Is it better to take a shower with hot water or cold water?

Taking a bath is something we need to do every day. Taking a bath not only makes the body cleaner, but also has great benefits for blood circulation and meridian dredging. So taking a bath is also a good way to maintain your body. There are many ways to take a bath, and you must choose the method that suits you. So is it better to take a shower with hot water or cold water? Let us introduce it to you in detail below.

Calming hot bath

The water temperature of a hot bath is between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius, which can cause vasodilation, promote blood circulation, relieve muscle spasms, and have a calming effect. For insomniacs, taking a hot bath before going to bed can help them sleep and relieve skin itching. A hot bath can remove dirt from the skin, clear the pores and sweat glands, and improve the skin's metabolic capacity and disease resistance.

Typhoid bacteria were inoculated on clean skin and dirty skin respectively. Samples were taken for testing 10 minutes later. The bacteria on the clean skin had died, but the bacteria on the dirty skin still existed. In medicine, hot baths are used to treat chronic arthritis, heal fractures, and other chronic conditions.

Warm water bath to strengthen lungs and heal injuries

A warm water bath refers to a bath that is between a cold water bath and a hot water bath, with the water temperature at around 34°C. The normal body temperature of a person is between 36.5℃ and 37℃, and the skin temperature is between 32℃ and 33℃. Warm water at 34℃ is slightly higher than skin temperature but lower than body temperature. It feels slightly warm when you touch it with your hand. After soaking in it, your body temperature will not change, and you will not feel cold or hot.

If you want the effects of hydrotherapy but don't want the intense stimulation of cold and hot water baths, you can choose warm water therapy. For example, patients with poor cardiopulmonary function or patients with burns should choose warm water bath.

Alternating hot and cold baths to strengthen your body

The alternating hot and cold bath starts with a hot water bath with the temperature of the hot water approximately between 38℃ and 44℃ and the washing time approximately for 4 to 6 minutes; then a cold water bath with the temperature of the cold water approximately between 10℃ and 16℃ and the washing time approximately for 1 to 2 minutes, and finally a hot water bath again.

There is no limit to how many times you can alternate, usually two or three times. Alternating hot and cold baths can eliminate the physical and psychological stress of the weak or those who are afraid of cold. The length and frequency of cold water baths can be determined according to your physical condition. You can switch to a hot water bath at any time to warm your body quickly. Moreover, the exercise value is greater than that of a simple cold water bath.

The question of whether it is better to take a bath with hot water or cold water has been clearly explained above. When taking a bath in normal times, you should make choices based on your actual situation. The best way to take a bath is to choose the one that suits you. If the bathing method is not correct, it will be very harmful to the health of the body and may also cause some diseases.