Former Navy SEAL Explains Benefits Of A Cold Shower

A former Navy SEAL has revealed why you should finish off your shower with a blast of icy cold water.

Clint Emerson has hailed the benefits of a cold shower, particularly to anyone who has been making the most of gyms reopening or otherwise working out.

Business Insider

Speaking to Business Insider in 2017, Emerson explained that it's common for Navy SEALs to be in and out of cold water during their training.

He said: "Cold water will wake you up, without a doubt, and it will keep you awake, but it has more health benefits than anything else.

"In SEAL training you spend a lot of time in cold water and there's actually some science to the madness."

He went on to say that professional athletes use cold water after a workout 'all the time' as it 'increases recovery'.

Emerson said: "It vasoconstricts the entire body, squeezing out all of that lactic acid so that you can feel good to go the next day, and be ready for the next day training."

Emerson says the cold water is a 'therapy' for the body post-training or workout that helps keep you and your body healthy as well as keeping inflammation down.

He said: "It vasoconstricts everything down and allows you to keep moving forward, hopefully without any more injury."

However, Emerson does then go on to admit that it was 'torture'.

Well, I suppose one good thing about starting the day with a bit of torture is that at least things can only really get better from that point on, eh?

Emerson isn't the only person to sing the praises of ice cold showers - earlier this year, participants in the 30-day cold shower challenge said it left them with healthier looking skin and hair, more energy and increased sex drive, not to mention helping them feel 'more relaxed and motivated to work out'.

Furthermore, researchers from ice.club, which runs the Cool Challenge, looked at the data from 3018 people who took part in the challenge in 2015 and took a cold shower for either 0, 30, 60 or 90 seconds for 30 days.

They found that in the groups that took the cold showers there was a 29 percent drop in sickness absence and they also reported an increase in perceived energy levels.

So there you go - brave the cold water and you might end up feeling a lot better.

Topics: Interesting

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19