❄️As the temperatures drop and the nights start to draw in, the last thing on most people’s minds is finding ways to feel colder.
But exposure to the cold is good for your health - from weight loss to increased immunity
Thread 🧵👇
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
But exposure to the cold is good for your health - from weight loss to increased immunity
Thread 🧵👇
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
➡️The body has to work to generate heat when you cool down.
One way it does this is by activating stores of brown fat. Unlike white fat, brown fat doesn’t store calories - it burns them
One way it does this is by activating stores of brown fat. Unlike white fat, brown fat doesn’t store calories - it burns them
Brown fat is packed with mitochondria, tiny cellular powerplants that burn glucose to produce heat. When the temperature drops, these factories spring into action.
🌡️Some studies suggest a link between our centrally-heated lives and the rise in obesity
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
🌡️Some studies suggest a link between our centrally-heated lives and the rise in obesity
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
Regular cold exposure increases brown fat activity, not just when the body is cold but for several hours afterwards.
🥶That suggests that getting chilly may be an easy way to burn a few calories with minimum effort
🥶That suggests that getting chilly may be an easy way to burn a few calories with minimum effort
🏊♀️Wild swimming is potentially an efficient way to boost your brown fat.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen found that regular cold water swimmers’ brown fat burns more calories when cold than people who weren’t used to the cold
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
A new study from the University of Copenhagen found that regular cold water swimmers’ brown fat burns more calories when cold than people who weren’t used to the cold
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
Wild swimming and activities with a short sharp shock of cold can also be great for the immune system.
⚡️One study found that the initial rush of adrenaline was quickly followed by an increase in anti-inflammatory chemicals in the blood, which tamp down the immune response
⚡️One study found that the initial rush of adrenaline was quickly followed by an increase in anti-inflammatory chemicals in the blood, which tamp down the immune response
🚿A similar effect can be achieved with just a cold shower.
One study found that those who ended every warm shower with 30-90 seconds of cold water for a month were 30% less likely to take time off work for sickness than those who took normal warm showers
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
One study found that those who ended every warm shower with 30-90 seconds of cold water for a month were 30% less likely to take time off work for sickness than those who took normal warm showers
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
Another upside is the well-documented sense of euphoria that follows a cold swim or shower.
🧠In 2018, a report said that a woman who had experienced depression and anxiety for many years was able to stop taking medication after taking up regular wild swimming
🧠In 2018, a report said that a woman who had experienced depression and anxiety for many years was able to stop taking medication after taking up regular wild swimming
🧊 It might be a good idea to crawl out from under the blanket, turn down the thermostat and teach your body to warm up instead.
Read the full story 👇
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
Read the full story 👇
telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness…
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