Getting into a cold shower is never a pleasant experience, but there are a few health benefits you may gain from braving the experience. Cold showers can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, and reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Hot showers, meanwhile, can improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints, and improve sleep.
Understanding when to take a hot or cold shower is essential. Both deliver incredible potential health benefits and can affect your body differently.
Key Takeaways:
- Introduction: Start with a compelling introduction that grabs readers’ attention and outlines the topic’s importance.
- Benefits of Cold Showers: Explain the advantages of taking cold showers, such as improved circulation, reduced muscle tension, and potential sleep benefits.
- Benefits of Hot Showers: Highlight the benefits of hot showers, like muscle relaxation and potential cardiovascular health improvements.
How cold showers increase circulation
There’s a reason your first reaction to a polar blast of H2O is to move away from it: Cold water strains your body. The natural response to icy water hitting your skin is your system flipping the switch to survival mode.
The shock brought by cold water puts your circulatory system into overdrive. Your body increases blood flow to warm your core and protect vital organs. At the same time, it constricts circulation near your skin.
This process stimulates blood flow, which – on the whole – is a good thing for your overall health. Even your skin gets clearer and healthier with increased circulation.
Pro Tip
Can cold showers help you lose weight?
Research has shown that cold showers (and exposure to cold in general), in addition to increasing metabolic rate directly, stimulate the generation of brown fat. Brown fat is a specific type of fat tissue that in turn generates energy by burning calories. Cold showers, then, are an effective tool for people who are looking to lose a few kilograms
Warning
Cold showers are not going to be your best route to weight loss
Impact of cold showers on your immune system and mental health
Showering alternately with hot and cold water is great for improving circulation. During a cold shower, the work of the heart increases as well as during exercise. When the muscles come into contact with the cold water, they contract. The contraction of the muscles and the moving blood through the body contribute to a greater flow of blood through the muscles and the elimination of toxins from the body.
How affects fertility
Cold showers can actually increase your chances of having children. This applies to both women and men. One study found that men who were forced to not take hot showers had a 500% improvement in sperm quality in just six months.
Increased testosterone
Testosterone is important for many men, increasing muscle and even confidence. Researchers have found that hot showers can alter DNA, manipulating it to produce less testosterone.
Helps in muscle recovery
If you work out in the gym, the most important thing you need is muscle recovery. The faster your muscles recover, the faster you can increase your reps and weight.
Cold showers are key to speeding up muscle recovery, which is why Olympians almost always take advantage of cold showers and baths.
How It keeps you awake
Waking up in the morning and starting your day can be the hardest part, especially if you’re not a morning person.
Taking a cold shower can help a lot. Contact with cold water speeds up the work of the heart and forces your body to take in more oxygen, thereby waking up the brain faster.
Risks of taking a cold shower
If you have heart disease, resist the urge to adopt a cold shower routine. Your body’s reaction to cold water puts added stress on your heart and could lead to an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia.
Note
It’s going to tax your heart in a way that could be dangerous
How to make cold showering a habit Like any other habit, you have to generate the right triggers and motivators to be able to kick it all the way.
Do it either all at once or little by little
You choose how you start. You can start with hot water, as you normally do, and towards the end of the shower, gradually lower the water temperature over the course of a week, until you can stay under cold water for at least three minutes. Or, immediately stand under the stream of cold water.
Start in summer
Adapting your body to a period of high temperatures will help you endure the practice in the winter.
Keep in mind that it takes time and persistence
If you think you’re going to bathe like this forever, then the reward center in your brain is probably limiting you from getting the energy you need to do this. Instead of this approach, think of taking a cold shower as something you do “just today”, and you will see that this approach will bring you better results.
It’s better if you sweat beforehand
For example, some routine exercise of any kind before taking a cold shower will go a long way. In fact, it’s a recovery technique used by elite athletes to prevent muscle fatigue.
Breathe, take a deep breath
One suggestion is to constantly focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath through the nose and let it out through the mouth. And repeat. If you want to sing, this is the time when you can do it with all your might. And you can also stretch your body in different ways. These are the strategies that will help you incorporate the habit.
Hot Shower Benefits
After a long day at work, you probably dream of rushing home and jumping into a hot shower. Everyone loves sneaking away for a soak in the tub or a long, warm shower. You may not know that every time you take a hot shower, though, you also enjoy a few health benefits. Here are some benefits hot showers can have on our minds, bodies, and skin.
Burn some calories
When you are soaking in a hot bath, you are shedding a few calories while enjoying all the wonderful and relaxing benefits of a warm tub. Hot baths and showers should never be used as a substitute for exercise, though, and you should limit your time in the shower when you use hot water because it can increase your risk of burns or heat stroke.
Keep your skin clear and healthy
Taking a hot bath or shower can help open your pores and flush out toxins that become trapped in your skin throughout the day. Warm water can result in fresher skin that feels more hydrated.
Get better sleep
The muscles in your body may feel tense after a long day, and entering a warm bath or hot shower can help you relax, soothing your body as it soothes your mind. Jumping in the shower a couple of hours before bed can actually help you achieve better sleep. Additionally, getting clean before crawling under the cover will reduce the buildup of germs, dirt, sweat, and body oils that can accumulate on your bedding over time.
Making night-time showers a regular part of your routine can increase your sleep quality and help alleviate stress.
Bottom Line:
In the eternal debate of hot vs. cold showers, the choice ultimately comes down to your personal preferences and health goals. Cold showers offer benefits like increased circulation and potential weight loss, while hot showers can relax your muscles and improve sleep quality. So, whether you’re seeking an invigorating wake-up call or a soothing way to unwind, both options have something to offer. Remember, the key is moderation and finding the temperature that suits your needs best.
