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Daily, I wake up at 5:00 am for going to college. When I started this semester a month ago, I realized on first week I felt extremely lazy and it was really hard to get up from bed. So, I decided I had to do a little change in my routine; I started taking cold showers everyday.

I take it like the very first challenge of the day. You may think it’s not such a big deal, but consider that at 5 am in my city the temperature is about 9°C or 10°C, and that the shower water is about 1 or 2 grades lower than the environment’s temperature. Maybe some of you live in similar weather conditions and can know what I mean; it isn’t easy at all to give the first step to the water fall, but when you do…

Guess what?

• It, off course, wakes you up!
• Improves your memory capacity
• you stimulate your nervous system
• increases blood circulation
• you release endorphins
• you feel amazingly POWERFUL after the shower (Well, I do)
• improves your physical and mental health
• boost your immune system
• speeds up your metabolic rate, leading to release more white blood cells
• you might not have often flu

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If you are an athlete, this is for you: Cryogenic treatment

Beyond, exposing human body to lower temperatures has been used as a treatment for athletes and some people with mild cognitive impairments (MCI). This therapy is done in cryogenic chambers in which the temperature is about -100°C thanks to nitrogen gas

Pregnant? This might help: Freezing massages for pain

In Iran a group of researchers find that rubbing ice directly in skin of pregnant women decreases their pain. They try on women that were about to give birth and divided them in three groups; in one the ice massages were applied, in other one acupuncture techniques for pain were enforced and in the last one a placebo was given. The result: women treated with freezing therapy presented a higher reduction of pain.

Misogi: The Japanese ritual purification

It consists in meditating while being under a cascade of cold water. The idea is simply to come into harmony with natural laws beyond the intellectual and physical plane.

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Why do I write this?

Until now, I’ve told you the benefits of taking cold showers and treatments related to low temperatures. Although they are amazing, I think there’s a powerful reason for you to decide take a cold shower tomorrow morning; life is about challenges. I know, a shower isn’t a big deal, but if you want to do great things, you have to start with small ones; If I wouldn’t be committed to improve my willpower I just would take a warm shower every morning, that’s easiest!

So, TRY IT! Since I started showering with cold water I feel more energy somehow and it helps me a lot to start off on the right foot everyday.

Thanks for reading :)

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