Hump Day Hype Up - June 26, 2024
Ice ice baby, Vanilla Ice ice baby.
Thats our theme for this week’s Hump Day Hype Up. We’re getting chilly! And hyped! All at the same time.
Today’s challenge for Hump Day Hype Up is for you to have a freezing cold shower to start your day.
Yes, that’s right. I want you to turn on only the cold tap. Zero hot water. Fresh, winter, delightfully cold water is all that will be utilised this morning.
‘It’s winter’ I hear you scream.
‘It’s freezing outside’ I hear you moan.
And to that, I share the below with you!
Let’s be grateful that we’re not in this situation!!
A cold shower seems awfully appealing in comparison to this!
So now that the whingeing is over, let’s get into why this is actually a really great idea for some mid-week motivation…
There are so many reasons and research papers to back up why having a cold shower is incredible. Yes, I said cold shower. You can still gather these incredible benefits from getting your cold fix in the shower alone.
Of course, if you have access to an ice bath, please go for it… but for most, it’s more reasonable to access a cold shower regularly.
Below are just a few pieces of information that I’ve collected on why this is such a great challenge:
Increases Alertness: Yep - you’ll have more idea of what’s going on around you today. How? Well the shock of cold water stimulates the body, this means that you’ll start breathing deeper and have an increased oxygen intake, which helps you feel more awake and alert.
Improves Circulation: When you’re in the cold water your body is doing it’s best to keep you and your important organs warm, your circulation will increase sending your blood to your organs quickly. Better circulation helps you feel more invigorated.
Boosts Endorphins: Cold water exposure can trigger the release of endorphins, the "feel-good" hormones, which can enhance your mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. We love endorphins!!!
Enhances Immunity: This is relevant for when you have cold showers more regularly (hint, make this a habit) - the cold water can stimulate the production of white blood cells, strengthening your immune system and making you less susceptible to illnesses.
Increases Metabolism: Cold showers can activate brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat and burns calories, which can boost your metabolism.
Improves Skin and Hair Health: Beauty hack!! The cold water is able to tighten pores and cuticles, which very kindly helps in reducing inflammation and leading to healthier skin and shinier hair. Win!
Reduces Muscle Soreness: Same as above, reducing inflammation helps with post workout recovery, and the cold water also assists with muscle soreness.
Enhances Mental Resilience: This one goes without saying - it’s a tough exercise to complete. The more often you can extend your resilience in this space the more it can improve your mental toughness and overall resilience, helping you better handle stress and challenges.
Increases Energy Levels: You’re awake!! You’ll feel it right away. There’s nothing that brings you alive quite like freezing water running over your body. The invigorating effect of a cold shower can give you a natural energy boost, helping you feel more refreshed and ready to take on that boring meeting you’ve got this morning.
Improves Willpower: Similar to the above noted point regarding resilience, when you take a cold shower it requires mental strength and discipline, which can map across to increased willpower and determination in other areas of your life.
Have I convinced you that this is a good idea yet?
It’s your life my beautiful friend - are you ready to go all in and start living it to it’s fullest?
Let me know how you feel after!
Sending love,
Jade xx
