Are You Really Sure You Want To Keep Having That Hot Water Bath?

It just seems like reflex to turn the faucet to hot whenever you want to take a bath/shower - particularly in the cold months. It also is a very good idea to take a hot water bath when you come in wet and cold from the rain or when you have a flu. Somehow, some of us have gotten so used to hot water baths that having even a drop of cold water on our skin feels like a wave of electric shock. But, is that really a good thing?

Here are benefits of both hot and cold water baths for you to decide better:

Benefits of a hot water bath:

• Hot water baths are excellent to cleanse your body as the warmer temperatures tend to kill all the germs that you are exposed to throughout the day. It is also helpful in maintaining better personal hygiene.

• They are extremely beneficial to relieve cold and cough as the hot water and steam tends to clear your airways and help in decongesting your nose and throat.

• They are also known to beat insomnia and sleep disorders and are excellent to induce sleep.

• Hot water baths are also known to relieve stress and fatigue and also help relax sore muscles. It has also been shown to improve the flexibility of muscles giving you a supple body. 

• Studies have also shown that hot water showers reduce sugar levels in the body making them ideal for diabetics. This study showed that sugar levels of diabetics who immersed themselves in hot water tubs for 20 – 30 minutes for three weeks, had reduced by 13 %.

Benefits of a cold water bath:

• Cold water showers give you a push start in the morning. They tend to stimulate your nerve endings and help getting rid of the laziness and sleepiness. In other words, cold water shocks you awake - best way to start a busy day, isn't it?

• They help you treat depression. Cold water baths have shown to increase the release of depression-beating chemicals like nor-adrenaline and beta-endorphins making you feel fresh.

• Cold water baths have shown to stimulate the lymphatic and immune system, which helps in boosting the production of infection fighting cells thereby increasing your immunity.

• Cold showers burn fat by activating the brown fat in the body.

• Cold showers boost your immune strength.

• Cold showers gives you attractive hair and skin. Hot water dries out the skin and hair, cold water does the opposite - helps to hydrate your skin and hair!

• Your lung function improves tremendously with cold water showers. That feeling of breathlessness you get when you pour cold water over your head is the reason behind this property of cold water. You tend to hold your breath with each mug of water and slowly release your breath ,thus improving your lung function.

Weigh this information for yourself, do you still want to keep having those hot baths and showers all of the time? I think I'm going to take a leap of faith in the cold shower direction (at least, as much as I can handle!)

Wanna read more about cold water benefits? Try this: Cold water immersion benefits

Cover image via Getholistichealth