Take colder showers
Cold(er) showers are a great way to reduce your energy bill, environmental impact and possibly your health too. And while this might be hard to believe, they make lot’s of people feel like they can conquer the world too. And you don’t even need to go stone cold. Just some small adjustments can already make a notable difference.
The colder shower options
Just take down the temperature a bit
Make part your shower cold
What many people do is, they start warm and end cold. Or they start warm, have a cold middle and end warm again. It is easier than jumping straight away under a cold shower.
Take a cold shower
With a cold shower, your energy usage for showering simply goes to zero. If you’re new to it, maybe start by making parts of your shower cold and work your way towards a fully cold shower if you want to. And it you’re in a cold country, maybe you don’t immediately go to the coldest water temperature but heat it slightly to get adjusted. It not only has benefits for the environment and wallet, but for your health as well:
The health benefits of colder showers
Throughout the time we evolved as humans, most of our baths and showers were in ambient or colder temperature water from rivers, lakes, springs and waterfalls. Now we have almost eliminated these cold water experiences in our daily life. This evolutionary history makes it likely that there are some health benefits to colder showers. And many studies confirm this:
It reduces illness
In a large randomized controlled trial the group that took cold showers showed a 29% reduction in reported sick leave from work1.
It alleviates depression
Studies have shown lowered rates of depression for people that take cold showers2. The idea behind the positive effect is that the cold sends a large number of electric impulses to the brain which then releases endorphins, dopamine and noradrenaline. These hormones are known to help against depression.
It creates a better immune response
A study has shown that cold showers increase the amount of white blood cells in your body and helps your immune system function better3. This might explain why people that take cold showers get sick less often.
It improves your metabolism
Another study showed that your metabolism, the rate at which you burn energy, increases when you take cold showers by up to 350%4. So if you want to lose weight, a cold shower could help.
It improves circulation
Cold water exposure increases the blood flow in your body. A study showed that after a few weeks of cold showers the blood flow to muscles had improved significantly5. However, please consult your doctor if you are a heart patient and want to take super cold showers. Because temporarily it can raise your blood pressure.
It is better for your skin
PLANT TREES AND BECOME CARBON NEUTRAL TODAY
Planting trees and reducing your carbon emissions is essential for the climate, biodiversity and healthy living conditions. With the trees we plant in Tanzania and our EcoSteps you can easily do both and tackle climate change beautifully, effectively and completely. So start today: