We have talked a lot about the miracles of salt baths and cold rinse at the end of your shower for your body. Today we introduce you to a new self-care ritual that will up your energy and improves your total body health in an unbelievable way. Ice plunge. There are serious benefits to filling your tub with ice-cold water and having yourself a sit, especially after an intense bout of physical activity or a really vigorous workout streak.
1 || Improves Circulation
Soaking your body in ice-cold water helps jump-start your circulation and lymphatic system, resulting in optimally oxygenated blood for quicker recovery, delivery of vital nutrients, clearer thinking, and more energy. When you immerse your body in cold water, the blood rushes to surround your vital organs. Your heart then is forced to pump more efficiently, pushing blood through all your vessels and supplying every part of your body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs.
2 || Speeds Muscles Recovery
An Ice-cold water bath is a great way to speed up the healing process of your sored muscles after an intense workout. You might ask how does it do that? Simply, soreness from an effective workout is a result of tears in the muscle fibers, which are, bottom line, tiny injuries. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles after this kind of activity, and an ice bath may reduce the amount of lactic acid, which means less swelling and quicker recovery time. This is why professional athletes soak in an ice bath following a strenuous workout.
3 || Boosts Immunity
Are you familiar with the feeling of quick, shallow breaths when you jump in a cold pool or turn your hot shower to cold? This indicates a boost in your metabolism, resulting in an increase in white blood cell production. White blood cells are what fight diseases and infection. This means that ice baths are a great way to boost your body’s natural defenses.
4 || Improves Mental Health
Studies show that cold showers can help treat depression symptoms, and if used on a routine basis, may be more beneficial than prescription medications in lifting moods. Cold therapy triggers our sympathetic nervous system, which in turn produces endorphins; our happy neurotransmitters. On top of that, cold therapy also triggers our parasympathetic nervous system and is linked to the vagus nerve, which regulates the way we react to stress and its effects on the body.
5 || Helps With Weight Loss
This comes as a result of a great metabolic rate, improved circulation, and lymphatic drainage, which speeds up the process of burning calories. On another note, studies have linked ice water with increased levels of testosterone; which is a critical hormone for burning fat and building muscles. So if you are trying to lose some stubborn kilos, reap the benefits of cold water immersion.
6 || Strengthen Hair and Skin
Unlike hot water that dries your skin and hair, cold water soothes them. It also improves skin quality by tightening it and reducing the size of your pores. And because cold water doesn’t encourage your pores to open up and release oils as warm water does, you won’t have excess oil that can lead to greasy hair or breakouts. The cherry on top? It stimulates hair follicles, which naturally helps increasing its thickness and length. What not to love.
