A cold shower stimulates your nerves and leaves the morning full of freshness. It removes laziness and keeps you fit. Cold showers release depression-beating chemicals like beta-endorphins, which are effective for mental health and relieve depression or stress. Cold showers believe to be great for men as it improves reproductive health by stimulating the release of testosterone in them. It also helps in improving lung function because cold water boosts immunity and promotes cell regeneration which helps fight infections.
There are some similar benefits of the hot shower. It believes that hot water helps a lot in killing bacteria and viruses. That's why people take hot showers, due to which there is a good cleaning of the body. A hot shower has the power to make your muscles aching and flexible. Warm water gives you a compress which feels relief to muscles. Hot water helps clear the airways of your throat and nose in winter.
In this way, we find that hot and cold showers have their specialties. Still, some people have inclined toward a hot shower, and some prefer cold. But do you know what Ayurveda says? If you listen to Ayurveda, hot water is beneficial for the body, cold water is for the head & also hot showers are harmful to both hair and eyes.
And what are the advantages or disadvantages of a hot shower and cold shower; let's try to understand in further detail?
How careful are you when choosing drinking water for yourself or your loved ones as the water should be clean, with a ph level above 7, is it purified or not, etc. After examining all these things, we use water for drinking. But for bathing water, by bonding the eyes, whatever we get, we manage only with it. Even for bathing, the water must be clean & the temperature also is ensured. But why be sure of the temperature? If the bathwater is normal, then what is the problem?
Whether you are taking a hot or cold shower, it affects the outer and inner parts. Let's understand this in detail.
Benefits of Cold Shower
Water with a temperature below 70 degrees F, called a cold shower, has many health benefits. Water therapy is also known as hydrotherapy. It has been used for many years to keep our bodies in good condition. A cold shower infuses new energy by releasing stress. Although cold showers are not a cure for any situation, relieving the symptoms improve health. The benefits of a cold shower are like this:
For Better Circulation
It is very nice to take a bath in cold water in summer, but it is a challenging task to take a bath in cold water on the winter days. Bathing with cold water gives a feeling of freshness. A cold shower regularly improves blood circulation and brightens the skin. Some athletes have also reported that doctors advised them to use cold water or ice instead of hot water to compress the injury area because it reduces swelling also. A cold shower is a reliable remedy even with a high fever. As soon as the body temperature rises, a cold shower must be necessary before taking it to the doctor to normalize it.
To Improve Endorphin
There are many types of hormones flowing in the body. Which helps control various functions of the body? All these hormones should be in a balanced quantity in the body. The lack or insufficiency of these hormones can cause much damage to the body. One of these hormones is Endorphin.
Due to the balance of this hormone, the mind becomes happy and healthy. It has also known as the 'Happy Hormone' & the same lack of it makes a person sad and sad. People consume depression medicines to increase the Endorphin hormone, but it is also possible to treat it with hydrotherapy. Taking a cold shower for 5 minutes daily 2 to 3 times a week reduces symptoms of depression. It works like an electronic therapy.
Coldwater generates several electronic signals in the brain, by which the levels of clearness, alertness, and energy rise. Its effect creates a feeling of good and optimism.
To Fight Common Diseases
The leukocyte in our body plays a significant role in fighting various infections. A leukocyte is a type of blood cell that lacks hemoglobin & is therefore colorless & these leukocytes get excited by the shock of cold water in the bloodstream, which means that cold water protects us from flu and other infections. According to a study, cold showers make the body resistant to some types of cancer. People that preparing for surgery or treatment of other diseases should also take cold showers.
To Boost Metabolism
Everyone knows that fat is very harmful to us. White fat is the fat that links us to heart diseases, while we are born with brown fat. According to research, the role of brown fat in adults is significant. Brown fat also gets activated when exposed to cold water. Cold showers are also very beneficial for people who want to lose weight. Taking a cold water bath two or three times a week boosts metabolism and can help fight obesity over time. But also remember that it can also lower certain hormone levels.
Increase Alertness
A cold shower increases the oxygen level of the blood, so obviously, it will also decrease the level of carbon dioxide at the same time, due to which our body wakes up, and there is a feeling of alertness. It keeps you energized and focused throughout the day.
Good for Skin
Hot showers dry out the body's natural oils, causing dull skin. In context, a cold shower retains the body's natural oils and makes the skin soft and smooth. It increases blood circulation, regulates sebum levels, and eliminates dryness of the skin, which gives relief from acne, rosacea & eczema-related problems.
Good for Hair
Hot showers make dry the skin & reduce the natural oil of the hair, and make it dry. But cold showers bring back the hair's natural oils and make them shiny and supple.
Drains The Lymphatic System
Cold showers also affect the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system carries all the dirt from the cells. Thus our body is free from diseases and infections. That's why sometimes hot and sometimes cold showers should take. Lymph vessels relax when the body is exposed to a hot shower and contract when exposed to a cold shower. The result of this process of contraction and relaxation is that the immune system gets stronger.
When Should We Take a Cold Shower?
A cold shower revitalizes you and keeps you fresh throughout the day. Let us know when the right time to take a cold shower is:
In The Morning
As experts say, an early morning cold shower is best; because it increases the energy level & refreshes the body and mind & helps you stay focused and alert. If you want to start good habits, start taking an early morning cold shower and feel the child in your mood and behavior. We can take a cold shower even after the workout.
After Workout
We can take a cold shower even after the workout. It is beneficial in many ways:
- Tightens the Skin: A cold shower refreshes the body after a tiring exercise. According to Dr. Jeannette Graf, Dermatologist with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Coldwater can help tighten and constrict blood flow, which can help the appearance of dull skin & also compress hair cuticles which can help strengthen the follicles. Thus, a cold shower after a workout is healthy for skin and hair.
- Re-hydrates the skin after sweating: Exercise removes sweat & moisture too, but a cold shower brings back the lost moistness of the skin and moisturizes the skin naturally. Coldwater protects the sebum layer from drying out, which rehydrates the skin and we feel refreshed. As Dr. Jeannette Graf says, after taking a quick lukewarm shower to clean the skin, a cold spray can constrict the blood vessels preventing moisture loss from the skin after sweating.
- For Post-workout recovery: There are such muscles in our body that are tight, and after exercise, they open or loosen & it makes us feel pain in the body, but a cold shower has this power that can reduce your muscle pan. Cold showers are best for recovering after a workout, as said Sandra Gail Frayna, Physical Therapist at Hudson PT. She further explains that taking a cold shower after an exercise acts as an advantage for our body. The body warms up during the workout, after which the blood vessels open up due to exposure to cold water, which allows better blood flow. Shawn Kato, Physical Therapist with Hudson Physical Therapy in Jersey City, says a cold shower improves recovery rate capabilities due to increased glutathione levels, which further aids recovery from workouts.
- Increase Mindfulness: If you work out for hours to make the body healthy, then it is necessary to take a cold shower for a healthy mind. Especially after exercise, its necessity becomes even more. Mindfulness always keeps us relaxed and increases our ability to handle any stress & we need mindfulness after a workout. Post-workout cold shower acts like meditation which allows us to focus on our body and mind, as Kato suggested.
- Boost immune system: A study done in 2020 suggests that cold showers help in boosting immunity. Research conducted in 2020 suggests that cold showers increase the number of white blood cells present in the body & responsible for a healthy immune system, according to Graf. So next time whenever; you exercise, keep in mind the benefits of a cold shower.
- Before Going To Bed: Take a cold shower whenever you can't sleep peacefully. Hydrotherapy is the best method when there is no sleep, which also removes depression. For this, take a cold shower for 5 minutes from 3 to 4 times a week.
It is how a cold shower works for our body. But this does not mean that only cold showers have benefits, and we should adopt them as our habit. Hot showers have different properties. So let's take a look at that too. Let's count its benefits.
Benefits of Hot Shower
Cleaning the Pores and Skin
Clean skin doesn't mean that your pores are clean too. Pollution dulls our skin as dust, dirt, and smoke gets lodged in the pores, resulting in blackheads, pimples, etc. It is essential to deepen these pores then the skin is considered clean & its cleaning is possible only with hot water. A hot shower opens the pores and cleans them, resulting in you getting clearer skin after your hot shower. But remember that hot water opens these pores, so avoid hot water for the face and use cold water only. Avoid expensive skincare and take a hot shower bath for skin cleaning.
Treating Headache
Headache feels when blood vessels are narrowing. A hot shower normalizes blood vessels by reducing such pressure. Due to this, the headache stops, and you feel relaxed.
Get Relaxed Body
A hot shower can make you feel better. The reason for this is that it is a good process. Warm water provides comfort to the body, relieves muscle pain, and reduces stress.
Helps in the Improvement of Blood Circulation
Heart health can happen only when there is proper blood circulation. A hot shower helps with blood circulation that gives light exercise to your heart with the pressure from the water to make it better.
Get Relief From Cough & Cold
Hot showers are advantageous when you are suffering from a cough because hot water works to dry up the mucus of the cough. Mucus accumulated in the throat and chest can spread the infection. When you go to the doctor, they prescribe antibiotics that attack the mucus but are not healthy for the intestine. Start taking hot showers as soon as you notice flu symptoms like cough, cold aches & runny nose.
Fight from Migraines
Hot water helps blood flow, so a hot shower is a simple solution to problems like migraines because better blood also eliminates migraines, and you feel good.
Treating High Blood Pressure
A study claims that hot water reduces high blood pressure. But remember that hot water can affect your heart rate, so try this simple procedure only on medical advice. Remember, research is on hot baths, not hot showers.
Building Your Body
After exercise or after taking a hot shower, the body gets the same result & that is heated. So instead of exercising, you can also take a hot shower. Like exercise, hot showering also releases heat stress proteins from the body. That's the reason why workouts are necessary for building muscles. That's how hot showers work too. Exposing the body to heat can cause up to 20% muscle buildup.
For Better Sleep
Like cold showers, hot showers also help in getting good sleep. You can also take hot showers for good quality sleep. A hot shower also relaxes the muscles, which makes your mood fresh. Not that only hot shower should take; you can also take a tub bath.
When Should We Take a Hot Shower?
Post Workout
A hot shower after a workout has the same benefits as a cold shower, such as:
Healing Ached Muscles: Feel muscle pain or stiffness when you do a long-running exercise. In such a situation, the muscles need to compress stiffness reduce. It's a shortcut way to have a hot shower that will give you relief. When the rate of metabolic reaction is reasonable, the body's chemical processes work accurately. As a result, the body muscles become better healed.
Helping in Weight Loss: A hot shower can be a nice trick for weight loss. Hot water has been a better option for weight loss since its inception. People with diabetes can also feel its benefits because the touch of a hot shower lowers the body's glucose and sugar levels.
Relief from itching: After a workout, the skin starts sweating continuously, which also causes rashes or itching. Only a hot shower can get rid of such itching.
The Bottom Line
Just hearing the word shower fills us with freshness. Everyone knows that bathing is necessary for our bodies & a shower is compulsory for both body and mind, which is not wrong.
But the problem comes when we do not shower according to our needs. People think that the choice of the shower should be according to the season only, a hot shower in winter and a cold one in summer. Sometimes, minor problems like migraine, sleeplessness, infection, etc., we addressed to the doctors, whereas the treatment has hidden in just a shower. It would be surprising to hear that a cold & hot shower has the power to get rid of some diseases & you must know this, only you can guide yourself and your loved ones. But the dilemma remains among the people whether the shower is hot or cold.
Shower hot or cold is both beneficial & can get rid of both diseases & this medicine tells about many research and studies. Like Cold showers relieve fatigue and swelling, muscle soreness and fatigue, improve blood circulation, and reduce pain & hot showers improve cardiovascular health, improve brain health, improve blood flow, and good sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which shower is best for post-workout, hot or cold?
Never take a shower immediately after a workout; otherwise, it can have opposite results. When you exercise, your body gets warm because your body temperature increases. In such a situation, you want a cold shower, and as soon as your body comes in contact with cold water, it suddenly has to face the opposite effect resulting in cold, cough, and cold.
Now, it depends on which shower do you want? After exercise, when you are feeling tired, or there is pain or swelling in the muscles, then you can take the help of a cold shower. Sometimes it may also happen that itching or rash may occur due to sweating after exercise, such a situation hot shower is the best option. A hot shower works like a cleanser for your skin by removing the accumulated dirt from the body. So in this way you can choose a hot or cold shower according to your needs.
Are showers well before a workout?
Pre-workout shower is beneficial, especially if the water is hot, the benefits will increase. Warm water helps to stretch and lengthen before intense work. It warms up the body already and also helps in weight loss. So a pre-workout shower may also be batter.
Can hot & cold showers have potential risks?
Long baths or showers that are too cold or hot can be a risk factor. It either raises or lowers the body temperature. If a person's body temperature drops by 89.96 degrees F, the person feels as if:
- a decreased breathing rate
- a down in blood pressure
- heartbeat irregularities
- decreased consciousness
Do athletes take cold showers too?
Professional athletes always prefer cold showers like cold showers, ice baths, polar bear dips, & cold shocking, etc.
What are the side effects of hot water?
The benefits of a hot shower are many, but it can also have side effects. Its side effects can cause a person to feel:
- Lowering Blood Pressure: Hot water is good for blood flow but not blood pressure. Hot water can worsen problems like hypertension. Due to this, there may also be a risk of a heart attack.
- Experiencing Nausea: The temperature of a hot shower suddenly affects the flow of blood in our body, which makes us feel nauseous or puckish.
- Drying the skin: Hot water absorbs moisture, and we get dry skin. Avoid taking long showers.
