I've spoken many times about my struggles over the years with painful, heavy periods. Cold showers, most definitely have been one of the tools I've connected with to assist with the "oh know it's that time of the month again".... if you have read my previous blogs you would have now heard me say "I now LOVE my period...!"
For cold showers to effectively assist with your period, you must engage the cold all month long, still of course remembering your rest days. Your rest days are important so that your body doesn't become use to the cold. For me, my rest days fall directly inline with my fasting day which is the end of one phase moving into the next (normally 24 hours) last day of Winter through to the first day of Spring, last day of Spring though to the first day of Summer.
I refrain from having cold showers for the first three days of my period, I'm already going through a fair amount of emotion/pain etc, a cold shower is a shock to the body and my body says no to the cold. Warmer showers at this time are better than cold, cold showers can increase the intensity of cramps.
Again, it's all about engaging the whole 28 day cycle.
Here are some of the benefits of cold cycle showers;
- Cold showers teach you how to find your zen and helps lowers cortisol levels, which is important especially for perimenopausal women. When cortisol rises, testosterone drops, which is not what us women want, keeping an even hormonal keel is important.
- Increases endorphins - really important around your Autumn/Winter, again it's all about keeping our emotions on an even keel, acknowledging them and moving through them.
- Increases circulation - water is colder than our own bodies temperature, which means our body has to work slightly harder to maintain it's core temperature. This helps our circulatory system runs more efficiently.
- My skin feels and looks so much nicer, it feels fresh and alive.
Other benefits
- Decreases inflammation and swelling.
- Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
- Brings blood to the capillaries.
- Cleans the circulatory system.
- Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
- Balances all the glands.
- Potentially boosting weight loss.
As time goes on, cold showers are no longer something I prepare for (like when I first started) a cold shower is now as easy as a warm shower and I've never felt better!
