Recently I went kayaking, and the day after, I remember waking up and being really sore.
My arms and shoulders were killing me as I shampooed my hair during my daily morning shower. I remember that after I was done showering, I stepped out of my tub and — like magic! — my pain was gone.
And all I had to do was take a shower! I didn’t have to do any kind of stretching — like the helpful and easy moves mentioned here — to relax my muscles and alleviate the pain.
It just seemed too easy, like a life hack for your health. How did this possibly work?
The answer is hydrotherapy. It is the act of using water for pain relief and treatment — and hot and cold water can cure many different ailments.
Hydrotherapy’s benefits don’t just stop at physical relief, either. In fact, according to an article in Psychology Today, “Applying water of different temperatures to our skin can change our physiology and mood.”
So what kind of is the most beneficial? We break it down for you below!
Think you'll give hydrotherapy a try? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Cold Shower Perk #1: It clears your mind!
Cold water beating down on your bare skin seems like it would shock you. And indeed it does. But the shock actually clears your mind and results in an additional bonus: a boost of energy.
The deep breathing that you do in response to the shock from cold water helps you stay warm because it increases your oxygen intake and heart rate, releasing a rush of blood through the entire body. Basically, it gives you a natural dose of energy for the day.
Actress Katherine Hepburn actually swore by this energy-boosting method and took cold showers daily!
Cold Shower Perk #2: It boosts your metabolism!
Believe it or not, a cold shower can help you lose weight.
Your body has two types of fat tissue: white and brown fat. White fat builds up in our waist, lower back, neck, and thighs when we take in more calories than our body needs to survive. It's the kind of fat we all struggle to eliminate.
Brown fat is the good fat, which generates heat to keeps our bodies warm. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, brown fat is activated when exposed to extreme cold. Therefore cold showers can spark brown fat activity.
A 2009 study actually found that exposure to extreme cold temperatures can help someone lose nine pounds in a year if they exposed themselves to it regularly.
Cold Shower Perk #3: It stimulates anti-depressant hormones!
Feeling blue? Researchers have found that a cool shower, around 68 degrees, for three minutes a day can treat depression.
The intense impact of cold on the skin sends an overpowering amount of electrical impulses from the peripheral nerve endings to the brain, creating an anti-depressive effect that boosts your mood.
Just double-check with your doctor before testing this out!
Cold Shower Perk #4: It stimulates your immune system!
Feel like you’re always getting a cold? Combat it with cold water.
When chilly water hits the body, it gets your blood circulating, which helps your arteries pump blood quicker, and boosts your overall heart health, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a natural health expert.
Cold showers can also lower blood pressure, clear blocked arteries, and improve your immune system.
Cold Shower Perk #5: It tightens skin!
Have skin problems? It may be that you’re taking too many hot showers, which have a tendency to dry out our skin and hair.
Cold water can tighten your skin and shrink your pores, preventing them from getting clogged. Cold water also seals the pores in the scalp too, preventing dirt from getting in and improving split ends.
Hot Shower Perk #1: It reduces anxiety!
Feeling panicky? Cool off with a hot shower.
Studies have shown that hot showers can boost your oxytocin levels, which is the same chemical that is released after intimacy. Once this chemical kicks into your system, it relieves anxiety. Anyone who is under a lot of stress at work or home can benefit from a nice, steamy shower.
Hot Shower Perk #2: It removes skin toxins!
You may not think there’s a ton of toxins on your skin, but think again!
Dr. Susanne Bennett, an allergy doctor, wrote for the Huffington Post, “Toxins that are found in the skin include, but are not limited to: benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, styrene, deodorant, car exhaust, hydrocarbons, smog, household chemicals, perfumes, cosmetics, heavy metals including mercury, cadmium, aluminum, arsenic, lead, and nickel, dust mites, dust mite droppings, fungus, mold, bacteria, virus, parasites, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and hormones.”
A regular warm shower, with a little exfoliation, can get rid of all of those pollutants.
Dr. Bennett also claims that warm water “gently stimulates detoxification through the skin and other organs of elimination (the kidneys, liver, colon and lungs) by inducing lymphatic flow, improving circulation, calming inflammation, and encouraging sweating.”
Hot Shower Perk #3: It clears sinuses!
According to Stacey Tutt Gray, MD, co-director of the Sinus Center at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, you can clear up a clogged nose with a hot, 15-minute shower. The steam loosens mucus and helps you breathe better.
It also helps if you shut the bathroom door and let steam build in the bathroom. For an even better result, close your shower drain and add eucalyptus essential oil to ease inflammation.
Hot Shower Perk #4: It relaxes the muscles!
The steam released from a hot shower can increase blood flow, which eases stiff joints and reduces swelling. It also relaxes sore muscles, and provides soothing comfort, says Michele Olson, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama.
However, if you have heart trouble, it’s best to avoid this tactic to relieve your aching muscles. The heat can increase your blood pressure and heart rate.
Hot Shower Perk #5: It soothes migraines!
Tension in your muscles is the main cause of migraines. Therefore, if heat helps relieve tension in your muscles, it can also sooth a massive headache.
According to The Mayo Clinic, a warm shower and baths can relax tense muscles. Heat packs and heating pads have a similar affect.
Do you take hot or cold showers to relieve something we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comments!
Please SHARE if you found this information fascinating!
