Cold Showers – Are they Beneficial for Your Health?
From the time of Hippocrates, many people have believed that cold baths are able to treat illness and provide a healthy lifestyle. This belief still exists today, but what is the real science behind it? Springfield chiropractic is about to tell you.
Researchers in the Netherlands conducted a study on 2800 people. Participants where slipped into 4 different groups. Group 1 was asked to take a 30 second cold shower each day, Group 2, a 60 second cold shower, Group 3, 90 seconds and Group 4, a regular hot shower. Participants were asked to do this for one month.
At the end of the study, researchers concluded that 80 percent of the group maintained the study, and 60 percent continued to take a cold shower after the study was finished.
The participants in the cold shower group had a better quality of life for this month; even a 29 percent drop in sick days from work compared to the hot shower group was found.
An increase in energy levels with the absence of caffeine was another shocking result of the study.
What was very interesting and great about the results of this study was that the three groups results were all extremely similar. Basically, taking a 30 second shower is just as beneficial as taking a 90 second one. So all of the same benefits with less “pain” from the cold water. Even though the study time was short and there is still not much research on the effects of cold showers, there are definitely multiple kinds of benefits since many participants continued to take cold showers even after the study. Researchers found that when your body shivers from the cold water, hormones are increased that can have a positive affect on the immune system. Another thought is that the neurological system gets a sort of benefit and that the results are psychological. Knowing what the study was about and knowing how cold showers are supposed to effect your body brings you optimism and positivity.
The final thing researchers concluded was that cold showers may have a similar effect on the body as exercising would. This is especially true for the reduced sick days out of work when put aside the regular hot shower.
Although the study highly favors cold showers being beneficial, more in depth research must be conducted in order to fully comprehend cold showers and the effects of them. Springfield chiropractic encourages you to try a cold shower each day, even if it is only for 30 seconds.
If you are in any type of pain or discomfort, give us a call at Springfield chiropractic.Call us (908) 325 – 3000 and let us help you to become pain free.
