Cold or a hot shower? Which one is best for you 11^th November 2022

Taking a shower is quite refreshing, especially after retiring from a hectic day or a high-voltage workout regime. The shower makes you feel better whether you prefer long, steamy stints or quick, frosty ones. While both hot and cold showers have their benefits, the optimal option is somewhere in the middle.

Let's discuss them one by one. First, let's talk about the merits and demerits of cold showers.

Merits:

1. Recover after a workout:
Ice baths and cold showers have gained popularity in the fitness regime for post-workout recovery. Cold water possesses regenerative properties that help your muscles to repair after an intense workout.

2. Reduce itching:
Due to the cooling and anti-inflammatory properties of cold water, a cold shower can help lessen itching if you have sensitive skin.

3. Enhance your body's resistance:
The immune system experiences a mild stress response when exposed to cold water, which helps increase resilience. Therefore, your body may react better when attacked by an infection.

4. Protects your skin and hair:
Your skin and hair do not lose their natural oils when you take a cold-water shower. Pores are sealed shut by cold water, which tightens the skin. Additionally, it inhibits hair fall and is kinder to your hair.

5. It makes you more alert and energetic:
You are startled awake in the morning by the shower's cold-water spray hitting your body. This shock will make you more alert and energised by raising your heart rate and oxygen intake.

Demerits:

Taking a cold shower can make you feel worse when you're sick. You will feel colder and take longer to warm up if you already have a cold, cough, or fever. People with joint pain can face problems like cramps after having a cold shower.

Let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a hot shower.

Merits:

1. Relax muscles:
After a workout, a hot shower might assist in relaxing the muscles and speed up healing.

2. Relieve respiratory symptoms:
A hot shower might be a helpful approach to relieve stuffy nose symptoms. This is due to the steam produced by hot showers loosening the mucus in your throat, nose, and chest.

3. Improve sleep:
According to research, a hot bath or shower before bed can help you sleep better quickly.

Demerits:

1. Taking hot baths might make your skin dry. When your skin comes into touch with extremely hot water, the keratin cells that make up its top layer are destroyed. Your skin becomes dry because moisture cannot be trapped.

2. Additionally, taking hot showers can make skin disorders like eczema worse. This is because hot water causes the skin to dry out excessively. Even if you don't have a skin issue, it might still make your skin itchy.

3. You should avoid hot showers if you have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure. These issues might worsen if the water is excessively hot.

Which is best for your health – a hot or cold shower?

Showers, whether hot or cold, offer advantages of their own. If possible, take a warm shower before applying a moisturiser to your body while it's still damp. Cold showers can soothe irritated skin, while hot showers help relax the muscles and clear the nasal channel.

Sometimes, hot showers can cause skin problems as well. You can choose between the two depending on the weather and any health issues you may have. In the winter and when you are sick with a cold or fever, you should avoid taking a cold shower. If you don't enjoy chilly showers, ensure the water is lukewarm.

Keeping everything in mind, a person should prioritise his health, whether by having the right shower, doing daily exercise, eating a healthy diet, or purchasing the best health insurance plans in India for additional safety and medical emergencies. Health insurance will make you feel more prepared financially to deal with such circumstances and manage medical expenditures since treatment costs are rising daily.

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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.