Cold Showers? Eeek no way! Well you might want to rethink that decision. Cold thermogenesis is one of the best practices we can give to our body. Since the dawn of time humans have been bathing in cold rivers, lakes and oceans and it has a dramatic effect on our overall health. The best news is you can start slow and in no time you’ll be forgetting just how fearful you were of the cold.
Cold Thermogenesis – Awaken The True Potential
Cold thermogenesis is the process by which the body produces heat in response to cold. As we begin to get colder our bodies generate heat even if we are sitting in a warm office, apartment or home. This process allows us to regulate our body temperature and stay alive when it gets too cold outside.
How Can Being Cold Help You?
Lower Your Stress Hormone Levels
Stress is a monster when it comes to health and longevity. Excess amounts of stress hormone cortisol in the body is linked to everything from gaining weight to oxidative damage that can cause cancer. Stress is a major player when it comes to disease and over all longer life expectancy. Cold thermogenesis will help you reduce your daily stress levels and help you relax more at night when your body goes into repair mode from any physical activity from the day.
Increase Your Metabolism
When we body generates heat we use up calories and the more heat we generate the more cold thermogenesis we need to do so that we can stay warm. This means your basic human function of eating will also increase as you get colder. When you eat food the process of digestion begins, however when it is cold outside this process is accelerated as our bodies use up calories faster to keep us warm.
Recover Sore Muscles
If you’re sore from exercise a cold shower or exposure to cold can be hugely beneficial to your recovery time. The muscles start to change their composition as the temperature changes and the amount of soreness you feel is greatly reduced.
Increase Your Immunity
Cold temperatures are known to increase your immune response making you more resistant to infections and sicknesses that plague humans throughout life.
Maintain Your Mental Health
The benefits of cold thermogenesis go beyond just increasing energy levels. It has been shown to improve the performance of people in the workplace, reduce stress levels and even improve your sleep.
Environmental Hormesis
The idea of cold or heat conditioning your body is not new or foreign. Our bodies are designed to adapt to the environment around them and cold thermogenesis is just another method of improving your overall health and immune system. Environmental hormesis is a natural response from our bodies helping it to withstand changes in temperatures of the body with dramatic effects on overall health.
Best Practices For Cold Thermogenesis
There are many ways to do cold thermogenesis and what you should do will depend on your body type and current health.
Go Outside In The Cold
The easiest cold thermogenesis is to just go outside as it is one of the best ways for our core temperature to drop. If you have been working all day inside an office or home, going outside can have a dramatic effect on your internal body temperature.
Take A Cold Shower
The most common form of cold thermogenesis is the simple cold shower. Just as a warm shower relaxes your body a cold one will have the opposite effect. As your body heat is eliminated from your skin you will begin to shiver and have chills throughout your body. The warm water will help to loosen the muscles and bring blood flow into them. You can begin slowly with even a warm shower to begin with before changing the water to cold and doing even 1-2 minutes in the beginning. Each day gradually increase your time until you can do 3-5 minutes under cold water.
Ice Bath
The great thing about an iced bath is that it is often used as a recovery tool for muscle soreness and injury. A good technique for an ice bath involves an ice cube placed directly on your skin or just under your arm pit. You can then lay in the water and let it soak in for 10-15 minutes. This is one of the most powerful methods of cold thermogenesis available and many users note big changes in their mental and physical health with consistent use.
Breathing Exercises Before Cold Exposure
One of the tricks people use to withstand the feelings of being cold is to practice breathwork before getting in the cold. A simple practice like “breath of fire” or “Wim Hof Breathing” can help to warm your body from the inside shielding you naturally from the cold. Know Your Body And Know When To Stop
It is very possible to overdo cold thermogenesis. If you are someone who gets cold easily do not start with the ice baths. It is important to know your limits and you should feel comfortable doing it for 10-15 minutes. If you are new to cold showers or baths start slowly and work your way up to even 10 minutes. Take notes of how you felt after, how your skin reacted and any pains or injuries that may have happened during the process.
