The use of water as a therapeutic agent, or "Hydrotherapy" has been used since ancient Greece for the prevention and treatment of disease.
Pythagoras, Hippocrates and other wise men, used cold water to fortify the body, mind, and for the cure of diseases.
What are the lights or benefits when using cold water?
🔸It is a natural stimulant. Nothing beats a cold water bath in the morning to wake us up and get us ready for the day.
🔸It boosts the immune system by releasing leukocytes (white blood cells), which are the cells that protect us from infections caused by viruses, bacteria, and tissue debris.
It is recommended in people suffering from bronchial asthma, allergic states, and upper respiratory tract, the frequent practice of swimming, in non-heated pools and in natural aquatic environments.
🔸It improves the appearance of our skin. Initially there is a vasoconstriction that protects the body from heat loss, but later there is vasodilation, and it makes the blood circulate better, oxygenating the skin.
🔸It makes our hair look more vital, healthy and shiny (by the mechanism described above)
🔸Prevents depression. By activating the sympathetic nervous system by the release of noradrenaline; neurotransmitter that is related to states of alertness and mood.
🔸It will make us feel good emotionally. There is release of dopamine, serotonin and beta endorphin that help improve well-being.
🔸It promotes body weight loss. When the body is subjected to cold temperatures, by compensation mechanism, it produces more energy, favoring the loss of calories due to increased metabolism.
🔸Stimulates breathing. Your heart will work better as will your lungs. The ventilatory exhalations will be deeper achieving a better oxygenation of your body.
🔸Better functioning of the lymphatic system is achieved.
🔸Following exercise, there is less muscle tension, better recovery, and less stress.
🔸Habituation to cold decreases inflammatory and painful responses over time, factors found in diseases such as diabetes mellitus, alzheimer's and other chronic diseases.
In winter or on days with low ambient temperature, most people take hot showers.
It is best to start with lukewarm water and, once the body has adapted, gradually switch to cold water.
If we only have cold water, we should wet our hands and face and pass our wet hands over our body. This will help us adapt our thermoreceptors to the low temperature. Afterwards, we can bathe normally.
We are now going to see the shadows, or the aspects that we should avoid or take into account, when bathing in cold water:
🔸Never throw ourselves into a liquid medium, and colder, after prolonged exposures to heat and sun, after profuse sweating, after copious meals or intense physical exercises, since by a sudden change in body temperature, we can suffer a "thermodifferential shock", a medical condition that can lead to critical consequences.
🔸Also not to do so, if the person suffers from any cardiovascular disease.
🔸You can suffer some high respiratory process, if you are not used to bathing with cold water, especially, under certain environmental conditions.
🔸It is not recommended for people suffering from hypothyroidism, due to the cold sensation they usually have, product of low metabolism with a decrease in core body temperature. It should also not be used, when there are pulmonary problems.
🔸Finally, if what you want is to relax your body and fall asleep, a bath with warm or hot water is the most appropriate, since cold water will stimulate your body instead of relaxing it.