By Dr. Michelle Hagel, ND
With winter approaching somewhat abruptly, I often find myself getting chilled. To help with cold tolerance, temperature regulation, and circulation I love doing contrast showers.
What does this mean? Hot and cold showers; like when you were a kid and you were in the hot tub then jumped in the snow.
I know a cold shower doesn’t seem like the most appealing while temperatures are plummeting. This technique can really help you regulate your body temperature and become more tolerant of extreme temperatures.
Start with 30 seconds hot water, then 10 seconds as cold as you can tolerate. Do 5 cycles of alternating between the two and always finish on cold. This allows our pores to close and you warm yourself off by ‘dry brushing’ off with your cozy towel. These times can be altered with that important 3:1 ratio being follow and always ending on cold.
I suggest only doing this in a morning shower as it is quite invigorating! You will notice your temperature regulation and circulation improving, lymphatic system operating better, some people even find it stress-reducing. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.