Thursday Thirteen #429

 

 

 

Brrr! Our water heater suddenly crapped out and I was relegated to cold showers for 2 mornings in a row. I hated it. But I learned that while uncomfortable, I was actually doing my body good.

1. Typically cold water out of the tap is between 45º and 60º. That may not sound cold, but trying showering in it.

2. Cold showers leave you alert. You relax in a hot shower or a warm tub, but you emerge from a cold shower with eyes wide open.

3. Regular cold showers can help fight acne, because cold water tightens pores.

4. It can undo the damage of the night before, because cold water reduces eye puffiness.

5. Some chronic skin conditions respond well to cold water. Patients with eczema and hives report that it helps. 

6. If your hair tends to be dry, cold showers might help. It's believed that hot water can strip your hair of natural oils, while cold water doesn't.

7. Your hair will be shinier, too. Cold water helps seal the cuticle, or top layer of the hair strand. A flat cuticle more effectively reflects light and your hair will appear glossier.

8. Cold water gets your blood pumping. It's believed cold showers bolster your circulation.

9. Your muscles may thank you. Cold showers may soothe aches, the same way an ice pack does.

10. They can be a good choice during cold and flu season. Here's the theory: cold showers speed up your white blood cell count, and those white blood cells will help your body resist illness.

11. A cold shower can enhance your workout because it boosts your metabolism.

12. It can naturally increase your oxygen intake. A cold shower stimulates deep breathing, which can help with anxiety or depression.

13. Cold showers are good for the environment. They tend to be shorter – I know mine were! – and no gas or electricity is used to warm the water up. 

All this is well and good, but I will forever prefer my nice long showers.

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