Whether you have to take a cold shower because you are in a hurry and can't wait for the water to heat up, or because you are the last in the family to use the bathroom and the hot water has run out, the shock of cold temperatures is something. you can get used to. Many swimmers, athletes, and members of the military have had to learn to endure such discomfort. This type of thermal shock can be beneficial to health and promote weight loss, but it is not easy to resist. Fortunately, there are techniques that can help the body get used to it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Change the Water Temperature Gradually
Step 1. Start showering or bathing with hot water
Assuming you don't have to get used to cold water suddenly because you have to dive into a swimming pool or frozen body of water for example during a competition, you can use the water jet from your shower or bathtub. bath to gradually accustom the body to the cold. Turn on the tap and wait for the hot water to come out.
Step 2. Get into the shower or tub
Since the water is hot, you shouldn't have to struggle. Make sure your hands, feet, and face are wet, as this is where most of the body's heat receptors are concentrated. After a few moments, reduce the water temperature slightly and wash as you normally do.
Step 3. When you are used to the new temperature, reduce it further
Remember that you are not trying to shock the body, this method is to accustom it to cold water gradually. By now you should have finished your shower, just in time to adjust to the second temperature change. If you feel comfortable being under water or if you need more time to finish washing, feel free to lower the temperature further.
Step 4. Repeat the workout every day
Every time you shower, you should have a little less trouble coping with the drop in temperature. This indicates that your body is getting used to the process and is fine-tuning its thermoregulatory mechanism.
Step 5. Reduce the starting temperature
When you have a few days or a week of training and the temperature reductions are no longer so frightening, you decrease the initial heat degree. From this moment on, start washing yourself by setting the shower water to the second temperature level, so that after the second and last intervention it is colder than it has ever been before.
Step 6. Continue like this for a few days or a week
The time it takes varies from person to person, based on your fitness level and body fat percentage. Ironically, the body conditions that allow you to withstand the cold better require you to be both sturdy and fit! Whenever you feel ready, reduce the starting temperature of the shower again. Before you know it, you will feel comfortable in a temperature that you initially considered unsettling.
Part 2 of 3: Directly Dive Into Cold Water
Step 1. Prepare the water
Of course, if you intend to dive into a river, the sea or a swimming pool, everything will be ready. This method is quick, effective and is particularly suitable if you are a swimmer or an athlete who wants to take cold baths to recover after intense physical activity. When the water is ready, it prepares the mind for the impending shock.
Step 2. Wet your face, ears, hands and feet
Since most of the thermal receptors are located in those areas, they are the most important to get used to in overcoming the shock. This is an easy technique to start with if you still don't feel ready to jump into the water.
If you don't have the option of submerging these body parts in cold water, simply use it to spray them
Step 3. Dive
Enter the water without hesitating further. Jump or run and get wet completely, from head to toe. Leaving some parts dry and warm will limit the body's ability to settle, as it will have the ability to compare the two different temperatures.
Step 4. Don't stand still
It is very important to keep moving. If you have dived into the sea or the pool, just start swimming, but if you are in the shower or tub it is more difficult to "get going". What you can do is shift your body weight from one leg to the other and move your feet. Each muscle movement will help you trigger the body's thermoregulation and adaptation process.
Step 5. Call on your mental strength
During the first few moments you will be tempted to run out of cold water or to turn on the tap of the hot one, but don't give in. You can create a mental shield to protect yourself from the cold as your body adjusts itself and adjusts to the new temperature. Each time you use that shield and resist the cold, make subsequent tests easier, both psychologically and physically, thanks to the increased efficiency of the thermoregulation process.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Body and Using Environmental Factors
Step 1. Understand why you feel hot and cold
The normal human body temperature is 37 ° C. It is equipped with three types of cutaneous receptors, designed to detect pain, heat and cold respectively. The heat receptors begin to perceive heat above 30 ° C (and up to 45 ° C, while beyond this threshold the pain receptors enter the field). Cold receptors perceive cold when the temperature drops below 35 ° C.
- As you can see, there is an overlap area of 5 degrees in which both the heat and cold receptors are activated.
- Cold is perceived more acutely than heat because the number of cold receptors is four times those of heat, many of which are located in the skin of the face, ears, hands and feet.
- The cold receptors cease to function when the temperature drops below 5 ° C; at that point you stop feeling cold and start feeling numb.
- The core temperature can vary slightly, based on hormonal changes and health status.
Step 2. Understand how the body reacts to changes in heat
When the body temperature rises above 37 ° C, the blood vessels dilate to allow more blood to flow to the surface of the skin to cool it. Conversely, when the body temperature drops, the blood vessels contract to conserve body heat. By regularly exposing the body to different temperatures, the thermoregulation mechanism will gradually become more and more efficient.
Step 3. Lower the room temperature
Part of the shock you feel when your body comes into contact with the cold water from the shower (especially in the morning after getting out of bed) is due to the fact that you were in a warm environment a few moments before.. By lowering the temperature of the environment in which you live, the impact will be less traumatic.
- Set the thermostat 1-2 ° C lower. It will also help you save money during the winter months.
- Turn on a fan in the bathroom or bedroom. Increased air circulation below 37 ° C will keep the body's cold receptors active.
- Don't wrap yourself in a cocoon of blankets overnight. This tip is especially useful if you have trouble taking a cold shower in the morning. The warmer the room you sleep in, the colder the water will seem to you!
Step 4. Raise the core temperature to better withstand the cold
In some circumstances, the cold can be pleasant, for example when you jump into the pool on a hot summer day or drink a cold drink after a strenuous workout. This happens because the body temperature has exceeded 37 ° C and you need to get it back to normal. By warming up your core, you will not only find it less difficult to get used to cold water, you will even be able to appreciate the refreshing sensation.
- Consider doing intense physical activity before entering the cold shower. The training techniques "interval training" and "circuit training" are particularly suitable for raising the core temperature.
- In this case, taking a cold shower will have the added benefit of helping the muscles recover.
Warnings
- Be aware that being immersed in water below 15 ° C for a long time can have fatal consequences. You have about one minute for each degree of water temperature before the body becomes hypothermic (for example, if the water temperature is 10 ºC, you have about 10 minutes to get safe, if it is even at 1 ºC, you only have 1 minute).
- People with a lack of fat and muscle tissue or who have health problems should be especially cautious about exposing themselves to cold for long periods.
- Learn to identify the signs of hypothermia. It is better to recognize your own limits than to overstep them to the point of risking being affected by this dangerous and life-threatening clinical condition.
