Many people start their day with a shower, and not just a simple one, but a cold one.
If you want to know whether this practice is good for your health, you should look at the results of a study conducted by scientists from the Netherlands.
Researchers were able to prove that fans of cold showers are less likely to take time off from work due to illness compared to those people who take warm showers.
More than 3,000 people took part in the experiment. They were all divided into four parts.
Each group was required to take a warm shower every day. The first group was required to end the event with 30 seconds of cold shower, the second group had to stay under the cold shower for 60 seconds, and the third – 90 seconds. The control group did not have to turn on the cold water – they were allowed to enjoy only a warm shower.
The subjects were required to do this for exactly one month, while the scientists observed the participants for three months.
What they found was that the groups that took cold showers saw a 29% reduction in sick leave. The duration, it turned out, didn't matter.
It's not clear why cold running water helps reduce illness, but some studies suggest a possible link to boosting immunity.
