For years, many of us have seen a refreshing glass of cold water, dripping with condensation, as just that — refreshing. And to be honest, there is nothing especially wrong with that. Water is a wise choice to keep hydrated during the hot summer months, or no matter where you live. The same goes for cold therapy. This game-changing practice not only enhances your youth and jumpstarts your energy, but also improves your clarity, and pain tolerance, amongst a host of other health benefits.

Cold therapy can start off intense (complete submersion of a person in ice water), or less intense by using an ice roller or ice pack. Whatever floats your boat, and however small you’d like to start, we invite you to join us to explore five benefits of cold therapy.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COLD THERAPY?

1. Look Skin-tacular!

Most of us find it more comfortable to take warm or hot showers, often for 10 minutes or more. But what if you could tighten pores (preventing bacteria and dirt from finding a home!) and also decrease sebum. Sebum is the oily substance that sits between layers, and in excess, can become an additional irritant to conditions like dry skin, eczema, and hyperhidrosis. It can also affect skin by clogging pores and making way for pimples, acne, and other sebaceous issues. By washing your face with cold water, investing in an ice roller, or taking cold showers can all be vehicles to start the process. Lastly, your skin will increase its collagen production, keeping your skin smooth, youthful, and wrinkle-free!

2. Cooler Heads Prevail

One of the lesser known benefits of cold therapy are its tremendous effects on the mind! After engaging in cold therapy, many people, both young and old, have reported lower sluggishness when they wake up, and reported experiencing feelings of pride, self-assuredness, and confidence. In addition to lending you some refreshing energy, it also can literally help you keep a cool head! The amygdala, a tiny organ in our brains that plays a role in our emotional regulation, has been shown to be affected positively by participating in cold therapy for several weeks. So you not only look good, you feel good, too!

3.. Reduce muscle soreness after training and speed up healing

For us athletes, cold therapy is more than just taking the plunge on a dare. For us, we already know the benefits of icing an injury to prevent swelling after activity, and for relief before the next gym day. Exercise creates tiny microscopic tears in our muscle fibers, which causes lactic acid build up and soreness. By using cold therapy, you can speed up the healing process of your soft tissues by improving circulation (your body has to work harder to warm itself) and helping you burn stubborn fat. Who said cold water wasn’t powerful?

4. Combat Inflammation

The natural reality of this life is that our bodies get older. But, they don’t have to become brittle, painful, or inflamed. So many diseases like diabetes, lupus, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and chronic fatigue all involve inflammatory pain. By engaging in cold therapy, you may be able to keep some of the inflammatory symptoms at bay, and even work to heal some of the damage caused to your soft tissues. Improved kidney function also means a cleaner system, and a happier, more productive you!

5. Know and Love your Body

As someone who dedicated myself to cold therapy a few summers ago, I can personally attest to its effectiveness. The last reason is simply, it begins to feel good! By submerging myself in cold water, I became very acutely aware of each nerve ending, hair follicle, and patch of skin. I began to see my body as an intricate engine I am honored to steward properly, rather than an obligation to maintain. This helps us become better stewards of our bodies, so we glorify God.

Ready to take the plunge? Let us know how cold therapy works for you!

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The post Take the Plunge: Surprising Benefits of Cold Therapy for Your Body, Mind, and Skin appeared first on Elev8.

The post Take the Plunge: Surprising Benefits of Cold Therapy for Your Body, Mind, and Skin appeared first on Black America Web.