Would you rather prefer a cold to a hot shower?
Ice baths have gained popularity as a workout recovery method, especially for soccer fans
. They’ve been shown to relieve muscle aches and pains and may even boost your mood. But they’re not a cure-all for mental or physical health concerns. So talk to your healthcare provider before taking the icy plunge.
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.
READ ALSO: ADVANTAGES OF TAKING WARM SHOWER
Cold showers are not the primary treatment for any conditions, and conclusive research about cold therapy is still limited. But a quick blast of cold water can be beneficial when used for symptom relief.
BENEFITS OF TAKING A COLD SHOWERÂ
1. COLD BATH SOOTHES ITCHY SKIN
- If you have a skin condition that results, a cold shower can be a helpful remedy. This is due to the cooling, anti-inflammatory effects cold water has on your skin.
- Adam Friedman, MD, says if you have itchy skin or skin conditions that cause you to itch, cold showers can help you overcome the sensation to scratch.
2. Combat symptoms of depression
- Do cold showers work for depression? Basically Yes
- Another study found the practice was more effective at steadying mood and getting rid of anxiety than a leading pharmaceutical, and another found that cold water exposure worked amazingly for both depression and chronic fatigue
3. Improve circulation
- Cold showers also help improve blood circulation because the sudden burst of cold water causes the blood to retreat toward the organs, providing essential nutrients.
- This sudden burst of cold water is also great at reducing depression because it causes sudden impulses to be released from our brain
4. Increase metabolism
- Cold bath Increases your metabolism
- Your body expends energy trying to stay warm in a cold shower.
- The result may be a small amount of calorie burn and increased metabolism.
- But don’t plan to throw your healthy eating and exercise plan out just yet — research on this benefit is limited
5. Reduce inflammation and prevent muscle soreness
- 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
6. Relieve localized pain
Cold shower benefits may also slow the nervous system’s transmission of pain signals to the brain, lowering your perception of pain.
How to use your shower as cold therapy
There’s no evidence suggesting how often someone should take a cold shower.
if you work out daily, it’s OK to take a cold shower every day.
Tips for taking cold showers include:
- Keep the water below 60 degrees: In a typical home shower, make the shower as cold as it can go.
- Take it slow: Start with 30 seconds of cold water. Work up to a minute and progress until you take a cold shower for two to three minutes.
- Alternate hot and cold: UCLA Health athletic trainers often recommend a contrast shower post-workout. It involves a hot shower for three minutes, followed by a cold shower for one minute. Repeat the pattern three times and always end with the cold.
- Health considerations before taking cold showers
Consult your primary care physician (PCP) if you have concerns or have been diagnosed with:
- Cold urticaria (hives), a skin reaction to cold exposure
- Heart disease, since a shock of cold may put added stress on the heart
- Raynaud’s syndrome, which causes numbness in your fingers and toes in response to cold temperatures
