Cold showers could make you sick less, more resilient - physiotherapist

A cold shower could make you less likely to get sick, as well as more resilient, a cold immersion therapy instructor and physiotherapist says.

Wim Hof ice immersion instructor and physiotherapist Nigel Beach is encouraging others to switch their showers to cold and told Newshub people should consider it to reap the benefits.

Beach, who has spent the last two decades studying health, says research which found a reduction in sickness absence after taking cold showers for 30 days helps prove his point.

"[A]case report in the British Medical Journal highlighted the positive effects on depression in a 24 year old female who was exposed to cold water weekly.

"This is only a report on an individual case and though thought provoking, we cannot draw wider conclusions from it."

He says through his own work teaching Dutchman Wim Hof's unique practises he has seen ongoing positive benefits instilled in other people's lives.

Hof holds 26 Guinness World Records and is praised for developing  methods using breathing techniques, cold immersion and mindset training to tap into a hidden mental state.

Wim Hof practicioners often use ice baths to fully test and embrace their capabilities however Beach said a cold shower is a good way to try it out.

He says at the very least it can improve resilience as it requires a bit of courage to stand in one.

"It takes a strong mind to endure the cold for extended periods of time. By incorporating cold showers into your daily routine, you are improving your willpower, which benefits many aspects of daily life."

He's encouraging anyone who's interested to start by ending your shower with 30 seconds of cold water, and to build up resistance from there.

Newshub.