don't have time to move, there is the option of giving you cold showers. Now it doesn't look bad, but to first thing in the morning on a cold day You may not feel so much in December. You may wonder: what scientific basis is there in all this?

You just have to look at those Central European citizens which, by their own choice, are submerged in water despite the low temperatures. The cold activates the circulation and maintains smooth skin (hence talk about rejuvenation). But if you're still not convinced, maybe the words of Danielle Zickl, journalist for 'Men's Health' who decided to challenge herself and see what it feels like when you shower for a month with cold water.

Cold showers reduce muscle pain and improve mood and provide energy

"The first time I heard about the benefits of taking cold showers was during high school, when we went to the pool"she explains." Our teacher told us that this prevented the chlorine from damaging the hair, but I didn't think about it much more. Lately I've been reading many more good things, including that reduce muscle pain and inflammation and that improves mood and brings energy, so I said to myself, why not? "

Get to it

First of all, he warns that it's not easy to take the step. He explains that the best thing to do is to work slowly on it, that means:

– Get in the shower first with hot water.

– Make the transition to warm water.

– Turn again, bravely, until you reach the cold water. When you dry (in case you are a masochist and want to start in winter) put on a sweatshirt and make some tea to warm up.

That is what she started doing, although the transition to cold was changing a bit as she used to do it. "It was not as bad as it may seem"he explained." I had imagined it much worse, but I really got used to it quickly. "

The results

"Taking cold showers is not easy," he says. "But neither is running, for example. If you stand it and go getting strong mentally, worth. Once I gained the confidence of knowing that I was strong enough to stand the cold shower, my attitude towards my workouts also changed, suddenly I was able to do many more things. You could say that I left my comfort zone".

Besides the Mental force, the cold water gave him a good boost of energy to start his day (usually it was given night showers). "It's no joke," he explains, "that cold jolt is enough to wake up to the more lethargic"The adrenaline that is obtained from immersing yourself in cold water creates a burst of norepinephrine, which helps increase energy, focus and performance results, and she says she did not even need to drink coffee, because her levels of concentration and productivity They improved. "As a general rule I would not get up earlier to shower every morningI'm not going to lie either, but the days I did it, I felt better. "

Last but not least, it also relieved your muscle pain. According Henry Halse, owner of Halse Strength and Fitness in Philadelphia, taking cold showers regularly helps muscles recover from training. In addition, a 2009 study in 'The New England Journal of Medicine'discovered that soaking in cold water after do cardio, run or ride a bike It helps improve muscle recovery and pain. But the water must be quite cold, when cold is applied to the skin, increases blood flow, so you would have to watch until it put a little red.

"It helped me a lot, I had no stiffness and I improved in training"If, like her, you want to prove yourself, we encourage you not to let it go any longer and start now that it is hot. It is, without a doubt, the best time of the year. Perhaps for January it is harder that of get under a torrent of frozen water, but everything is to wear.