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Writer's pictureShruti GOCHHWAL

Cold vs Hot showers: What works best after a workout?

When you come home from the gym, what do you want to do first? Or after a home workout, a sprint, or something similar? “Drink water!” someone exclaimed. My mind expresses itself! “Please take a bath!” says the narrator. – My body screams!

Without a doubt! Who wants to lay around drenched in sweat? The debate about whether to take a cold or hot tub, however, continues.

Unquestionably! Who would like to sit around with sweat all over! However, the question arises whether to take a shower with cold or hot water?

Did you know that the choices you make have a major impact on your health?

You’re not lonely if your body craves a hot shower first thing in the morning. The vast majority of people raise the handle all the way to feel the warm water on their face. But did you guys know that you can add cold water baths into your daily routine?

There will be cool showers, that’s for sure. They’re the hardest to take when you’re the last one to get up in the morning.

You might enjoy how they make you feel if you gave them an opportunity. Regardless of your feelings about any form of tub, tests suggest that both have health advantages that you should be conscious of.

Weight Lifting

Caption: High-intensity, muscle-building workout. Credits: Piqsels


Cold Water Shower

  1. Cold showers soothe itchy eyes and help you resist the need to scratch.

  2. It also aids in waking you up in the morning. There is a shock as the freezing rush hits the body. The shock raises oxygen consumption, heart rate, and alertness.

Cold shower shock

Cold shower bath gets your adrenaline rushing                                Credits: Pixabay


  1. Cold showers stimulate greater circulation – Increased circulation is one of the main reasons experts recommend cold showers. The cold water constricts blood on the surface of your body as it reaches your body and external limbs. This causes the blood in the deeper tissues to flow at a higher pace in order to keep the body temperature at an optimum level. This simply means that for those with hypertension or cardiovascular disease, a cold shower has the same result of a hot shower because cold temperatures cause the circulatory system to suppress inflammation, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease.

  2. Cold showers help curtail muscle soreness after high-intensity workouts. Coldwater has regenerative properties, helping your muscles to relax and repair after a tough drill. Showering in cold water will help you lose weight. Certain fat cells, such as brown fat, can emit heat when they burn fat.

  3. This happens only when the body is exposed to cold temperatures, such as by taking a shower. These cells can be found in the neck and shoulder region. So, it’s ideal for showers!

  4. Cold showers also have a good glow to the face and hair. Though research on the impact of cold water on the skin is scarce, anecdotal data suggests that it has beneficial effects. It serves to tighten and constrict blood supply, resulting in a healthy and younger-looking complexion.

  5. And, it helps to tighten and constrict the blood flow which gives your skin a healthier and younger glow.

  6. It aids in closing and strengthening your hair cuticles. Unlike hot water, cold water should not dry out the sebum coating, which is a naturally lubricated membrane that protects the hair from the elements.

Cold water can cause your hair to become stronger, thicker, and healthier over time as a result of its effects. If you believe that taking a cold shower is impossible, you may want to reconsider your position.

Hot Water Shower

Finnish sauna

Caption: Steam room in gyms for body relaxation and regeneration Credits: Pixabay


  1. Hot showers give relief from cold or respiratory problems. Standing in a hot tub, surrounded by steam, has long been seen as a natural cure for cold and cough symptoms.

  2. The steam and the heat from the water tend to free up your airways, loosen up your flem, and clean out your nasal passages.

  3. They also help with blemishes. Hot showers help to open up skin pores, which allows you to clear out the trapped dirt, dust, and oil.

  4. Hot showers are also beneficial for muscle relaxation. Taking a hot shower can help alleviate muscle exhaustion and relieve body stress.

So, which one is better?

What do you do if you have a choice between hot and cold showers?

In a perfect scenario, what you’d have to do is take a lukewarm shower to make it bearable, and then add a decent moisturizer to wet skin afterward. A contrast wash, which is an age-old procedure, is another choice to consider.

To conclude, you first have to get to the really cold water, ideally as cold as practicable, and stand for one minute under it. You change the water to as hot as you can tolerate for an extra minute after the minute is over.

For three to six minutes, alternate one minute of cold and one minute of temperature. Constricting the blood vessels is what this procedure does.

This means that in the first minute, all of the blood will return to the center of the body, then the hot water will clear the blood vessels, allowing all of the blood to flow out again. This can assist in healing and detoxification by pumping blood entirely into the muscles and organs.

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