Intense workouts can leave your muscles feeling tight and knotted. A hot shower can provide relief by relaxing your muscle fibers and relieving tension. The warmth helps to loosen any tightness, allowing your muscles to recover and return to their optimal state.
Taking a hot or cold shower after exercise isn't a proven recovery method. But the proven benefits of heat therapy could make a hot shower a worthy addition to your post-workout routine. There are many ways to soothe sore muscles after exercise. Try proven strategies for post-workout pain relief.
Ideally, you should wait until you've stopped sweating profusely to hit the shower; otherwise, you run the risk of still being hot and sweaty after you've washed. This will vary from person to person, but in most cases, this will take between five and 30 minutes, depending on the intensity of the exercise.
A hot shower after work relaxes you and releases the stresses of the day while of course getting you clean before laying in bed or on the sofa. Two showers a day is so much better than one regardless of that one being before or after work.
No, it doesn't warm up your muscles. Warm up isn't just about literal hot and cold temperature. It's loosening up your muscles and prepping them for hard work. A hot shower doesn't do any of that. It won't hurt you in anyway, but it doesn't accomplish what an actual warm up does (jogging, stretches, etc...)
There's no direct proof indicating that hot or cold showers will make or break your post-workout recovery, says Corey Simon, PhD, an associate professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University, a senior fellow in the Duke Aging Center, and a physical therapist.
The same way heat expands matter, a hot shower dilates your blood vessels, increases blood flow and relaxes your muscles. When there is an increase in blood flow, muscle soreness and tightness is reduced. After a vigorous routine, the warm water and steam can bring soothing relieve to the tensed muscles.
As well as flushing your muscles of toxins, making your post-workout shower a cold one also tricks your brain into making a speedier recovery. Cold water immersion effectively reduces muscle soreness and accelerates fatigue recovery, according to a meta analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology.
"Some people need to shower once or twice a day after working up a sweat, while others who aren't as active may only need to shower several times a week," adds Green.
A COLD SHOWER is good for recovery after an intense activity. It has a cooling effect on your body, helps your heart rate return to baseline faster and stimulates the circulatory system. A WARM SHOWER can soothe stiff joints and tired muscles.
Post-exercise, your body undergoes repair and rejuvenation, and a nap can help in muscle recovery and fatigue reduction. It can also help replenish your energy levels. However, it's important to keep naps short—typically around 20-30 minutes—to avoid entering deep sleep cycles which might leave you feeling groggier.
However, you must allow time lag between exercise and bathing. The most important thing you can do after a workout is to cool down to get your heart rate and body temperature back to normal. After cooling down for at least 20 minutes, then you can decide to take a shower.
Boosts Metabolism and Weight Loss
Regular cold showers stimulate the production of brown fat, a type of fat that generates heat by burning calories. Over time, this can aid in weight management and potentially support weight loss efforts when combined with a balanced diet and exercise.
In conclusion, cold and heat therapies are both effective for enhancing muscle recovery and reducing muscle damage with heat being superior immediately after exercise and cold at 24 hours after exercise. Cold is superior for pain relief immediately after exercise and at 24 hours.
Not showering usually goes hand in hand with staying in your sweaty gym clothes. If you do this for a full day after a morning workout, it could put you at risk of a yeast infection. So, showering with water is a must if you want to avoid any discomfort down there!
There's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
Should you shower before or after a workout? While it may seem counterintuitive to shower before exercising, it can help warm up your muscles before your pre-workout stretch. Showering after a workout allows you to wash off sweat or dirt while soothing your muscles, which is more beneficial.
Hot showers have long been favored by many individuals after a rigorous workout. The heat from the water can help relax your muscles, reducing tension and promoting blood circulation. This increased blood flow delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to your muscles, aiding in their recovery.
Taking cold showers every day for 30 days may lead to increased energy levels and alertness as well as improved overall health. Your skin and hair may feel and look better due to the reduced drying and irritating effects of a hot shower. However, remember, individual responses to cold therapy vary.
A 2019 study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that taking a cold shower after a workout resulted in faster heart rate recovery.
Improves Circulation
Hot water consumption can improve blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients more efficiently to your muscles and organs. Enhanced circulation can contribute to better overall health and vitality, supporting your fitness journey.
Dr Ross Perry, Medical Director of Cosmedics skin clinics, sums it up for us: “If you don't shower after a workout, bacteria grows rapidly on the skin,” he explains, adding that "when you exercise, your skin becomes warm and moist, making it the perfect breeding ground for fungi."